Language: Chinese
Director & Screenwriter: Johnny Ma
Duration: 80 minutes
Troubles of ordinary people caught up in the cobweb of legal tangle have been a leitmotif in literature and cinema around the world.
Canadian-Chinese filmmaker Johnny Ma's debut film Old Stone explores the theme in detail, focusing on the life of a middle-class cab driver, named Lao Shi. Lao Shi's normal life hits a tragic note as his car rams a biker. The accident leaves the youth in comma and a heavy financial burden on Shi.
A man who values self-esteem more than anything, Shi himself admits the accident victim to the hospital, something nobody would dare to do provided China's strict rules regarding accident claims. The authorities deny to provide the insurance claim to the victim and holds Shi responsible for the medical bills just because he chose to save the life of the man.
As his attempts to cover up the incident from his wife falls flat, life becomes hell for him. The gravity of the legal trouble entangling Shi becomes clear as a well-known lawyer tells him that things would have been much better had the youngman died at the accident spot.
The story progresses through Shi's attempts to get rid of the trouble and his interactions with the family of the victim and a millionaire businessman, who actually caused the accident in an inebriated state.
The realistic film, though only 80-minute long, lags a bit here and there with the gloomy tone of narrative staying throughout. However, the film manages to gain some applause with a neatly written and executed climax.
Chen Gang does a brilliant performance, conveying the emotional turmoil of the taxi driver. The film neatly portrays the middle class life in China and their tryst with daily life challenges. The film depicts how the law that turns a blind eye to the common man breaks down his morale.
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