Just watched this movie last night. I'm not a movie critic but if anyone wants a more detailed review I'll try to write one (but the movies didn't have english subs so I probably missed some parts of the story haha).
I must admit that the critics were a bit harsh on douban. Obivously Tony Leung's acting was superb, and Wang Yi Bo did exceptionally well too. I was worried because of all the bad comments, but I think he did a really good job (especially the way he clench his jaw !) at protraying different emotions, and even though some scenes the acting was a bit awkward, the director also made a good job to "hide" it. Huang Lei and Zhou Xun were also great.
As the story I was also agreably surprised as I was very scared to get another "Communism is Best ! Long Live Mao !" kind of movie but it was actually more subtle than most of those Republican Era / Propaganda movies. (but again, it's still a Chinese movie so.... you know haha)
The cinematography was also beautiful. Most of the scenes were really pretty and consisted of shades of yellow and blue, while some scenes were only composed of green (I think mostly when a character was alone and having some profound feeling, but maybe that's just me). I also really liked that some scenes were like a mirror of each other, and the flash backs throughout the movie.
I thought it would be more about Unit 731 but it wasn't at all so a bit disappointed about that. Overall it was a nice movie like Zhang Yi Mou always does. The cinematography is really pretty. However it is definitely a patriotic movie and couldn't help but to find it ridiculous at some times (Making all the pro-Japanese looking stupid while the Communists are the true heroes, you know the deal haha)
I just went to see this movie and gave it a 6/10 rating. It was good, though some scenes did not entirely made sense to me.
As for the story, I haven't read the book nor saw the related drama (whose synopsis is really different from the movie I just watched!) so my opinion is solely on the movie. I was very confused at first, as we learn in the first 20 minutes that Xiao Qiao is the doppelganger of Wei Yang's mother. We can see that Wei Yang is troubled by that, and though she doesn't like talking, she rapidly befriends the "fresh" and cute Xiao Qiao, whose dream is to marry her 10-year long boyfriend Han Yan. Those 20 first minutes were really confusing as I didn't understand if Wei Yang was simply a friend of Xiao Qiao or if she was falling in love with her but I think it was made on purpose.
Wei Yang works at a coffee shop where she meets Han Yan without knowing he is Xiao Qiao's boyfriend. We can definitely feel there is something between them starting to happening and I like their chemistry. When they realize Xiao Qiao is their friend/girlfriend, feelings start to get entangled and all (especially Xiao Qiao) kind of have to choose between their feelings.
As I said, most of the relationships were very confusing to me. However, I thought this movie was pretty poetic, even though a bit too much tragic at times.
I really enjoyed the cinematography of it, some scenes were beautiful. Elaine Zhong did a beautiful work in this film, less fan of Seven Tan's.
Not sure if I will re-watch it ever again, however it was not bad and I think it's a perfect movie to watch at home.
Thank you for this!! I'd love some recommendations on drama equivalents, too, especially for things like discrimination…
If I can also recommend you a drama, I think you'd like Nothing but Thirty, chinese drama about 3 friends in their 30s dealing with men-driven chinese society. ;)
I feel like I am the only one who didn't appreciate much this movie. I found the whole plot really sexist and degrading towards women. Like, she she just had to sleep with someone to become a successful director ? And men are only interested in women in the first time because of that untrue "blue balls syndrom" ?
Overall, I have to say I laughed some times, but the end was quite boring so the movie didn't reach my expectations.
I really like his acting (especially for a model turned-actor) but his real-life personality is awfful... He is the guy saying that he would only be friend with handsome people....... Enven though it's true he shouldn't say this during an interview....
Like most of the people here, I simply hate it. The two main characters, and even the side characters, are ALL annoying.
But it's also really interesting because of how real it is. I mean for most foreigners, our families aren't like this right ? But for them it's ALWAYS like that. Might be the people who want to marry into a not that well-off family, the parent immediately opposed. The single mom, the re-married couple.... all of that is amazingly and scarily true.
This article makes me feel so old. I started to watch dramas when I was in the 1st year of middle school, and I am already a postgraduate student xD Time flies so fast...
I must admit that the critics were a bit harsh on douban. Obivously Tony Leung's acting was superb, and Wang Yi Bo did exceptionally well too. I was worried because of all the bad comments, but I think he did a really good job (especially the way he clench his jaw !) at protraying different emotions, and even though some scenes the acting was a bit awkward, the director also made a good job to "hide" it. Huang Lei and Zhou Xun were also great.
As the story I was also agreably surprised as I was very scared to get another "Communism is Best ! Long Live Mao !" kind of movie but it was actually more subtle than most of those Republican Era / Propaganda movies. (but again, it's still a Chinese movie so.... you know haha)
The cinematography was also beautiful. Most of the scenes were really pretty and consisted of shades of yellow and blue, while some scenes were only composed of green (I think mostly when a character was alone and having some profound feeling, but maybe that's just me). I also really liked that some scenes were like a mirror of each other, and the flash backs throughout the movie.
As for the story, I haven't read the book nor saw the related drama (whose synopsis is really different from the movie I just watched!) so my opinion is solely on the movie. I was very confused at first, as we learn in the first 20 minutes that Xiao Qiao is the doppelganger of Wei Yang's mother. We can see that Wei Yang is troubled by that, and though she doesn't like talking, she rapidly befriends the "fresh" and cute Xiao Qiao, whose dream is to marry her 10-year long boyfriend Han Yan. Those 20 first minutes were really confusing as I didn't understand if Wei Yang was simply a friend of Xiao Qiao or if she was falling in love with her but I think it was made on purpose.
Wei Yang works at a coffee shop where she meets Han Yan without knowing he is Xiao Qiao's boyfriend. We can definitely feel there is something between them starting to happening and I like their chemistry. When they realize Xiao Qiao is their friend/girlfriend, feelings start to get entangled and all (especially Xiao Qiao) kind of have to choose between their feelings.
As I said, most of the relationships were very confusing to me. However, I thought this movie was pretty poetic, even though a bit too much tragic at times.
I really enjoyed the cinematography of it, some scenes were beautiful. Elaine Zhong did a beautiful work in this film, less fan of Seven Tan's.
Not sure if I will re-watch it ever again, however it was not bad and I think it's a perfect movie to watch at home.
Overall, I have to say I laughed some times, but the end was quite boring so the movie didn't reach my expectations.
But it's also really interesting because of how real it is. I mean for most foreigners, our families aren't like this right ? But for them it's ALWAYS like that. Might be the people who want to marry into a not that well-off family, the parent immediately opposed. The single mom, the re-married couple.... all of that is amazingly and scarily true.