187) Written By (2009)

187) Written By (2009) Dir: Wai Ka-Fai Not Yet Released Date Seen: June 18th, 2009 Rating: 3.5/5

Though it's about a family that uses writing to cope with loss, Written By, screenwriter and sometimes director Wai Ka-Fai's latest film, does not have a particularly memorable plot. The film's characters ping-pong back-and-forth so many times between living their lives, creating fiction that mirrors their lives and becoming literally absorbed by that fiction that eventually any coherent narrative thread becomes lost and all that's left is a prevailing feeling of grief. When he's not shuttling us between repetitive confrontations between the living and the fictive dead, Wai proves that he's capable of immersing us in the oppressive emotions of someone dealing with survivor's guilt. Those sentiments are what linger on after the end credits roll, which is fitting considering that the film begins with a quote about how loved ones live on in our memories.