Sound of Silence

A Sublime Emotional Journey

I was incredibly excited to be able to see Tan Jianci in a movie theatre on the big screen and was not disappointed. I went with my partner who is not someone who interacts with Chinese entertainment (except through me) and he was also very impressed with the story and acting. I'm thrilled to have gotten the experience and to be able to write this review.

TJC plays Li Qi, a lawyer who just wanted to rise above his circumstances. But it's not a kind world for a hearing child with deaf parents (known as CODA) who grew up bullied and in poverty. TJC did a stunning job getting across his struggles between trying to be a good human, who remembers and honors his roots, and his exhaustion with a world that has always pushed him down and never had open doors for him. I'm especially blown away by how adept he seemed at sign language. He looked natural and gave so much emotion through his nonverbal speech.

The main role of Zhang Xiaorui (portrayed by Lan Xiya) was also immensely impressive and moving. Xiaorui is a young deaf woman with the cards stacked against her, but a strong will and an unwillingness to give up or compromise her values. Her scenes with Li Qi were heartfelt and poignant. The juxtaposition of two people from similar backgrounds who clash on their values and approach really helped move the story along in character growth and motivations. Again, the comfort in which the actress used sign language spoke volumes (even when the sound was often muted for effect!) as to the quality of the production, direction, and acting.

An incredibly important shout out also needs to be given to the deep supporting cast of deaf actors. Their stories were equally moving and believable. It is a thoughtful look into the lives of a community that is close knit, but very much disadvantaged and oppressed. I felt that the movie really did a great job highlighting the plight of a marginalized community that falls through the cracks of societal support and is easy prey for those with bad intentions.

I think my only complaint (and why I give this movie a 9.5 instead of a perfect 10) is that the villain, in trying to tell a complex story in 2 hours runtime, lacked depth compared to the rest of the story. I thought his motivations and actions were believable, but the portrayal was almost comical in the lack of nuance. The metaphorical moustache twirling from the antagonist felt contrived when the acting and story were generally so full of thoughtfulness.

The cinematography and sound design deserve a special shout out. The beautifully filmed scenes of a community mired in adversity conveyed much grit but also grim determination. In contrast, the scenes of glitz and glamour gave a sense of the fleetingness and shallowness of eschewing one's morals. The use of music, but especially the use of silence, was phenomenal. It all helped land the beats of this thoughtful story.

If it's at a theatre near you, I highly recommend you take the opportunity to see it. I will say, however, that the subtitles are not as polished as I would have liked. An important note is that the use of the word "dumb" refers to the fairly outdated use of the word to refer to people who are mute. And there was definitely at least one typo. But otherwise, I'm just overcome with joy that I was able to see it in a theatre.

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