One reviewer writes: "looks stunning - faultless even." [CGiii] If by "stunning" he means like being hit by a taser, I would have to agree. The imagery is somber, dark. Often so dark that one can't figure out what is happening. The story in vacuous, probably intentionally so. It consists of a series of loosely connected scenes of the very the poor in the slums of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, The weight of their loneliness presses on us.
Then there is the "symbolism." Water, but not the water of bubbling brooks and crystal clear lakes. But of dark channels and mysterious pools. Even fresh water from a spigot is used to fill a bucket to flush an Asian squat commode, or to wash the comatose body of a nearly dead man. Their most valued possession appears to be a filthy mattress which regularly gets moved about the city.

"It certainly requires a degree of patience from the viewer: there's scant dialogue, the pacing is noticeably unhurried, and the contemplative visual style favors static long takes photographed in deep focus." [BBC]

If you are looking for a pick-me-upper, this is not it. If you are looking for a director with an artistic eye, this film may meet your needs.