Watch Free and Easy

Free and Easy is a black comedy film from China, directed by Geng Jun and released in 2016. The movie follows a number of eccentric characters who intersect in a small, run-down town in northern China. At the center of the story is Xu Gang, who plays a travelling soap salesman named Chen Sheng. Chen arrives in the town and begins peddling his wares to the local residents, but soon finds himself embroiled in a bizarre series of events. He is constantly accosted by a group of local thugs who seem to be trying to intimidate him for no clear reason, and he also meets a number of other quirky characters along the way, including an itinerant scam artist, a self-proclaimed spiritual guru, and a hapless hotel clerk.

As the movie progresses, it becomes increasingly clear that something strange is going on in the town. The residents seem to be trapped in a kind of purgatory where nothing really happens and no one ever seems to leave. The town is covered in a thick layer of snow, and the buildings are all crumbling and dilapidated. It's as if time has stopped in this place, and the people who live there are all struggling to make sense of their lives.

One of the most interesting things about Free and Easy is its use of deadpan humor. The characters in the movie are all played with a kind of minimalism that makes the absurdity of their situation even more apparent. For example, when Chen Sheng is first approached by the gang of thugs, they don't speak to him directly or threaten him in any way. Instead, they simply stand around him in a circle and stare blankly into space, creating a kind of eerie, surreal atmosphere.

Another interesting aspect of the movie is the way it deals with themes like corruption, greed, and morality. Many of the characters in the movie are engaged in shady or outright illegal activities, but they often justify their actions by appealing to some kind of higher purpose or moral justification. For example, the spiritual guru who appears several times in the movie is selling fake spiritual guidance to vulnerable people, but he insists that he's doing it to help them overcome their problems and find inner peace.

Despite its dark subject matter, Free and Easy is also surprisingly beautiful to look at. The stark, snow-covered landscapes of northern China are captured in stunning detail, and the movie makes great use of the contrast between the desolate setting and the eccentric characters who inhabit it. The soundtrack is also worth mentioning, as it features a number of hauntingly beautiful pieces that add to the movie's overall sense of melancholy.

Overall, Free and Easy is a unique and deeply entertaining film that will appeal to fans of dark comedy and surrealism. It's not always easy to follow the plot, and some viewers may be put off by the lack of traditional narrative structure, but for those who are able to get into the movie's offbeat rhythms, it's a truly rewarding experience. The movie is a meditation on the human condition and the absurdity of life, and it approaches these weighty issues with a combination of humor, irony, and genuine pathos. Highly recommended.

Free and Easy is a 2017 comedy with a runtime of 1 hour and 38 minutes.