Mr Zhao

Best known as cinematographer on films by Tian Zhuangzhuang, Yim Ho and (especially) Zhang Yimou, Lu turns director with this tale of a bizarre love triangle. Zhao, a professor of Chinese medicine and part time doctor in Shanghai, is having an affair with a former student; his wife, a factory worker, finds out and confronts him. In the ensuing tug of love, Zhao's emotional immaturity and cowardice stand in contrast with the very different temperaments and attitudes of the two women. Within the basic storyline, Lu asked his actors to improvise dialogue and behaviour - with impressive and credible results. Westerners will see the ghost of Cassavetes hovering near, but this kind of work is new in China and the sense of aesthetic adventure is palpable.