Fest Track On Sirk TV Film Review: DEAD & BEAUTIFUL [International Film Festival Rotterdam 2021 - Virtual]
The textures of the vampire myth are sometimes given relevant ideas about how it reflects society while still alluding to the notion of control. But "Dead & Beautiful"[Limelight] possesses a really interesting angle in making it a diatribe on the notion of the rich and the lengths to which they will go to feel "alive". The aspect revolves in the mix of the progeny of ultra-rich families from different parts of the world, who themselves form an unlikely bunch (much like a coven) where only they can truly understand their ambitions. Each person gets a "turn" to push the idea of living or perhaps just the aspect of what is possible. It is not about the thrill bu something more subtle. The reflexive nature of the film after watching is an interesting element to think about. Did the effect precede the cause in the story? The opening scene with two girls in an ultra sports car driving the midnight streets of Taiwan as social media messages flow through a translucent screen before they are literally stopped in their tracks by a tribal lady from the mountains that might be homeless is telling. That single image that starts the film informs everything afterward though it is only apparent looking back. The film makes you think in this way. While it is beautiful to look at, the actors themselves play into this aspects. It is a multinational cast, jumping between English and Chinese. It is a fusion and speaks to the future in many ways.
The trigger point happens later with a trip during a "turn" where a supposed transformation occurs. The idea is what the perspective is and why each person in turn reacts differently while still being part of a whole. becomes the push and pull between what these people want and what they think themselves to be. Each character pushes their own specific narrative, whether it be true or not, until it hits a breaking point. One specific image with the entire cast in masks is interesting too because it brings to mind, did this happen before or after the pandemic even though it has a distinct reason in terms of story. The motivations of the characters keep building in revolutions of morality in the aspect of being "alive" and yet certain ones point to the fact that they are "dead". This beautifully shot film in set and filmed showing the opulence and shadows of Taiwan. Again, with Hong Kong on a precipice between East & West, it is really a neat idea to behold within a genre construct, where the pitch of the "vampire" angle is besides the point, which makes it more relevant. The ending lacks the resolute preciseness to make it truly transformative but also is understandable in the audience it is trying to reach. B+
By Tim Wassberg
