An immersive story of love and obsession in mainland China, Touch features director and star Alexander Szczepanowska deliver a film of rich style and emotional depth.
The Poland born, New York based Szczepanowska made headlines with Touch since she is the first western female filmmaker to film a movie in mainland China. It is a notable feat, made even more impressive with the quality of her film. Evoking the visual poetry of Wong Kar-Wai (In the Mood for Love) and Terrence Malick (Tree of Life), Szczepanowska’s story of a married Caucasian woman who embarks on a dangerous extramarital affair with a blind masseuse is one that is as intimate as it is thrilling.
Touch begins with Szczepanowska’s character, Fei Fei, interviewed by government officials over her application for permanent residency. In typical fashion there are endless bureaucratic challenges to the process, which frustrates Fei Fei and bemuses her wealthy business man husband Zhang Hua (Jun Yang.)
Feeling unloved by her husband and unwanted by her adopted country, Fei Fei seeks simple pleasure in a massage by Bai Yu (Jiangwei Yuan), a blind masseuse with whom she embarks a passionate affair that quickly turns into deadly obsession on his part.
The latter may sound generic in plot, yet the execution that Szczepanowska employs is stunning in visuals and performance. With handheld camera capturing the mood and carefully constructed aesthetic of every scene, made even more impressive by the work of cinematographer Wei Ji, the multi-talented Szczepanowska delivers a film dripping in sensuality, thrilling in its character strong drama, and ambitious in its artistry.
On screen Szczepanowska is equally superb, exhibiting her impressive display of the Mandarin language while barring all physically and emotionally in her portrayal of a complex character dealing with issues of nationalism, matrimony, motherhood, and the fanning of a wildfire love affair that engulfs her with fierce ferocity.
It all results in an impressive debut feature from Szczepanowska, with Touch a film of high artistry and strong emotion.
