Shanghai Fest

Trouble Makers

Guangrongde fennu (China)

By DEREK ELLEY

A Yunnan Qianxi Film Co., Beijing Golden Board Film & TV Co., Shandong Film Studio, Beijing Standard Image Culture Communication Co. production. (International sales: Infotainment China, Beijing.) Produced by Zhang Yaoli, Sun Yang, Wang Ping, Cao Baoping. Executive producer, Wang Hangping. Executives in charge of production, Li Hongbin, Cindy M. Lin. Directed, written by Cao Baoping, based on the novella "Village Operation" (Xiangcun xingdong) by Que Diwei.
 
With: Wu Gang, Li Xiaobo, Kong Qingsan, Wan Yanhui, Zhu Yi, Wang Shujun, Pu Xiaohu, Li Changyuan, Li Xiaochuan, He Yunqing, Jiang Yuting, Fu Xiaoyuan, Feng Zili, Wu Xia, Hong Cang, Zhang Xianghua, Ma Na, Wang Weijia, Ding Xuan, Hai Xingyuan, Du Lihui.
(Mandarin, Yunnan dialect)
 

Led by a milquetoast Party secretary, the burgers of a remote southern village take on the ruling mafia family in "Trouble Makers," a rambunctious, hugely enjoyable black comedy with a social edge. Solo debut by writer-helmer Cao Baoping, who co-directed "Absolute Emotion" five years ago, looks to be an audience-pleasing click on the fest circuit and with some extra mileage in niche distribution. The standout Chinese entry in this year's Shanghai fest, where it won the jury prize in the Asian New Talent competish, pic is still awaiting local distribution.

Cao based the script on a novella published in a magazine about six years ago, but did not get Film Bureau approval (and the necessary coin) until last year. Pic was completed in February, and preemed this spring in the real Yunnan village in which it's set. It's a fine example of the kind of accessible, quality movies that many Mainland helmers are making but which rarely find slots in Western fests transfixed by "underground" or Euro-arty directors.

Setting is Black Well Village, and Cao immediately sets out his stylistic stall with an antsily paced introduction -- complete with ironic intertitles -- of the main characters. Chief among them are the four brothers of the Xiong family, a collection of low-lifes who dominate the hillside community.

Eldest is Xiong No. 1 (Li Xiaobo). Xiong No. 2 (Kong Qingsan) is the village accountant; Xiong No. 3 (Wan Yanhui, superb) is the local mayor, a villainous smoothie; and the youngest, Xiong No. 4 (Zhu Yi), is a punk-haired tree-swinger whose only interest is shagging any member of the opposite sex, preferably by force.

Determined to clean up Dodge, village Party Secretary Ye Guangrong (Wu Gang, all nervous courage) gathers a small band of helpers, including Dawang (Li Changyuan), whose wife was raped by the Xiongs; accountant Tugua (Wang Shujun), and Shuigen (He Yunqing). The three bozos are terrified of taking on the Xiongs in what seems like a Mission Impossible ("like throwing stones at Heaven"), but Ye perseveres, bringing in martial arts expert Dog Balls (Pu Xiaohu), for extra muscle.

With others joining in, Ye launches his plan, which is to trap the Xiong brothers with two young women they've kidnapped from a neighboring village for some illicit sex. In one long night, not everything goes according to plan.

With its use of fruity local dialect and actors from the region, pic has a lovely feel for small-town types and the way in which they blunder toward their goal. Dialogue is also marbled with sly references to old-style official jargon, as when a slogan needs to be invented for the operation ("Bring Down the Gang of Four and Save Black Well Village") and the way in which each group leader in the four-pronged plan is given a pseudo-military moniker ("Second Route Commander," etc.).

Helmer Cao maintains an agile, handheld camera, but with moments of repose in which characters and performances are allowed to shine through. Twists and turns of the plot, as Ye's chaotic "plan" looks doomed to failure, keep the tension high -- and a witty intertitle accompanying the surprise resolution underlines the fairytale aspect of the story. (Original novella ended on a less positive note.)

On a more serious level, pic can also be seen as a commentary on the lack of basic law in isolated communities, with Ye essentially forced to adopt vigilante tactics. But that doesn't get in the way of the slyly humorous entertainment.

Tech package is fine at all levels, with Tao Shiwei's lensing catching both the village's scruffy atmosphere and the beauty of the remote Yunnan setting. Satirical Chinese title roughly means "Glorious Indignation."

Camera (color), Tao Shiwei; editor, Cao; music, Liu Qing; art director, Lou Pan; costumes, Ding Yiyan; sound, Hao Jian; assistant directors, Feng Zili, Fu Xiaoyuan. Reviewed at Shanghai Film Festival (Asian New Talent, competing), June 21, 2006. Running time: 100 MIN.