This film tells the story of a young man whose life is in havoc because of bipolar disorder. He painfully finds out that he loses his job, his fiancée, his friends and his dignity after a one year stay in a mental hospital.
I have to say I am very impressed by "Mad World". First of all, it is rare for a Hong Kong film to have a non mainstream topic. The topic is so non mainstream that it is almost a taboo. I applaud the filmmakers for making this film, exposing the pain of people recovering from mental illness and their relatives too. One person's pain is transmitted to the families because of societal ignorance, intolerance and discrimination. Some painful moments are done in an almost comedic manner, such as people taking photos of Tung in the banquet, which lighten up the mood but also provokes the debate whether it is right or wrong to act like they did.
Secondly, acting is great. I never knew Eric Tsang is so good at portraying emotional roles, as I have previously seen him mostly in comedic roles. Another strength of this film is that the plot is realistic, depressing and very touching. The plot is so strong that I think it is hard for people not to be moved. Furthermore, the production quality is actually good, especially the cinematography which is unusually good. It enhances the mood and suspense, such as the scene of water going down the drain.
I enjoyed watching "Mad World". I hope more people will watch it, making the society understand the immense agony that people recovering from mental illness and their families go through.
