Fridae

A crime caper comedy, Crazy Stone will keep you laughing throughout with its oddball characters and crazy storyline, which leaves little wonder why this little movie is currently the highest grossing domestic production in China this year.

The titular stone is a precious jade pendant, put up for sale by a bankrupt factory owner in order to pay off his creditors. Of course, such a trinket is bound to attract a lot of attention, including a Hong Kong cat burglar, a trio of bumbling local thieves, and even the factory owner's son. As can be expected, this sets up an elaborate scenario where the jade pendant changes hand many times, and with unexpected results...

The pacing of Crazy Stone is frenetic and energetic, and the film rarely pauses for breath in its 100-minute running time. There are also a fair number of innovative camera shots and trick editing, but too much of these theatrics actually detract from the good aspects of movie, which boasts a complex plot (requisite for ensemble crime caper films), wonderfully written dialogue and some truly laugh-out-loud moments of hilarity. The thick Chongqing accent might be a turn-off for some, but Crazy Stone ranks as one of the best offerings that the Focus: First Cuts film series has presented to this point.