Having worked as a writer on Alan Yuen's 2019 film “The Rookies”, Xu Lei strikes out on his own with his directorial debut film “Summer Detective”. An off-kilter comedy that offers up a unique perspective on life in rural China, the movie marks a solid first entry in the director's career.
Buy This Title
Chaoying Xu is a farmer who has made a pretty penny selling off livestock in the lead up to his retirement. He's in the midst of rebuilding his home from the ground up when a close friend, Shuhe Su, is hospitalised after being knocked off his scooter by a hit and run driver. Deciding to go for justice rather than let insurance cover the medical bills, Chaoying, along with another workmate Zhanyi Zhang, take on the near-impossible task of tracking down the perpetrator.
“Summer Detective” is about as deadpan as you can get in terms of comedy, and for the characters at hand, this is perfect. The premise of two old geezers undertaking detective work in modern China is about as ridiculous as it sounds, yet their efforts are highly amusing. Chaoying and Zhanyi are the least likely pair of investigators you could imagine, and their amateur attempts at breaking into car parks, tricking store owners, and avoiding security are about as entertaining as you might imagine. While never in considerable danger, there's still a thrill in seeing these two elders pull off all manner of trickery to try and find the driver behind their friend's accident.
None of these escapades would be quite as entertaining if it were not for the charming friendship between the pair. The two squabble and scheme in equal measure as they roll back the years in the name of justice. There is something more sincere on show here, though, as the trio, if you include Shuhe, capture the camaraderie present in friends entering their Autumn years. The three are almost like a dysfunctional family at times, which is repeatedly reinforced through having each other's backs right until the heart-warming end. Sentimentality is deftly handled here, as we get the gist of the friendships at hand without the typical movie schmaltz.
The plot, much like the characters, moves at a snail's pace at times, with the exciting peaks being sufficiently spread apart. While this lends to the off-kilter humour that Xu is trying to implement, it does mean that some parts of the film drag more than others. There's also an element of repetitiveness in the narrative, with each investigation being fundamentally similar despite some differences. This is a little tedious at times, but in such instances, the characters are the saving grace as they're consistently entertaining.
While the relationships between these elders are touching, the real heart of the story is Chaoying himself. The character is an affable, all-around good guy who is wholly sincere. Despite some legal wrongdoings done out of investigative necessity, Chaoying has a strong and admirable moral centre. Some of his high-ground stances, particularly those regarding money, may be seen as foolish by audiences, as they certainly are by many of those around him. However, there's an inherent likeability to the character that makes him very hard to judge. All of this, as well as a rather emotional reveal that comes to the foray later, makes Chaoying a would-be detective who's easy to get behind.
By choosing to tell this story through the eyes of elders, Xu shows us life in a more rural area of China from a different perspective. Chaoying and Zhanyi travel to a couple of cities during their investigation, and these vast concrete landscapes allow for some gorgeous urban cinematography. The two men couldn't look more out of their element if they tried when stacked up against the mountainous concrete jungle around them. Having older protagonists also allows for unusual and often humorous obstacles to arise, such as ladders and hills.
Perhaps the most shocking aspect of the film that rather beggars belief is that the entire movie is performed by non-professional actors. The performers take their own name for their characters and ‘act' how you might imagine they do in daily life. No doubt it is precisely this unprofessionalism that gives way to such naturalistic and convincing performances that bring their heightened characters to life.
As far as debut features go, Xu Lei's “Summer Detective” is a great effort. The director manages to establish a clear style through the pacing and shot composition, both of which elevate the off-kilter humour. Throw in some moral conundrums and a couple of remarkable performance, and you have a thoroughly enjoyable, light-hearted comedy.
