ONE SECOND

The first half of One Second is definitely the best part of the film, as Zhang Yimou uses classic film language to draw you into the tale with images that don't need dialogue to tell the story.

Just a fraction of the movies made in China reach western cinemas and the ones that do are almost exclusively intimate dramas or sweeping historical epics. That alone is a reason to check out One Second, a film that is mostly comedic in nature.

Director Zhang Yimou starts from a brilliantly simple idea - the theft of a film reel by a young girl - but weaves this into an at times wonderfully touching ode to cinema, sprinkled with astute character detail and small moments that make you grin, laugh and sometimes roar.

The first half of One Second is definitely the best part of the film, as Zhang Yimou uses classic film language to draw you into the tale with images that don't need dialogue to tell the story, while coaxing fine performances from his cast.

The second half of the movie is a bit too repetitive and predictable to hold onto your interest throughout though, which ensures that One Second doesn't leave the lasting impression or bring the emotional wallop it might have done.

release: 2019

director: Zhang Yimou

starring: Zhang Yi, Liu Haocun, Fan Wei