Wolves Cry Under the Moon

Touching, funny and quirkily inventive, this interweaves the stories of four groups of characters during one long night when Taiwan's main north-south highway is closed to traffic. Taking to the side roads are a wacky punkette who conducts a mobile phone conversation with the stranger whose car she's just stolen; a chauffeur so stressed by doubts about his wife's fidelity that he begins to crack up; a hitman who hijacks a bus to take him to his next assignment and builds an unexpected relationship with the driver; and a trio of puppeteers who never seem to get anywhere. Clearly a reflection on contemporary Taiwanese life (generational and family problems; confusion about crime, jobs and relationships; everyone going round in circles), the film is at times reminiscent of Altman but still works admirably in terms of its individual characters.