Sparrow (2008, Hong Kong)

Lightweight and utterly charming, Sparrow is the story of four pickpockets and their troublesome run-in with a damsel in distress. At times, the film seems almost too giddy, and would probably suffer if it weren’t for a ruthless streak and some excellently-shot crime sequences. The whole thing is lovely to look at, in fact, which is a necessity in a film with such little dialog. At times, particularly in the beginning and again during the final street scene, Sparrow is infused with so much romanticism that I practically expected the characters to burst into song. Instead, the film walks the line between reckless emotion and the more careful tones of real life, and the result is a cinematic confection that feels fresh and classic at the same time.