Director: Chuan Lu
Starring: Wen Jiang, Ning Jing, Shi Liang, Liu Xiaoning, Wei Xiaoping, Pan Yong, Wu Yukuan

- Reviewed by Linda

There was much that I enjoyed about first-time director Chuan Lu's The Missing Gun. For a film from mainland China, it is infused with the hipster, stylish sensibility of Hong Kong films, starting with frentic opening credits with the camera careening down the alleyways and streets of a village in China. The town looks trapped in time, but the film has a very modern sensibility. But director Lu needs to reign in his style a bit to focus a bit more on substance.

Small-town police officer Ma Shan (the kindly-faced everyman Wen Jiang) wakes up one morning with a pounding hangover from his sister's raucous wedding party the night before. He fumbles his way into his uniform, and immediately discovers that his gun is missing. In a country where guns are illegal, and he has been issued specifically three bullets, this spells real trouble. It becomes a race against time for Ma Shan to retrace his steps, interviewing friends and other wedding guests, to try to find out what happened the night that he can't remember. More importantly, he needs to find his gun before anyone is killed.

Especially in the first half-hour, The Missing Gun has a lot going for it. When Ma Shan interviews his sister and new brother in-law, their slack-jawed, bleary-eyed non-responses to his questions about their wedding is absolutely hilarious. Encounters with the stuttering (or not) noodle vendor, and a friend who coaches teen girls in some bizarre "Spicy Girl" dance are very enjoyable.

But there is a point where the narrative inexplicably jumps to Ma Shan chasing a young thief on a bicycle across the countryside. This is where the film started to lose me. I almost felt like the proper reel had been left on the floor, because there was no transition. My brow furrowed as The Missing Gun continued careening along for the rest of the film. By the climax, there has been so many tangents and random plots lines that I had lost interest long before, and found myself sneaking peeks at my watch (not a good sign for a 90-minute film).

Despite my complaints, I think if Chuan Lu could take a step back from flashy filmmaking and concentrate on storyline (and editing!), he could be an interesting director to watch.

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