Shadows of the Orient – a flicker in the fog?

Okay so, I just saw Shadows of the Orient last night (what was it, like, Wednesday?), and I’m honestly a bit puzzled, but also weirdly charmed. You know that feeling when you watch a film at SF Bio in a too-big winter jacket, and the popcorn gets cold halfway through? That’s basically how I felt about this – a bit warm, a bit off.

Markus Andersson is at the helm here, Swedish pride almost, and he gives it his usual moody glow. Love or hate him, you gotta admit, the guy knows how to milk grey skies and lonely alleys for every drop of atmosphere. And you throw Lena Olin into the mix – jag menar, Lena Olin! – and even if she just reads the phonebook I’d watch. She smoulders through this like she’s hiding better secrets than the plot ever gives us. Daniel Wu is sharp too, though sometimes he looks like he’s realized he’s too good for this weird script and maybe wants to sneak off set for a fika.

The plot? Uff, a bit like palt: heavy, and you might regret having too much. Crime, family drama, a romance that never really clicks – but, mate, it’s the set pieces and the soundscape that slap. There’s one street market scene where I swear I could smell fried tofu (or maybe that was just me remembering visiting my cousin in Malmö, the year my moped got stolen).

Part of me wished it’d just dropped the melodrama and let Olin and Wu bicker for two hours. Still, if you have a soft spot for films that don’t quite know what they want – and honestly, who doesn’t after a few cold Carlsbergs? – this is worth a punt. It’s odd, interesting, and just a touch too Swedish for its own good.

watch the full movie on Mavshack Movies on YouTube

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