Cell phone (2003)

REVIEW

In a poignant scene, a character in the movie reflects on how men in China used to live carefree, dancing wildly behind their wives’ backs but the cellphone has allowed them to be omnipresent. It’s a twisted idea surely, married men should aspire to NOT cheat on their wives, but Cellphone draws some interesting questions on the loss of privacy and freedom in the modern world.

It’s especially interesting to watch the film now, as the Chinese government rolls out a massive, 20 000 camera surveillance net in Southern China, ostensibly to reduce crime. Yes, it’ll catch criminals, but the Chinese government’s idea of criminals include those affiliated with any protest movements, including Falun Gong and Tibetan independence. Cellphone, though, stays in its bubble, allowing the viewer to draw those connections.

Ge You stars as the main adulterous character, a man so used to lying that he covers up the smallest indiscretion. He’s a celebrity of sorts, appearing on a TV talk show, which gets him the attention of women something he can’t resist. Unfortunately, he’s not clever enough to get away with anything. Either that, or the women are just too smart.

Director Xiaogang placed his wife, Fan Xu, as the clever woman who brings embarrassment and loss of face to Ge You she sees right through his lame excuses and lies, and can easily sniff out clues from his bag or his cellphone.

It’s a subtly comedic movie some parts are laugh out loud funny, but a lot of the humour is veiled beneath Chinese culture, perhaps making it inaccessible to Western audiences. As always, the English subtitles lack the complexity to truly convey the depth of the dialogue, making the lines appear cheesy and graceless.

Some of the best parts of the film are delivered by Ge You, who is a renowned actor in China, and carries the film with ease. He’s a funny looking guy, with a funny accent, and he easily talks his way around people, with the exception of his wife. Fan Bingbing sexy photoshoot with a ghostly nun Playing the role of the evil-hearted slut is Fan Bingbing she seems to take pleasure in causing Ge You strife in his marriage, if only so that she can have him. She’s a hot little number, and looking at the picture above and this steamier, sexier photo, you can appreciate the blind confusion she must inspire in men.

I need a moment to recuperate…

Cellphone was heavily praised in China, and did massive numbers domestically, though it may be relatively unknown internationally Xiaogang augments the feeling of unease with tints of sickly green, giving an unsightly pallor to the sullen environments. A wonderful film, and one that provides insight into Chinese culture, the jealousy, the mistrust, the lies.

I say

Cellphone is definitely one to watch it’s not a pretty painting of China, but it is a fearsome cross-section of the reality that we inhabit, technology has brought us relief, but also brought us within striking distance of each other’s noses.

See it for

The women in Xiaogang’s films are intelligent and strong they make the men look like little blustery children.

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Also watch

• YOU’VE GOT MAIL (1998)
• AMERICA’S SWEETHEARTS (2001)
• You Can Count On Me (2000)
• YOUNG@HEART (2007)
• YOURS, MINE & OURS (2005)