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Directed by Written by Starring Presented by 88 minutes |
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DARK
MATTER Review
For his debut film, renowned Chinese opera director Chen Shi-Zheng focused on the universal theory of “dark matter,” which revolves around a hypothetical unknown matter in the universe contains no electromagnetic pulses but exists in space, which involves scientists to study it, believing that this dark matter caused the “big bang” theory. The title also refers to its main character, a Chinese student from Beijing who comes to America to study this theory, but soon becomes unhinged by school politics and the reality of paying dues. It was based on a real life incident in 1991, and with last year’s Virginia Tech massacre, it brings the topic of school violence to a disturbing trend that makes DARK MATTER a dramatic but ultimately disturbing film. Liu Xing (Liu Ye) is a brilliant student with a special interest in cosmology, which is the study of astrophysics and the “Big Bang Theory,” who gets a scholarship to an American university where he is put under the tutelage of Professor Jacob Reiser (Aidan Quinn), a well respected cosmologist. Xing considers Reiser to be his hero, and impressed by his new student’s enthusiasm, assigns him to work on his project. In the beginning for Xing, everything is fine. He is Reiser’s prized student, joining him on lectures and presentations, and being invited into Reiser’s inner world. He forms a friendship with Joanna (Meryl Streep), a wealthy contributor to the university with a special interest in Chinese culture. It is with the arrival of a rival student from Beijing where Xing begins to lose his composure. The rival adopts an American name and slowly adapts to the American style of learning. For Xing, all he cares about is his “dark matter” theory and when he finds a breakthrough, Reiser doesn’t show the enthusiasm Xing expects, insisting that Xing pay his dues before working on such a challenging project. When Xing counteracts, it sets tension between him and Reiser, who holds him back in order for Xing to learn how to do things by the rules of the university. It backfires badly, sending Xing on a downward spiral which culminates in violence. After a few days of viewing the film, I’ve been at a crossroads at whether or not I liked the film, as there is a lot to digest. The film premiered at Sundance in 2007 and won the Alfred P. Sloan prize for science, and it’s easy to see why as the theory of dark matter is discussed throughout the film, but not in a way that would make you feel it’s boring. This is due mainly from the excitement in Liu Ye’s performance as he discusses his theories. The film overall is part drama, part fish out of water humor, and part horror with Xing’s spiral reaching a boiling point, and it works on most levels. The struggles of foreign students trying to adapt to American life are done very well here, with a lot of humor throughout, with a lot of the stereotypes on both sides done well here. The balancing act is in Streep’s performance, and it’s what you expect from Streep who really is the greatest film actress we’ve ever had. She shows a desperation in trying to connect with the Chinese students that she naively dishes out the wrong advice and while her intentions are good, her delivery is awkward in her communication. Aidan Quinn gives a strong performance as Reiser, who has some good intentions but obviously believes his own hype. Although his ego shows on Xing when he goes over his head in publishing his theory on dark matter without Reiser’s knowledge, you can’t help but understand why Reiser is doing what he is doing. It’s not easy, but sometimes some people need to learn to pay certain dues. This brings me to the denouement of the film, where Xing reacts violently to his dreams shattering before him. I felt angered because I didn’t think what happened to him was enough to set him off, however upon thinking about the film I think that was the point that Shi-Zhang was trying to make. For Xing, his entire life was around this theory, and from montages of his parents who reflect on American life negatively, they suggest that Xing never understood anything outside of studying and probably heard no for the first time in his life, whereas he may have been brilliant in astrophysics, but blind to reality. The film draws no sympathy for Xing himself but does for his potential which Xing took away. The film has been delayed due to the unfortunate massacre at Virginia Tech and for anyone who would review this film unfairly because of the real life event last year would be missing the point altogether. What DARK MATTER should be looked at is as a film that showed all the warning signs and could perhaps serve as a guide to avoid tragedies like Virginia Tech and the Iowa shootings (where the film is based on) in showing just how to balance different cultures together and understand the patterns of delusional behavior in the madness of brilliance. In all, DARK MATTER is a horror film for its frightening denouement but also an interesting drama about culture clash, astrophysics, and the inner workings of college politics. It’s a unique film that will draw reaction, and marks an auspicious debut for Chen Shi-Zhang. It’s far from perfect, but it will sure inspire some debate from those who view the film solely on its violent conclusion. DARK MATTER: 6 Out Of 10 Maggots
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