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‘Blue Sun Palace’ Review: A Moody Debut Shines Light on Sisterhood Among Chinese Immigrants Working in a Massage Parlor

Writer-director Constance Tsang's feature debut explores the bonds of sisterhood in a New York massage parlor that employs Chinese immigrants.

The intimate and naturalistic Mandarin-language drama “ Blue Sun Palace ” has nabbed the French Touch prize from the Cannes Critics’ Week jury, putting Chinese-American writer-director Constance Tsang on the map as a talent to watch after her feature debut. The sign on the door stipulates “No Sexual Services,” but the masseuses receive bigger tips if they provide what the trade dubs a “happy ending.” While the job isn’t exactly pleasant, the women evince a positive camaraderie, necessary for group who share a small living and working space. Meanwhile, outside of office hours, pretty, cheerful Didi is seeing Cheung (Tsai Ming-liang regular Lee Kang Sheng), a lonely, middle-aged Taiwanese man who ekes out a living in the construction trade and sends money home to his sick mother, wife and daughter.

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