Really interesting comments Howard.

I caught this at the NYFF and I too wasn't as pleased as with his first films. I would agree entirely that the edge is lost. Somehow the social criticisms aren't as alive in this particular context. Jia is still a master in my book, but The World just didn't ever grab ahold of me the way Platform or Unknown Pleasure did. I would be very happy nonetheless to see it distributed and to see Jia and his entire body of work more widely publicized. What an important filmmaker.
P