MONGOLIAN PING PONG [***] (Three stars)
MOVIES don’t come any more charming than “Mongolian Ping Pong.”
Director Ning Hao sets the laid-back comedy in the remote plains of China-governed Inner Mongolia. Three 9-something lads discover a ping-pong ball floating down a creek. They have no idea what the item is, so they ask around.
The local monks don’t know, but Granny immediately recognizes it as a glowing pearl that brings good luck. The boys are happy with this story until they see a TV show about ping-pong, the national sport of China. Now the boys are convinced they have “the national ball of China,” which must be returned to far-off Beijing ASAP.
“Mongolian Ping Pong” – which awakens memories of the 1981 delight “The Gods Must Be Crazy” – moves along as leisurely as does life in Mongolia, a k a the Middle of Nowhere.
Home is a round tent that lacks basics like electricity and running water. The only contact with the outside world is a traveling carnival. But these hardy people couldn’t be happier.
The seemingly endless grasslands are superbly photographed by Du Jie, who loves long, wide shots (think Terrence Malick). They alone are worth the price of admission.
In Mongolian, with English subtitles. Running time: 102 minutes. Not rated (nothing objectionable). At the Imaginasian, 59th Street, between Second and Third avenues.