Naughty comedy Red Light Revolution

The subject of many a titillating news piece, Beijing’s sex shops are on full display in Sam Voutas’ naughty little gem of a comedy, Red Light Revolution. It’s hard not to immediately fall in love with the hapless protagonist, Shunzi (Zhao Jun), a down-on-his-luck working man who can’t keep a job, or his wife, who runs off in the beginning of the film with a local thespian.

Broke and soon-to-be divorced, Shunzi lands back at his parents’ cramped hutong, where his father encourages him to find work, even if it means losing face in the process. The pudgy Shunzi takes a gig handing out diet supplements at a local supermarket, wearing a pin that tells customers “don’t end up like me.” While there, he runs into an old grade school friend (Jiang Xidou). Now a manager of a successful event company created from the funds he amassed selling sex toys for a Japanese adult product magnate, he offers to help his friend get started.

Shunzi teams up with his friend Lili, and is soon hawking dildos and blow-up dolls from an unassuming storefront. The shop is popular with neighbors, but could be shut down at any moment by the local neighborhood watch.

The cast deftly handles the rapid-fire dialogue. Every now and then it skirts on slapstick, but never completely falls into that trap. Solid cinematography captures the charm of old Beijing in summer, with rustling leaves over hutong lanes and courtyards.

It’s difficult to make a wholesome film about adult pleasure aids, but Voutas has pulled it off. Red Light Revolution is fun and never takes itself too seriously, like a great date that you’d like to see again. ¥40.

DETAILS:

What: Red Light Revolution Screening

Where: Yugong Yishan

When: Sunday, March 27 5pm

Tel: 131-2005-0493