The Last Dance (NC16)

126 minutes, currently showing
★★★★☆

The story: The pandemic has devastated Hong Konger Dominic’s (Dayo Wong) wedding planning business. When Taoist priest Master Man (Michael Hui) looks for someone to manage the business side of his funeral rites business, the cash-strapped executive steps in. Their partnership is fraught with tension, further strained by family dynamics – particularly regarding Master Man’s daughter, Yuet (Michelle Wai), who was denied succession because she is a woman.

Despite what its setting might suggest, Hong Kong writer-director Anselm Chan’s film is not fundamentally about death. Rather, it uses a funeral home as a lens to examine the burden of patriarchal expectations and the toll of generational sacrifice.

The Last Dance opens as a black comedy exploring the clash between the old Hong Kong – played by the gruff Master Man – and the new, represented by Dominic, who hopes to revitalize traditional commerce with strategies of merchandise, marketing and customer-focused.

Their friction generates heated exchanges, as when Master Man tries to discourage debt-ridden Dominic from preparing the corpse by noting “The stench is unbearable, isn’t it?” ”, only to receive the retort “The stench of poverty is worse.” »

Through a series of concise but touching character portraits, Chan introduces various funeral service customers, each providing Dominic with the opportunity to prove his worth while providing a fascinating insight into Hong Kong’s funeral traditions.

Chan’s camera unflinchingly examines death – hence the NC16 rating – showing the details of cleaning, embalming, dressing and makeup.

There’s even an intimate look at an exhumation. Chinese wine and metal tools used to wash and scrape flesh from bones are in plain view.

This frank approach aligns with Chan’s belief that taboos only hinder the grieving process.

The film’s energy fizzles when it shifts focus midway through to explore the tense patriarchal dynamics within Master Man’s clan. Scenes involving the living somehow lack the vitality of those centered on death. However, it builds momentum towards a finale that effectively resolves the issues raised in previous scenes.

Fittingly, The Last Dance ends with a funeral that heralds a new beginning.