A Sun

Shining a light on the demanding, unforgiving side of Taiwanese life, director/writer Mong-Hong Chung weaves multiple layers of a family's tribulations while slowly pulling you in, even if you're not sure you want to.

Unremitting in its unsmiling grimness, this is not easy-going entertainment. Rather, it provides us with a glimpse into the souls of its characters, rarely dressing them up in the sentimentality and superficiality that permeate most films today. The payoff comes with just a smile or a warm gesture but those moments are too far between. Some wonderful animation, too. A nice touch is the convict son's name, - the humorously descriptive "A-Ho."