So Close to Paradise

Two friends from rural China head to the bright lights of Shanghai with dreams of a better life. But while dockworker Shi Yu is content with his lot, small-time crook Guo Tai lures his pal into a doomed kidnapping scheme after he abducts the nightclub singer girlfriend of a hood who stole Guo's loot. Director Wang Xiaoshuai's ("Frozen") Asian-flavored film noir was heavily censored due to its depiction of a grimy, crime-ridden Shanghai. 90 min. Widescreen; Soundtrack: Mandarin Dolby Digital stereo; Subtitles: English; interview; biography; theatrical trailers; scene access.