Wayne Wang's 'Diary of a Mad Old Man' fails to shock, says Variety
Director Wayne Wang's latest film, 'Diary of a Mad Old Man,' is a return to the screen after a five-year hiatus, but it isn't living up to its provocative premise, according to a review from Variety.
The film adapts Jun’ichirō Tanizaki's 1961 novel, which centers on a retired man recovering from a stroke who finds sexual gratification through his daughter-in-law. Despite the potentially transgressive material, the outlet reports that Wang's take initially seems to shy away from the novel's darker edges.
Variety's review suggests the movie, starring Fan Bingbing, ultimately fails to generate the intended dramatic or erotic tension from its themes of sex and mortality. The result is described as unexpectedly dull.
Per the review, the film's attempt to grapple with its central taboo subject matter lacks the necessary punch, leaving the story's potential perversity untapped. The piece concludes that the adaptation finds boredom where it should find shock.
