24 City

The stories we hear in 24 City belong to its specific place, but they are universal.

The new film, shot in vivid hi-def video, is part documentary and part fiction based on interviews; it uses on-camera interviews with workers, some played by themselves and some played by actors, to evoke a past of unimaginable toil, and suffering, in the service of the Communist state.

Jia Zhangke is one of the world's preeminent filmmakers, an essentially contemplative director whose considerable talent is further amplified by the significance of his material--namely, everyday life in the most dynamic economy on earth.

If this is an unusually sentimental outing for Jia, it’s also characteristically tinged with woe. He’s just added a touch of sweetness to these otherwise sugarless lives.

Result is far more accessible than Jia's previous two pictures, with moments of genuine emotion by the real-life interviewees.

The only thing might have added variety and richness to the film would be the inclusion of more dialogues or interactions with more than one person.

The director's most painfully slow movie yet.