This little gem of a movie takes place in rural China revolving round several complex relationships and families linked together by the death of an unlikable thug who is also the key connector of what goes on in these separate families.
Beyond the central mystery of the coffin, the various stories of the families unfold in a non-linear fashion, forward and back in time, the characters of each family impacting the fate of another in intriguing ways.
Unlike many Asian movies that rush into the popular "mystery" genre, the film is replete with twists and turns that manage to be intelligently coherent, the ends all tie together, the audience slowly grasps the bigger picture and its resolution is immensely satisfying.
Beyond the central mystery of the coffin, the various stories of the families unfold in a non-linear fashion, forward and back in time, the characters of each family impacting the fate of another in intriguing ways.
Unlike many Asian movies that rush into the popular "mystery" genre, the film is replete with twists and turns that manage to be intelligently coherent, the ends all tie together, the audience slowly grasps the bigger picture and its resolution is immensely satisfying.