Returning from a business trip to find his wife gone but their apartment locked from the inside, a middle aged man investigates matters himself when labeled as the prime suspect in this mystery thriller that is more offbeat than it sounds. The man's amateur sleuthing leads him to conversing with his some of his apartment complex neighbours for the first time, none of whom seem normal, and as the film progresses, it is revealed that apartment complex has labyrinthine hidden walls and passageways that may hold clues. Some have interpreted the film as metaphorical with the condominium representing a disturbed mind, but the film works fine as a straight mystery too. That said, it is deliberately paced and full of bizarre imagery, including kaleidoscopic shots and fancy edits galore. At times, the film feels showy, like a canvas for the filmmakers to experiment rather than tell a story, and some images (the girl giving out candy) seem utterly random. And yet, it is hard not to admire the finesse put into all the graphic (and non-graphic) match editing, like the protagonist drinking cut against a hypnotic wheel. There is also an amazing bit in which his face is spliced against a detective's in split screen, giving the initial appearance of one whole face. The film is quite an assault on the senses if nothing else - which seems only appropriate to reflect the stress and agony of a man searching for his wife while under police suspicion himself. The title, for what it's worth, seems to be a reference to gushing blood; what sort of blood in particular is only revealed at the end.
Review of The Strange Color of Your Body's Tears
