The Last Time I Saw Macao (Joao Pedro Rodrigues & Joao Rui Guerra da Mata, 2012)

8/10
Written, directed, and "starring" (we never see their faces) João Pedro Rodrigues and João Rui Guerra da Mata, The Last Time I Saw Macao is loosely about a man, Joao, called back to his hometown of Macao to save his transvestite friend Candy from the evil forces she's gotten herself mixed up with. Candy is killed, and Joao tries to crack the murder - loosely. This is really a travelogue (think heavily of Chris Marker's Sans Soleil) or essay film with a flimsy investigation/thriller subtext. Personally, I found it the investigation charade pretty unnecessary. The voiceover narrations and still-camera shots of Macao were interesting enough. Some could call the film monotonous, I found it hypnotic.