The Trigger, the directorial debut from Alex Yang, seems definitely to follow the traditions of Taiwanese cinema associated with the likes of Hou Hsiao-hsien, Edward Yang, etc. Just as in the films by these directors, the storyline of The Trigger progresses rather slowly. Also, the camera seems to gaze at the storyline rather than follow it. The friendship between a retired assassin and a boy is the core of this film’s complex storyline. The film is also about the anger that the two characters feel towards the world, and the women that they fall in love with. After serving a prison sentence for a crime that his wife committed, Gui is released, only to find his wife and child with another man. Gui befriends Hong, a boy who served a prison sentence for a kidnapping incident. The two make their living by running a cafe together. While trying to help Hong’s revenge, Gui falls in love with Hong’s mother. Hong, too falls in love with the daughter of the man that he is seeking revenge upon. The two characters become immersed in a relationship bound to fail. While doing so, they desperately try to cling to a hope that keeps on slipping away. By blurring the line between good and evil, director Alex Yang serenely portrays the lives of the two men. Through their lives, we can sense the moral conflicts that plague contemporary Taiwanese society. (Kim Young-jin)