Movie Review A Land Imagined (2018)

 

A Land Imagined (Original title: Huan Tu) | 2018 | 1h 35m
Genre: Drama/Mystery | Country: Singapore-France-Netherlands
Director: Siew Hua Yeo | Writers: Siew Hua Yeo
Cast: Peter Yu, Xiaoyi Liu, Yue Guo, etc.
IMDb: 6.2
My Rate: 7/10

Lok investigates the disappearance of Wang, a Chinese migrant worker who was injured at the construction site where he worked. He feels a strange emotional connection to Wang.

Warning:

Contains strong language, violence, and nudity.

 

Synopsis:

Two detectives are investigating the disappearance of a Chinese migrant worker who worked at a construction site. The worker, Wang (Liu Xiaoyi), has been missing for a while, but none of his coworkers or bosses seem to care.

During his search, Lok (Peter Yu), a detective with sleeping problems, tries to trace Wang's routine. He feels an emotional connection to Wang. Lok feels like he's lived Wang's daily life in his dreams.

Wang is a Chinese migrant worker who works at a construction site in Singapore. He gets injured at work, hurting his hand. His boss gives him a break by making him a driver for the Bangladeshi workers, which brings him into contact with Ajit.

Since his injury, Wang has trouble sleeping. He spends days without sleep. When he's not with Ajit, he spends time at a computer rental place playing games all night. One day, Ajit disappears without a trace after going out with the boss's assistant.

Wang searches for Ajit, but it's unclear if it's all just an illusion or real. Will Lok find Wang?

 

Review:

"A Land Imagined" tackles a sensitive topic: the lives of migrant workers in Singapore. Wang's disappearance and the indifference of his coworkers and superiors show how these workers are often overlooked. The film even opens with a scene where a worker climbs high up, seemingly wanting to end his life. This illustrates the difficult lives they face.

The artistic and narrative storytelling makes it hard for some viewers to understand the meaning. The story uses a non-linear timeline, mixing reality and imagination. It's not clear where the line is between the two, and even at the end, it's unclear what actually happened.

The story also lacks a clear conclusion. Many things and events remain unanswered. The connection and similarities between Lok and Wang are hard to see, except for their shared insomnia. The mystery of Wang's or Ajit's disappearance isn't resolved.

It's confusing how the two detectives know about Wang's disappearance when the workers and management don't. Who reported it to them? This remains a question.

There are scenes that seem unnecessary and don't add any value to the film, like when Lok runs on a treadmill without clothes. It feels like this scene doesn't need to be there. If they wanted to show Lok's troubled mental state, they could have done it in a different way.

Some scenes are also illogical. When Lok meets Ajit, he doesn't clearly ask about Wang's whereabouts. He doesn't even suspect Ajit's strange behavior. When Mindy says she'll take Lok to meet Wang but instead takes him to a party, Lok is busy dancing and forgets his goal of finding Wang.

However, the cinematography, details, framing, and lighting are good. The cinematography is impressive. The acting is also quite interesting. The music and sound effects are appropriate and add to the mystery of the film.

Overall, this movie is still worth watching and enjoying.

 
Memorable Scene:

Wang, struggling to sleep, visits Ajit in a different mess. Ajit and his coworkers, who are from the same place, have a habit of spending their nights dancing together. Wang joins the crowd and dances freely.

This scene shows the atmosphere and emotions swirling inside Wang, as if he's released when he's in the crowd.

 
Memorable Dialogue:

"I think I had a dream, dreamed of my own death."

 

Ending:

Cliffhanger

 

Recommendation:

Worth to Watch

 

(Aluna)