The Postmodern Life of My Aunt (2007)
The Postmodern Life of My Aunt (2007) 5/10
The Postmodern Life of My Aunt boasts of strong performances by Siqin Gaowa in the title role, and Chow Yun Fat as a dubious Romeo. Equal parts comedy, drama and existentialist musing on life, Director Ann Hui’s latest work captures a slice of life of an aging woman in modern day Shanghai. Lovingly shot with beautiful mise en scenes, the film is unfortunately derailed by the lack of a coherent plot, and is instead threaded by a series of vignettes that may or may not mean anything. Parts of the story are virtually recycled cliches that one would expect from TV soap opera, and the entire Chow Yun Fat subplot is predictable from the beginning. While the cast is good and the director still shows her flair, the story itself is unremarkable, especially towards the end where the semi-comedic film takes a walk into depressing territory.
