It may not be quite like the Genie in the Magic Lamp, but Theo in The Beautiful Washing Machine does strike some luck. His just-purchased used washing machine does at least one trick: it shuts on and off of its own free will. Theo soon finds out that the soul of a woman is living inside the machine and promptly begins treating the machine like a maid. Director James Lee uses long takes to carefully observe the daily life of a young man in Kuala Lumpur, giving the audience reason to expect imminent surprises. The use of few words and the silent description or the house through direction, leads to subtle humor and satire, bringing to mind the films of Tsai Ming-liang. Yet Lee overlaps a very cheerful and unrealistic atmosphere with what may be a dry modern day fairy tale. The Beautiful Washing Machine criticizes all commodified relationships which are at the heart of modern society by gradually pulling the audience into a surprising trap. (Kim Young-jin)