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Cambodia, France, China · 2021
1h 30m
Director Kavich Neang
Starring Piseth Chhun, Sithan Hout, Sokha Uk, Chinnaro Soem
Genre Drama
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SAMNANG, 20, faces the demolition of his lifelong home in Phnom Penh and the pressures from family, friends, and neighbors which arise and intersect in this moment of sudden change.
This is a gentle-going watch, understated – underpowered even – and sometimes a little drowsy. Still, it has real sensitivity and insight into the transition to adulthood, as gradually it dawns on Nang that his parents don’t have all the answers.
The film’s depiction of life impacted by urban transformation conjures a palpable aura of entrapment and helplessness.
Even just the rooftop of this vast, scabbed Phnom Penh apartment complex seems to have a thousand stories to tell — it’s perhaps little wonder that Neang’s melancholic, perplexed, slightly ponderous feature debut gets a little lost navigating them.
While the film is contemplative, intimate and visually arresting, its deliberately slow pace lessens its dramatic impact.
Crime, passion and lust for power.
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