Last Ferry From Grass Island: Review

2nd April 2020

Last Ferry From Grass Island: A tale of vengeance set on one of the islands of Hong Kong’s archipelago.

2020 sees the release of Last Ferry From Grass Island, the second directorial turn from Linhan Zhang after 2018’s Dinner With Stranger. He is better known as a producer of short films, including Death Metal Grandma (2018), about 91 year old holocaust survivor-turned death metal singer, Inge Ginsberg.

Last Ferry From Grass Island is possibly the shortest and most beautiful gangster movie I have ever seen. Proving that you don’t need much to create an effective short film, but a picturesque location sure doesn’t hurt.

Balancing rich colours and simplicity, the framing and the detail in the small dwelling are reminiscent of Yasujirō Ozu (Good Morning, 1959): The story propelled by the smallest of interactions.

Linhan Zhang makes the wise choice to keep any violence off camera, with elegant results. He moves the small cast in a methodical chess-like manner. Ah Hoi, played by Tai-Bo, displays the resignation of a man who knows that the question is when, not if, his past will catch up with him.

Tai-Bo boasts an impressive filmography, starting with Enter the Dragon (1973). It also includes Police Story (1985), which serves as both a throwback reference and a plotpoint for Linhan Zhang. Ultimately, Ah Ma (Yee-Yee Yeung) steals the show without uttering a single word.

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