Heartbreaking romance
At first glance, The Floating Landscape appears to be a new screen adaption of the novels of Taiwanese illustrator Jimmy Liao. But in fact, Liao only contributed to the paintings in the film. The movie itself is an original piece of work written, directed and edited by Carol Lai Miu-suet, who is more than capable of transforming the agony of life that comes across in Liao's works to the big screen.
Compared to Johnnie To and Wai Ka-fai's recent feature Turn Left, Turn Right, based on Liao's book of the same name, The Floating Landscape has everything the former lacks - a heartbreaking but romantic vibe.
Karena Lam Ka-yan (above left), named Hong Kong Film Awards' best newcomer, plays Maan, whose painter boyfriend Sam (Ekin Cheng) falls ill. After his death, Maan finds one of his paintings, which depicts a landscape in Qing Dao where Sam spent his childhood. Maan decides to take a trip to Qing Dao to search for the scene in the painting, and there she meets local postman Lit, (Liu Ye, above right), who gradually develops feelings for Maan.
The Floating Landscape is probably one of the most fresh local productions of the year, put together by an ensemble crew - producers Stanley Kwan Kam-pang and Arthur Wong Ngok-tai (who was also the cinematographer), with editing design by Danny Pang, costume design by William Chang Suk-ping and an original score by Shigeru Umebayashi.
This is Lai's second feature since her debut Glass Tears (2001). The relationship between Maan and Sam appears in the film only in flashbacks, but the story develops smoothly and writer-director Lai captures the ambiguity of romance and the pain of love in a series of heart-warming sequences.
With Wong's stunning cinematography and Umebayashi's score, Qing Dao appears as a peaceful European town. Liu gives the most memorable performance as the shy postman. But the true star is writer-director Lai, who promises to be the new hope of local cinema.
