The Drummer

Specifically, anyone keen on Eastern philosophies involving meditation, being present and discovering inner-peace through eliminating externalities and finding focus should love The Drummer, a cinematic idealizing of a movement that has taken privileged liberal arts students by storm. Unfortunately, for everyone else, this isn't a way to understand this simpler, communist way of life, as the film is so obvious in execution and ham-fisted in its application of ideological duality that the introduction of cartoon villains and angels wouldn't be shocking. See, Sid (Jaycee Chan), the son of Kwan (Tony Leung Ka Fai), a notorious gangster, gets pelvic with the girlfriend, and property, of another underworld ringleader, putting his family in a sticky situation. Instead of cutting off his son's hands, as requested in an amusing bout of posturing and sneering, Kwan ships him off to a mountainside, where Sid discovers some Zen drummers. Since the corrupt city system is painted with such animosity and vilification, the gentle hues and calming quiet of this dedicated drumming community is, in comparison, romanticized as a utopia without conflict or struggle, save an overt love interest that claims to hate Sid. Unsurprisingly, the rest of the film unfolds with the rebellious young Sid conforming to another way of life, learning the drums and being one with himself, or something. While there is nothing wrong with a journey of self-discovery, the manipulative manner in which The Drummer reveals its politics leaves something to be desired. On the narrative and characterization front, we're left with only broad clichés to ponder, leaving connectivity to those that similarly feel impassioned by healing their soul. Quite simply, anyone that giggles when Deepak Chopra goes on about something should stay far from this title. Also included is a "Making of" supplement, along with the 15-minute short animated Swedish film Love and War, which is similarly familiar in narrative structure, albeit, intentionally. It's about a nurse bunny that falls in love with a soldier bear, only to watch him go off to war. What makes it unique is that it is presented as an opera with creative visuals.