GIRLS ON WIRE
(director/writer: Vivian Ou; cinematographer: Chaoyl Zhang; editor: Youhao Zhang; music: Zi Wen; cast: Haocun Liu (Tian Tian), Vicky Chen (Fang Di), Youhao Zhang (Ming), Yitie Liu (Tie), You Zhou (Tian Tian’s dad), Peng Jing (Fang Di’s mother); Runtime: 115; MPAA Rating: NR; producers: Sean Chen, Qin Hong, Xujihan; Spring Pictures; 2025-China-in Chinese with English subtitles)
“Inane but enticing crime melodrama.”
Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
The film’s original Mandarin title translates to “The Girls Who Want to Fly.” It asks the question if two cousins can escape their toxic roots.
Beijing-born writer-director Vivian Ou (“Trap Street”/”Angels Wear White”) presents this inane but enticing crime melodrama that explores pertinent social issues in its mashup. It’s also a satire on the love affair the Chinese have with escapist mob films, as it mentions this trend has given rise to the current growth of China’s escapist TV and film industry.
Fang Di (Wen Qi) is a gritty woman stunt double on the movie set of a martial arts film being produced by Film City. She’s the black clad, sword-wielding ninja climbing over rooftops and whirling through the air in a long shot. For the closeup, the star of the film replaces her. The work is dangerous, but monetarily rewarding.
For more cash, Fang Di works a night shoot. Attached to a wire harness, she’s submerged under murky water for 15 seconds (it would be safe at three) and then flies in the air. This difficult shot is repeated until the director is satisfied.
While feeling blue, Fang Di’s long estranged younger cousin Tian Tian (Lin Haocun) shows up after gone for 5 years (they grew up in the same rural household). The mob is after Tian Tian because the single mother is in debt to them after becoming a drug addict. Her troubles can be blamed on the influence of her parasitic heroin addict dad (You Zhou).
The cousins when back together are pursued by three enforcers.
Its set pieces are silly. In one scene, the pursuing mobsters take a wrong turn in the Film City movie lot and wind up as part of a hospital drama.
Flashbacks throughout the first part show the cousins growing up in a dysfunctional family.
It’s a flawed film that is somewhat amusing and relevant. It disappoints because it can’t bring things to a boil for a film about marginalized women living in a country where women are undervalued.
It played at the Berlin International Film Festival.
REVIEWED ON 2/23/2025 GRADE: C+
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