Joe Bell is a penny-pinching hermit saving for the day when his real life will begin. One day he's offered a chest filled with treasure by a cryptic old man known as, "The Clockmaker." After giving the chest to Joe, the Clockmaker "accidentally" locks the chest. Joe must now go on a series of wacky & diverse adventures to find the key. Each adventure is a different genre. There...。劉別謙遺作,其筆觸修成了正果。孤女要步叔父後塵當水管工,卻跟英國這個講究階級與男女有別的社會格格不入。逃出納粹魔掌的波蘭詩人,像找到同道中人般發現了她,但她這時卻跑去當女傭,還打算像正常人一樣嫁入尋常紳士家。來了美國二十多年,劉別謙才將自身處境總結起來。片中上至貴族下至僕人儘管嘴臉可笑,但不致面目可憎,反而都有幾許人性的落墨,也許這才是劉別謙筆觸的最高境界。更厲害的是,這些筆觸彷彿都融會在兩個主角身上,不經意間能跟觀眾心靈互通。今天回看,這是他最歐洲化的作品,近親不就是雷諾亞。 Source: 28th HKIFF。