NYAFF REVIEW: ‘The Laundryman’ follows hitman plagued by victims’ ghosts
The Laundryman, from director Chung Lee, tells the story of a hitman who is having psychological and spiritual problems. After a day of killing and disposing of the body in an industrial laundry machine, all the so-called “laundryman” wants to do is rest in his apartment. The problem is that his apartment is now home to several ghosts, all of them his previous victims who stand near him and wordlessly demand answers. The hitman, played by Joseph Chang, seeks the help of his boss, A-gu (Sui Tang), and a medium, Lin (Wan Qian), but the results are quite bloody.
The movie has an interesting premise, one that makes for both dramatic and comedic elements. However, Chang’s central performance fails to capture the audience’s attention. It’s difficult to believe he has the capability to kill in the first place. He’s too nice and the opposite of what one might expect of a hitman. His backstory is spotty, so the audience doesn’t know the exact reasons of what drove him into this business and what has sustained him for this long.
Also, although the premise makes for an interesting narrative, there’s also something fundamentally strange about Lee and Yu-Hsun Chen’s script. First off, if this laundryman has killed this many people, perhaps he deserves to be haunted by the ghosts, who are seeking some type of closure on their abruptly ended lives. This fact means there’s little to no sympathy for the laundryman’s problems in life. He cries to his boss and the medium about his predicament, but if one were to stop for a second and consider his chosen profession, does it matter that he’s losing some winks over these spiritual disturbances?
A much better character is A-gu, who exudes violence and power. When she talks, the laundryman listens, and the many scenes where she confronts would-be murderers with the proposition that her company can take care of the dirty work are nice transition points in the film. Tang’s performance is pointed and precise, and she makes for a believable and heinous villain. I’m not sure why she has the laundryman in her employ because they couldn’t be more different, and this ultimately leads to their falling out.
There’s also something to like about Qian’s character of Lin. She’s the reluctant medium who cannot deal with the violence of the laundryman’s life, and yet unfortunate coincidence has brought them together. One character development that is a nice addition is that Lin is an actual medium, someone who can see the same ghosts the laundryman sees. This ties them together in an unlikely bond, and she becomes the key to understanding these hauntings.
Toward the end of the 110-minute feature there are some decently staged fight scenes, but they are somewhat hampered by a few plot twists involving a convoluted backstory. What started as a simple story about a man and his ghosts turns too complicated to follow.
The Laundryman is Chung’s cinematic debut, and the Taiwanese film is definitely watchable. There are some well-earned comedic moments, and the action can be enjoyable. The fact that it doesn’t gel together is due in large part to this central character. It’s tough to believe such a man would be stuck in this predicament. It’s tough to believe such a man would be a hitman in the first place.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
The Laundryman is playing the New York Asian Film Festival Saturday, June 25 at 12:30 p.m. at the Walter Reade Theater at the Film Society of Lincoln Center. Click here for more information.
- The Laundryman
- In Mandarin with English subtitles
- 2015
- Directed by Lee Chung
- Written by Chung and Yu-Hsun Chen; based on a story by Chung
- Starring Joseph Chang, Sui Tang and Wan Qian
- Running time: 110 minutes
- Rating:
