Lost and Found (1996)

Lel me start by saying this movie really put a spell on me. I was absolutely captivated by it I couldn't take my eyes off the screen. I can't really put my hands exactly enchanted me but I guess the whole ensemble worked well for me, and created something magical in the atmosphere. It did help that I didn't know anything about it when I started watching it. I went in without knowing what the movie was about and what it was aiming for.

The story is about a terminally ill girl who is set to her lost love. That may sound cheesy, and I myself am not a fan of terminally ill drama but this movie take a refreshing perspective to it. Instead of it being about a woman facing death, it is more about self-discovery and the magic in life. The movie is narrated by the protagonist, as if reading off her diary. Her voice is monotonous which may sound dull but actually works pretty well with the mood of the movie and her character. While meeting both Ted and Mr. Worm, she was more about looking for something she's been missing in her life, and only after trying to make miracles for others that she managed uncover it. A factor worth mentioning is the use of music here. I think it was cleverly used to elevate the movie and set the mood of the story. It is one of the elements that completely absorbed me.

If I am to evaluate acting, I need to first mention the casting. I'm pretty new to Hong Kong movies so my knowledge of their actors is limited compared to say Japanese and Korean, and even Taiwanese. That is to say, I don't know if other actors and actrices would've fit the roles better than the cast of this movie, but I found that the current cast did fit their roles well. If I were to talk about performance, I'd say other than Kaneshiro Takeshi, the acting did not impress. I'm not saying that because of my bias for Kaneshiro Takeshi, but his character was the only one that felt different, otherworldly, a magician as Lam called him and he was a natural at it. The rest of the cast managed to play their characters, more or less, but none added anything that was noticeable.

In the end, we have an ordinary story about ordinary people written smartly, with great music and interesting character all put well together to make such an engaging movie by the director. I guess that is what they mean by the sum is greater than the parts.

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