I watched this movie as a substitution made in the last minute by the Hong Kong International Film Festival. In addition to the delight of finding that it was directed by Wang Xiaoshuai (whose "Qing hong" in 2005 won the "Prix du Jury" in Cannes), I also had the rare pleasure of going into a movie not knowing anything about it.
As the story unfolded in Wang's usual slow pace, I was introduced to a modern-day couple in Beijing, graphic designer Lao Xie (Cheng Taisheng) and real estate saleswoman Mei Zhu (Liu Weiwei), together with 5-year-old daughter Hehe from her previous marriage. This would have been as happy as any cosmopolitan family you can find anywhere, with step- father and daughter regarding each other just as flesh-and-blood. The drama starts when Hehe is diagnosed with leukemia. Mei Zhu's divorced husband Xiao Lu (Zhang Jiayi), a building contractor, is called in right away. It is immediately apparent that while Mei Zhu is still a little bitter that the ex-husband who left her 4 years ago, the two men are on most civil terms with each other, while Hehe, only at 5, is quite mature and accepts the fact that she has two fathers the one looking after her (whom she loves), and the one who see her occasionally (whom she still likes). There is no villain in this movie.
When tests show that neither of the blood parents is suitable as donor for bone marrow transplant, without which Hehe will have only two or three more years to live, Mei Zhu's sole purpose of living becomes saving the life of her daughter. Brought to understand that the best chance would be bone marrow from a sibling of the patient, she is convinced that having another child with her ex-husband is the only way to save Hehe.
This is where the dramatic energy of the movie is unleashed. Xiao Lu is reluctant. He has also remarried, to a relatively younger woman, flight attendant Dong Fan (Yu Nan) who quite naturally wants to have a child with him. But as I said, there are no villains in this movie. Though not a saint (Lao Xie is close to being one), Dong Fan is not an unreasonable person. Her initial resistance to the scheme of having her husband impregnate his ex-wife is understandable. She eventually agrees, after meeting the little girl Hehe in person. The noblest sacrifice in from Lao Xie. Naturally he wants to have a child with Mei Zhu. National policy, however, allows only 2 children per family (used to be just one), meaning that if the scheme works, both children in his family will be from his wife's ex-husband. With the most cheerful disposition he can summon, he embraces the prospect, promising to love both children as his very own.
The final dramatic turn comes when after in-vitro insemination failed repeatedly, Mei Zhu, in desperation and to Xiao Lu's shock, wants to go for the last resort - natural sex. This immediately brings to mind two similar (but also different) situations in movies: "Big Chill" (1983) and "Le temps qui reste" (2005).
Before turning to the cast, a brief comment on the audio and visual experience. A good part of the movie is in quiet dialogue or complete (and at times lengthy) silence, punctuated only by occasional, scattered piano notes. For photography, instead of the mesmerizing, bleak but character-rich landscape of the Chinese countryside, we see mostly big cityscape, shot through what looks like a subdued light blue filter. Both approaches work well with the movie.
The cast put in a great performance. Best is Liu Weiwei with her excellent portrayal of a woman with such a mild disposition that can almost be interpreted as timidity, until as a desperate mother, she delivers silent stares that can drive her ex-husband to do anything for her. Cheng Taisheng is heart-breaking as the husband whose selflessness is almost painful to watch. I didn't recognized Yu Nan who plays the young wife, until checking IMDb afterwards, as Tuya in "Tuya's marriage" (2006). Immediately my respect for this actress went up a few notches, recognizing the diversity of these two roles both of which she handles superbly. Completing the quartet is Zhang Jiayi, with his capable depiction of a man caught in a difficult situation, and the only character here that provides some brief moments of comic relief.
Wang Xiaoshuai, just turning 40, is among a group contemporary Chinese directors who stand firmly on their principle of putting their art ahead of the box office. They deserve the respect received from those audience that still look for stimulating cinematic experiences, rather than the vulgar, cheap entertainment provided by garbage such as "Curse of the golden flower".
As the story unfolded in Wang's usual slow pace, I was introduced to a modern-day couple in Beijing, graphic designer Lao Xie (Cheng Taisheng) and real estate saleswoman Mei Zhu (Liu Weiwei), together with 5-year-old daughter Hehe from her previous marriage. This would have been as happy as any cosmopolitan family you can find anywhere, with step- father and daughter regarding each other just as flesh-and-blood. The drama starts when Hehe is diagnosed with leukemia. Mei Zhu's divorced husband Xiao Lu (Zhang Jiayi), a building contractor, is called in right away. It is immediately apparent that while Mei Zhu is still a little bitter that the ex-husband who left her 4 years ago, the two men are on most civil terms with each other, while Hehe, only at 5, is quite mature and accepts the fact that she has two fathers the one looking after her (whom she loves), and the one who see her occasionally (whom she still likes). There is no villain in this movie.
When tests show that neither of the blood parents is suitable as donor for bone marrow transplant, without which Hehe will have only two or three more years to live, Mei Zhu's sole purpose of living becomes saving the life of her daughter. Brought to understand that the best chance would be bone marrow from a sibling of the patient, she is convinced that having another child with her ex-husband is the only way to save Hehe.
This is where the dramatic energy of the movie is unleashed. Xiao Lu is reluctant. He has also remarried, to a relatively younger woman, flight attendant Dong Fan (Yu Nan) who quite naturally wants to have a child with him. But as I said, there are no villains in this movie. Though not a saint (Lao Xie is close to being one), Dong Fan is not an unreasonable person. Her initial resistance to the scheme of having her husband impregnate his ex-wife is understandable. She eventually agrees, after meeting the little girl Hehe in person. The noblest sacrifice in from Lao Xie. Naturally he wants to have a child with Mei Zhu. National policy, however, allows only 2 children per family (used to be just one), meaning that if the scheme works, both children in his family will be from his wife's ex-husband. With the most cheerful disposition he can summon, he embraces the prospect, promising to love both children as his very own.
The final dramatic turn comes when after in-vitro insemination failed repeatedly, Mei Zhu, in desperation and to Xiao Lu's shock, wants to go for the last resort - natural sex. This immediately brings to mind two similar (but also different) situations in movies: "Big Chill" (1983) and "Le temps qui reste" (2005).
Before turning to the cast, a brief comment on the audio and visual experience. A good part of the movie is in quiet dialogue or complete (and at times lengthy) silence, punctuated only by occasional, scattered piano notes. For photography, instead of the mesmerizing, bleak but character-rich landscape of the Chinese countryside, we see mostly big cityscape, shot through what looks like a subdued light blue filter. Both approaches work well with the movie.
The cast put in a great performance. Best is Liu Weiwei with her excellent portrayal of a woman with such a mild disposition that can almost be interpreted as timidity, until as a desperate mother, she delivers silent stares that can drive her ex-husband to do anything for her. Cheng Taisheng is heart-breaking as the husband whose selflessness is almost painful to watch. I didn't recognized Yu Nan who plays the young wife, until checking IMDb afterwards, as Tuya in "Tuya's marriage" (2006). Immediately my respect for this actress went up a few notches, recognizing the diversity of these two roles both of which she handles superbly. Completing the quartet is Zhang Jiayi, with his capable depiction of a man caught in a difficult situation, and the only character here that provides some brief moments of comic relief.
Wang Xiaoshuai, just turning 40, is among a group contemporary Chinese directors who stand firmly on their principle of putting their art ahead of the box office. They deserve the respect received from those audience that still look for stimulating cinematic experiences, rather than the vulgar, cheap entertainment provided by garbage such as "Curse of the golden flower".
