Running Time: 78 Minutes
Starring: Zhong Yunxi, Dai Yanli, Chen Fan, Wu Shiqi
Of all the films one could have seen at this year's Fantasia Festival, Contact Lens is undoubtedly one of the most individualistic entries. The tale follows Bubbles (Zhong Yunxi), a young woman living on her own in a small apartment as she shouts at her appliances to stop beeping, tutors a young girl on Chinese characters, and takes her camcorder to the park to film people's lives in motion. Her remaining spare time involves repeatedly playing the same film, but while it plays in the background, the film's protagonist (Dai Yanli) grows aware of the situation and longs to escape from her reality.
Making her feature debut, writer/director Lu Ruiqi makes quite the impression with this experimental work. There are stylistic additions which come alive well, such as how the scene moves into focus once Bubbles puts in her contact lenses, or how the tale plays with framing to reflect the protagonist's life flitting between reality and film. It is all in service of a story that imagines the tedium of routine, and how it can embolden one's desire to break free.
This is reflected in Bubbles' favourite film, a homage to Sight and Sound's number one film of all-time, Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles. While the protagonist "adopted" the film as though it were a feral cat, the Jeanne-style character tries to break free from her routine by literally breaking through the screen, intending to make an escape attempt from her cinematic reality. It effectively captures how films can be our escape, feeling more real to us than our daily lives, and this is shown in the way these realities blur.
It is a tale that is unconventional in structure, in an effort to show how the locations these women inhabit day-in, day-out can feel constraining. This is a film which works best when one gives themselves over to it, letting it wash over them like the many instances of water which Ruiqi captures on-screen. Admittedly, that can feel easier said than done with the sedate pacing, as it may be a struggle to get through if you're not on this film's wavelength. Sadly, for this reviewer, it was a slow-burn that burned a bit too slowly.
While the story appears to be reflecting the women's unsatisfying routines, filling their days to dissatisfaction as they look for an escape, the reality is that it feels meandering and repetitive. What remains feels like a short film idea that has been stretched out to longer than necessary, and that is even with a 78-minute runtime. As a result, Contact Lens is an often fascinating debut that highlights an impressive directorial style amidst intriguing moments.
Contact Lens made its Canadian Premiere at Fantasia Festival 2025
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