Written and directed by Nick Cheuk, a schoolteacher re-lives painful childhood memories after discovering concerning information about an at-risk student. Starring: Lo Chun Yip, Ronald Cheng, Sean Wong Tsz-lok, Hanna Chan, Rosa Maria Velasco, Curtis Ho Pak Lim, Yukki Tai, Nancy Kwai, Henick Chou, Joey Leung Cho-Yiu and Chan Yu-Ting.
Even before you get fully into this film, the opening scene of Time Still Turns the Pages makes a remarkable and affecting impression. Starting with such a powerful note of emotion and a fantastic use of sound to accent the visual, it tells of what else Nick Cheuk has in store. The story is understated and unexpected, its sadness is intense and extremely memorable.
Its movement through past and present is surprisingly clever, playing with the audience’s perspective and interpretation. There are perhaps a few underexplored avenues but without question, it has a sincere and moving emotional foundation that’s more than enough to see it through to the end.
Cheuk then matches the direction to that tone, it’s simple and has a very natural flow which is impressively smooth, especially considering that back and forth of its timeline. It has an intimate atmosphere which nicely reflects the isolation of its leading character Mr. Cheng (Lo Chun Yip). At the same time, it has an underlying sweetness which blends really well with its sadness. Creating a tome of the consequences of cruelty versus compassion, and how those experiences follow you throughout your life.
Having such a strong emotional base requires a lot from its actors and this ensemble all tick that box. Each of them portray different examples of vulnerability, particularly Lo Chun Yip who takes his character on a complex journey. One of the fantastic things about the film is the quality of the performances from its young actors, Curtis Ho Pak Lim and Sean Wong Tsz-lok. Lim in particular brings a remarkable intensity to his character, the sheer unabashed emotion he has to go through is a rare thing to see in a child actor.
Time Still Turns the Pages is an incredibly affecting and bittersweet exploration of family, mental health and compassion. It is filled to the brim with a powerful sadness that is utterly compelling, that writing is then brought to life exceptionally well with Nick Cheuk’s direction and the performances of his superb ensemble.
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