Shadow Magic

Celebrating the universal language of the movies, this Chinese Cinema Paradiso stars Jared Harris as Raymond Wallace, a turn-of-the-20th century entrepreneur who arrives in Beijing with a hand-cranked projector and some of the Lumiere brothers' first films, capturing the attention of photographer Liu Jinglun (Xia Yu). But others, including Liu's father, his boss, and a Chinese opera star, fear western technology's impact on ancient traditions. Liu eventually puts his job at risk by helping Wallace attract patrons to his storefront theatre, while also falling in love with the opera star's daughter (even then the movies were a great place to make-out!), although his father has arranged for him to marry an older widow. At heart a valentine to the cinema, Shadow Magic reaches its apex when the locals watch a movie that Liu and Wallace filmed around the city, marveling at seeing themselves on screen. Recommended. (K. Lee Benson)