Keswick Film Club - Reviews - Lost In The Stars

The Club's final screening of the season was Lost in the Stars, from China, postponed from its original slot in February. It was an atypical KFC screening; brash and loud and complete with car chases and a gun battle.

A married couple, He Fei and Li Muzi, go to a holiday island for their one-year anniversary but Li Muzi suddenly goes missing. A frantic He Fei begs the police to open a case and is met with indifference. Then, 15 days later, he wakes up in bed next to a woman who claims to be his missing wife but who he does not recognise. Photos of the two of them together seem to prove He Fei wrong; the hotel staff and other witnesses identify the lady as his wife – is his medication making him delirious? Convinced he is right, he engages a smart, glamourous lawyer cum detective to investigate – and the layers of intrigue and conspiracy gradually unpeel.

The KFC brochure promised 'Hitchcock-like' plot twists and Lost in the Stars certainly delivered in that respect – at times there seemed to be few characters on screen who were the people they were actually supposed to be.

The rollicking pace of the film and the action sequences left little scope for character development and I for one, found the (generally male) Chinese acting style of shouting furiously at any setback somewhat overpowering.

The final 'reveal' was indeed ingenious and drew comparisons with television dramas like Hustle and the original Mission Impossible. Although not altogether satisfying, Lost in the Stars was a fast-paced and enjoyable way to finish the season - and debating the plot holes will keep many of us occupied until we start again in September.