Review of Unknown Pleasures (2002) by X. T — 01 Sep 2007
Jia Zhang Ke is one of the most talented young directors working today. This might be my favorite of his work, perhaps because I can relate to its characters the most. I love his gritty neorealist style that captures the lives and problems of people in a time and place that is undergoing huge social and economic changes.
The story is about two teenage boys with no goals, directions, or future. They have no jobs and little money. They feed off of pop culture such as Pulp Fiction and Chinese pop songs, when their lives couldn't be farther away from these distractions.
Jia's pacing and plotlessness might turn off some viewers, but his concern is realism, which he uses to capture the social-economic alienation and spiritual malaise of the one-child-per-family generation.
This review of Unknown Pleasures (2002) was written by X. T on 01 Sep 2007.
Unknown Pleasures has generally received positive reviews.
Was this review helpful?
