Critic's Grade: A-

Zhang Yang's "Quitting" chronicles the trying times of Chinese actor Jia Hongshen, whose addiction to drugs and alcohol would lead to his eventual collapse and regeneration. His first introduction to drugs would come during his involvement of a stage production of "Kiss of the Spider Woman;" from that point on, he would become a regular user, shutting himself off from the rest of the world while simultaneously wreaking havoc on his parents and sister, who would later quit their jobs as actors to move in with him and try to get him back on his feet.

Upon first glance, this doesn't seem like anything out of the ordinary for a movie whose topic concerns drug use and rehabilitation. The film covers familiar ground in terms of exploring the effects of Hongshen's addiction and instability on his parents and sister, as well as several friends who would later come to describe him as "frightening." Eventually, Hongshen wound up in an institution for his own betterment, and through his experiences there, he would rise up from the depths of his own depravity and rediscover his life as well as his family.

Sounds familiar, right? In terms of the subject matter, yes, but the manner in which Yang brings all of this to life is completely refreshing and highly inventive in bringing a sense of realism and authenticity to the proceedings. In addition to Hongshen portraying himself in a courageous and brave performance, his family members (Xiuling Chai, Fengsen Jia, and Tong Wang as his mother, father, and sister, respectively), as well as his former roommate, Shun Xing, also play themselves, with powerful results. These are not A-list actors hired to play parts they were as yet unfamiliar with; this is the real deal, the actual people, the actual situations, the real emotional turmoil, and the blunt honesty of their sufferings, all laid out for us in a most immersive and incredibly satisfying manner.

Yang also chooses to avoid the general one-sidedness of most movies of this nature by focusing not only on Hongshen, but on each character in equal measure. The at-times jumpy editing takes us back and forth through the events, exploring the inner turmoil of Tong Wang in her frequent visits to Hongshen, as she pays his bills and tries to re-establish a connection between he and their parents. There is also some very good material found within the strain put upon the parents' marriage as a result of their son's situation, for whom they have an inarguably unconditional love that gives them cause to press on in times of emotional hardship. The more involving moments involving Hongshen involve both his increasingly unstable nature, and his slow, deeply-moving recovery, where he comes to an eventual peace with himself, that which he once believed only his habit could offer.

Like many movies, Yang uses cinematography and style to create a tone within the piece, and for the most part, his efforts pay off. There is a scene in which we watch as Fengsen and Hongshen walk along the side of the busy road, with a section of freeway seen overhead, its width dividing them, and yet suggesting that somehow there is a bridge between their two very different and unpredictable worlds. The photography is intimate with the actors, as is the music, which plays a big part in bringing out some of the more shielded emotions. But like Hongshen, the movie itself is not perfect. Certain flourishes seem somewhat murky, however, such as various pull-back shots where the apartment is revealed to be the set of a stage play; it's never quite clear what Xhang intends with such a move, nor does it have much effect.

But despite some minor flaws, I'm highly recommending the film. The characters are some of cinema's most realistic and hauntingly memorable in ages, and the movie is unafraid of giving the performers room to truly move us, shake us, and engross us. Yang is taking a big risk with his directorial efforts here, and while it's not always evident what he intends for certain segments, the overall effect of the film is highly potent. "Quitting" is nervy, edgy, creates risks, takes chances, and in the end, in its own weirdly-constructed documentarian manner, drifts over the viewer like a breath of fresh air.

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