The Hole

The last week before the 21st century: a mysterious epidemic has resulted in mass evacuation from Taipei, with only a few residents refusing to leave their homes, two of whom - a man and the woman who lives in the flat below - become involved in a mysterious, unspoken relationship when the latter's ceiling collapses, due to the non-stop rain, and they suddenly become aware of one another. The premise is weird enough, but interrupting the metaphorical story with delightfully amateurish song and dance sequences (by way of homage to '50s star Grace Chang, though they also reflect on the woman's fantasies) takes it still further into uncharted territory. Somehow, it all comes off: the characters are depicted with insight and wit, the mood is kept controlled, and the ending is genuinely moving. Idiosyncratic, of course, but immensely impressive.