Lost in the Stars Movie Review

Spoilers involved only at the end of the full article, with a warning

I was interested in this movie a long time ago. Much of that interest was due to the title, which is word-for-word the same as David Fincher's Gone Girl. Suspense, missing lover... Aside from those elements, I'm curious what other parody elements there are.

Features Worth Saying

Initially I was not expecting much, I just went to watch a story. However, I was surprised to find that the overall quality of the movie is quite good: the audiovisual language is well controlled, and the suspense and tension created is quite immersive.

The use of color stands out throughout the film. The use of the color red is very impressive, and it is a constant reminder of the unknown dangers. At times, red and green appear at the same time, and the unsettling atmosphere created by this sense of conflict is a deadly attraction.

The multiple appearances of animals are strong metaphors. The producer explains in an interview that those are cold-blooded animals.

I really liked one of the transitions in the movie, the tracking shot of the pool to the locker room, which is a sweeping and metaphorical symbol.

Inadequate aspects

Some details don't make sense. For example, Li Muzi was wearing lip gloss when she was sleeping. In the dark and cold environment, who is the warm color on the lips for? 😑

If you look into the story, you will find some logic that is hard to explain. I won't give you examples, viewers will discover it on their own.

The plot sets up more smoke and mirrors with misleading direction of speculation for the viewers. Viewers don't like to be tricked, and more plots that are not related to the main plot will make the story seem loose.

The lines are weak and some of them could have enhanced the dramatic conflict, but instead they are given an inoffensive line. Example, “-When did lawyers start working in the bathroom?” “-The world is just full of surprises and mishaps.” 😓 At this point I really want to retort “Translate for me, what exactly is a surprise?” ¹

The part where the truth is revealed and the chain of events is sorted out, some of it is He Fei's narrative tone, and some of it is Shen Man's narrative tone, but it is rubbed together, which is inappropriate and creates a problem with the narrative logic. Revealing the mystery to the audience in a lump reduces the degree of audience participation.

Regret

The beach dinner scene had the potential to be designed as a classic bridge sequence, but unfortunately the cast wasted the opportunity. It's a pivotal scene, where two people who don't trust each other are about to have a showdown, what beautiful people and scenery, what great costuming, what a tense atmosphere, and doesn't it deserve a long shot, from the characters' stunning appearance to the faux hugging, spinning, and then taking their seats? Don't the lines at the dinner table deserve some serious design?

Of course, that is demanding. Forgive me that I've just seen Extraction, but that long shot was breathtakingly awesome.

The casting is not bad, but the downside is that in some scenes, the actors' psychological approach to their roles is not well thought out. For example, at the beginning, when Li Muzi's identity is questioned, she should have shown more confusion about her husband's behavior instead of playing innocent. In the later stages, Moon's performance was not sinister enough and she was more like a sweet sister 😂, which lowered the suspenseful atmosphere. Man said on set that she's “not very good at playing a bad girl” and she really wasn't being modest 😅.

Some Doubts

What was the intention of the beach photo at the end of the movie? My understanding is that it's a happy ending for the reluctant viewers (or perhaps the censors).

Is the frequent appearance of Van Gogh's paintings interpreted as anything other than a hobby for the protagonist? I think it's more of an aesthetic flourish that means little in terms of story.

Shen Man's friend said she hated the scum and took off the ring and threw it into the water. Is this bridge redundant?

Thoughts after watching it

Due to the title of the movie, I thought this one was going to be sharp and innovative based on its predecessor. But I was disappointed, it was just a commercial movie. The gradual decline in Douban rating from the opening 7.5 also speaks volumes. Lacking the solid storytelling core of a masterpiece, this movie is bound to attract scrutiny from all sides. It's easy to learn the surface techniques of a movie, but it's not easy to write a deep story core, which is where the movie's vitality lies.

The movie used a lot of techniques, such as Hitchcock zoom, mirror abyss, etc., but inevitably fall into the accusation of showmanship. Instead, in individual scenes, the movie focuses on a combination of acting, line and cinematography techniques to produce a high level of classic sequences.

It is obvious that this movie has done a lot of marketing. A Dragon Boat Festival holiday slot is also so competitive. Nowadays, these movie slogans “must see”, “a good show”, “extreme reversal”, “full of strength” are really cheesy. “It's so cheesy. I don't know where it started, but movie marketing has become so trendy, it's sad.

Spoilers ahead

The contrast between the quiet village and the psychedelic night sky in Van Gogh's “Starry Night” is like a husband who seems to return to normal on the surface, but his heart is in the dark; and it is also like a wife who yearns for a simple and peaceful life, but a husband who is obsessed with a gambling game with many crises.

The protagonist loves Van Gogh's painting, but uses it to set the scene for the murder. This is a blasphemy to the love of things ah, cruel to the extreme.

The gambler's last gamble is doomed to be lost.