As far as the overhyped digital-video revolution goes, this frequently sensitive Hong Kong indie feature is promising news from the front, if not exactly the battle won. Debut director Vincent Chui steers close to a dozen characters through pre- and post-handover anxieties; while certain strands work better than others, Chui's sociopolitical engagement is a welcome break from the prettified ennui of HK's renowned art wing. A pastor (Tony Ho Wah-chiu) grapples with the imminent sale of his church to fast-track property developers; his wife (Ivy Ho), an agent herself, shops the family apartment from under his feet, perhaps as a sign of marital disenchantment. Some particularly fine underplaying by Crystal Lui as a gossip rag editor with memories of student resistance in Beijing best explores the theme of renunciation, less so, a sermon-based framing device - the film's title comes from Matthew. Still, this has much to recommend to it.
In Cantonese with subtitles.
