Pickpocket

What a terrible movie.

There are times during which I suspect that films are selected for no reason other than for the climate and style in which they were made, and not whether they could be even remotly interesting or entertaining. The following two phrases from the MIFF guide would seem to sum up precisly what is wrong with this 107 minute trainwreck:

"Made well outside the state system..."

"...a superb non-professional cast..."

Not only was Pickpocket not any good, it was terrible. This was a full frontal assault upon an unprovoked audience. From the 1930's film quality to the consistantly horrendous background noise of car horns, mobile phones, or a singing cigarette lighter of all things, the film blew chunks in no uncertain terms.

Painfully slow and seemingly deliberatly abrasive, Pickpocket tells of a down and out Xiao Wu, his trade as a pickpocket, his adventures in big city China...and not much else.

Avoid this film at all costs, the fate of common sense is at stake.

1/5 spring rolls.