Enveloped in a cloud of private grief, a by-the-book judge evokes an almost-obsolete law and sentences a car thief to death. Caught in the black hole of the system, the thief attempts to make amends, offering to donate his kidney to a powerful businessman, if it will mitigate his sentence. Together, the stories of these three men speak volumes about China's recent past. Based on a true case, Liu Jie's devastating but cautiously optimistic film is a marvel of storytelling, as small details and character motivations quietly build to moments of stunning emotional truth.