(Taiwan, 2003) dir. Lin Cheng-sheng
Real estate mogul Robinson (Leon Dai) is so successful that he "could fill streets with all the places" he's sold and women just adore him. His emotional life, however, is more complicated and the handsome, aloof Robinson withdraws when his loved ones start making demands on his precious time. To avoid his aging mother and clinging girlfriend Vicky, he moves into a luxury hotel with his pet fish and secretly shops for a Caribbean island on the internet. Once his escape plans start to materialise, Robinson decides to jettison his personal relationships. He begins by refusing to bail out his colleague Benny, who is in over his head with a bad business deal. But the cruellest blow of all is dealt to the long-suffering Vicky, who is heartbroken when Robinson vanishes from her life without a word.

Beautifully-shot and richly evocative of modern Taipei, Robinson's Crusoe is mysterious and full of longing. Lin Cheng-sheng's characters are all haunted by the things they cannot say to each other: Vicky's attempts to express her love for Robinson are thwarted, while Robinson avoids his relationship with her altogether. Benny's pride and inability to admit failure prevent him from seeking help for his business troubles, while his colleague, the grieving Hsiuling, struggles to cope with the aftermath of her father's suicide.

Despite some occasionally touching moments, Robinson's Crusoe is somewhat unsatisfying as it screeches to an abrupt halt. While the message that "no man is an island" is made clear, there are few insights into Robinson's character and Vicky remains frustratingly enigmatic. The plot is equally underdeveloped, so that there are more questions than answers. In the end, one wonders, for example, whether "Crusoe Island" (Robinson's dream Caribbean hideaway) may be an elaborate scam devised by some real estate developers even more ruthless than Robinson and his colleagues.

 

Comments

Add New Search RSS

Write comment
Name:
Subject:
	-color-aquablackbluefuchsiagraygreenlimemaroonnavyolivepurpleredsilvertealwhiteyellow -size-tinysmallmediumlargehuge
Security Code: Type the code in the image (helps prevent spam)