Word: courtrooms
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Richard Gere takes Hollywood's latest shot at China--this time attacking its system of criminal justice (or lack thereof). Solid courtroom drama and a fine performance by Bai Ling as Gere's lawyer are ultimately let down by a muddled ending...
...Chinese setting of the proceedings is convincing and interesting in and of itself, but it's soon apparent that this story boils down to the same standards of courtroom action that American audiences have come to know and love. There is a slightly cantankerous yet, in her own way, endearing judge. There are rampant objections and questions of protocol. There is a question of missing evidence which the defense claims is crucial. There is witty repartee and cunning logic. There is independent investigation along lines the prosecution hopes the defense doesn't pursue, which very nearly gets the defense...
Throughout the film, Moore is shown waiting, about to explode, as the ubiquitous Chinese is translated for him. Meanwhile, the audience is just as lost as he is, relying in a similar way on outside aid to understand what's happening. In the courtroom, Moore relies on a earpiece for the barely audible translation, and the audience must get used to sifting through the mostly Chinese lingual hodge-podge...
...progresses, as it must for Moore, and it's remarkably effective in creating a very foreign feel to the proceedings. All of this makes it possible for select Chinese characters who speak English to be used strategically to provide welcome patches of unmitigated understanding. Indeed, many of the key courtroom speeches, ones which illuminate crucial logical points or make important statements of protocol, are spoken in English for the benefit of both Moore and the audience. These islands of comprehension do not seem out of place, but rather achieve an almost subliminal elevation of importance and lucidity in the mind...
...only at the end--when the precarious balance between courtroom drama and culture clash falls--that things fall apart. The climax of what promised to be a fulfilling logical legal setup is mired in the Chinese-English conglomeration to be easily understood. The end sequence consists of swirling and complicated plot ideas, none properly explained (at least not in English). Although the punchline of the scene is suitably shocking and unexpected, it will elicit more of a "Huh?" than a satisfied...