Review by diviner

Wong Kar-Wai's "Ah Fei Jing Juen" can best described as "experimental", and experimental it is, as it is stylistic, but neither entertaining nor provocative.

The story loosely surrounds the interaction of (mainly) five different characters. The camera angle appears to be in complete discord with the characters, which may be intentional on the director's part to reflect the inner space of the microcosm. Unfortunately, this the the extent of intrigue that Wong could muster.

First off, the interactions between characters are contrived, crass, and inconceivable. What the characters did in "Ah Fei" defy any logic, even by film standards? Their course of action were simply so far fetched, even non sequitor wasn't enough to describe them The other has to do with the dialogue. Native Cantonese speakers will not talk like they do, even in the sixties. The whole script reads like it has been translated from English. In fact the it was easier reading the subtitles than to listen to what they said.

I think, in the end, Wong did try to break the mold of the Hong Kong film industry. I am no big fan for kung-fu or slap-stick comedy, which the industry seem to cater. Like the gravity defying acts in Kung-fu movies, Wong stretched the limits of human logic and sensibility in "Ah Fei".