Film Review : Complicity (2018) | OUT OF FRAME
When it comes to engaging with a new filmmaker, I always seek to go into their movie that I watch as blindly as possible. Sometimes I might catch the short summary or do a little bit of research into the director themselves, but more often than not I want to enjoy the film as its own entity before learning and factoring in any external contexts.
A Story of Identity, Isolation and Survival
Complicity, directed by Kei Chika-ura, did not trouble me in that regard. It tells the story of Chen Hong (Lu Yulai), a Chinese illegal immigrant in Japan seeking a better life for himself. A chance encounter leads him to work in a soba shop under an assumed alias, mentored by its owner (Tatsuya Fuji). As a new normal starts to trickle in, Chen must navigate the troubled waters of the situation he put himself in, and maybe in some way, find a path to his own personal peace.
Going into the movie, all the understanding I had was that it would be touching on Japanese-Chinese relations, and it certainly delivers on that in spades in an interpersonal context. The movie is driven on the fears, sentiments and brief moments of levity of being a stranger in a stance land, tied to nowhere but the fleeting meet-ups and phone calls of your fellow countrymen. Lu Yulai as Chen Hong (as Liu Wei) delivers a fine performance in this regard, as a man who has no choice but to be pulled apart by the circumstances around him, whilst also enjoying the happier events when they last. We catch glimpses of his life in China prior to his illegal immigration, and while the story beats it hit are hardly new, Lu is convincing enough in that some emotional connection was reached to me.
Tatsuya Fuji’s Pivotal Performance
Backing Lu is veteran Japanese actor Tatsuya Fuji, who plays the disgruntled yet inviting soba shop owner as he invites the imposter into his work and life on false pretenses. Those who are in the know might recognise him in the one-two hit of Nagisa Ōshima's controversial In the Realm of the Senses and Empire of Passion, and here he displays a calm and paternal demeanour that shields a stoic ferocity. The movie would not work without him, and learning that Fuji was born in Beijing and raised in Japan, a trait shared by his character, I couldn't help but wonder if he was vital to the conception of the movie itself. He is to Chen, and in turn the audience, the personification of the anxiety that festers, yet also the potential, albeit dim, light to a better place.
However, Chikaura's camera is unforgiving. Utilising a handheld, cinema verité style and minimal cuts between scenes, the film expertly builds and retains a tension of unease throughout, each continuing scene only rarely giving you the breath of relief that things will be okay, at least for now; you never know when things might be completely turned upside down. This is what I would say is the film's strongest aspect, and the dynamic chemistry and shifting dynamics between Lu and Fuji further make it an engaging watch.
I had expected something that would dig deeper into the specific Japanese-Chinese backdrop of the film, an exploration of how these two countries with a very intertwined history would be viewed through the lens of the downtrodden on both ends. There are certainly moments of reflection here and there, but those are mostly still within the text of Chen being a foreigner, less so a Chinese foreigner in Japan. I would say that the film's biggest missed mark is perhaps not touching on that further; Japan could be switched with any nearby non-Mandarin speaking country in the film, and little would need to change.
Still, as an intimate character drama I found it to be, if nothing else, rewarding in the watch. In his feature debut, Kei Chika-ura proves himself to be honed in the craft of filmmaking as producer, writer and director. Complicity's themes and character archetypes are nothing new, but they are certainly well presented and performed. I recommend it to anyone that wants to try something new for their cinematic palette, a small solid piece of filmmaking in the tapestry of world cinema.
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About the Film Critic:
Wei Li Heng is an avid lover of uncovering and writing about obscure and underseen Asian cinema. He hopes to discover local cinematic gems and share them to a wider audience.
Follow-> Letterboxd: @weiliheng / Instagram: @william_wei_li_heng
