Kaili Blues

no movement transcends western perspectives quite like the buddhist slow-cinema practised by joe, tsai, etc., where the past, present & future can unspool as one, memories blending into dreams into the mundane real and now. here, a visionary STALKER-influenced debutant sculpts in time via a myriad of means, including a wandering 40-minute long-take which makes something breathlessly oneiric, nostalgic and ergo cinematic out of a present-tense naturalism which typically rejects such descriptors.

Innovative cinematography not afraid of being obtrusive, particularly in the wonderful long tracking shot. Too bad the first half hour or so is not of the same dream-like quality.

There are some who want his films to be more like Jia's or Joe's, but I say "let Bi Gans be Bi Gans."

As much as I did enjoy this - it's exactly the sort of meditative, contemplative, haunting Asian film that I go nuts for - I think I'd be more enthusiastic about if not for the fact that I found the (digital, handheld) cinematography during the film's much-feted 40-minute tracking shot quite literally nauseating. Alas.

that last fucking shot...

Although having great individual thematic elements and memorable compositions, this film is better in theory than as an actual cinematic experience. The music, performances, and much of the ambitious long take give off an amateurish vibe. I can overlook imperfection, but these are a distraction from a piece that requires immersion and meditation. However, the director’s intentions are so admirable that I want to overlook the frustration I felt. It’s clear Gan Bi is someone to look out for.

Watched almost 2 years ago. I liked its ability to unearth poetry in an industrial-looking ugly Chinese town, pretty much like Tsai Ming-Liang's ugly urban landscapes, or Jia Zhangke's slow cinema in decadent modern China. Yet I thought the poetics were more forced than natural and I'm not sure about the qualities of the 41 min. long sequence in the second half of the movie. The too obvious insertion of clocks distracted me further. Though I appreciate his vision, not quite my taste.

Nice contemplative cinema with a a very Weerasethakul vibe. With it's non-linear dealings of time it leaves much to ponder over after viewing this. The 40 minute tracking shot is of course the moment supreme of this.

Möbius strip

I do not see the point of this... movie?

Worth the watch for the cinematography alone. The 40+ minute tracking shot encompasses dialog in two languages, at least four vehicle changes - one of which is a boat - dozens of people, several animals, incredible synchronization as the camera splits away from and rejoins a motorcycle, so much. Narratively it's a nice work. The continuous traveling shot near the end is the most audacious thing I've ever seen recorded. Fantastic film.

a foggy ballad with more than a handful of key changes, it feels like a genuinely oneiric and unique piece of cinema

ikinci bolumdeki kamera enter the void'un organik hali gibi

WoW!!! U R Kiddding me, First Film and with this strength!!! I had watched "Long Day's Journey Into Night" before and it was surprised me as second work of a director. Now I can see it wasn't just a coincidence!! So enthusiastic to watch his next work

"I took the measure of the unbearable vanity of the West, that has never ceased to privilege being over non-being, what is spoken to what is left unsaid."

More poetic than narrative, Kaili Blues leads us into the mind of one man, Chen, who is looking for his young nephew. The key sequence is a 41 minute single take, in which Bi shows us the impossibility of possessing a full understanding of circumstances and relationships. He deftly mixes past, present, and future together in such a way that moves the film into something of a dreamlike state, even as it remains grounded in concrete details.