I really didn't have a good idea what this film was about before I viewed it. A Polish-directed/written film set in China with basically an entirely Chinese cast? A bit foreign for me (being from the US), to say the least.
Starting out with the main character Wolski escaping from Russian Siberia into China, you watch as he is taken in by a poor Chinese family consisting of Guo, his wife, and their daughter Song. So far, so good.
However, one night Song gets up from the dinner table and takes some food to Wolski. As soon as she sits down on his bed Guo comes in and knocks the food right out of her hand. From this moment on, Song is never the same, and you will see why.
My main complaint of this movie is that it is slow and lacks focus/direction in the early (after the first 9min) to middle parts. It is a bit slow but luckily it picks up in the last third.
One thing this movie does well is subtlety. Maybe this is a trait of foreign films in general? I am not sure because I haven't seen enough. My recommendation is if you're a fan of or interested in foreign films and enjoy short but sincere romances, then give this film a shot.
Otherwise, it might not be for you. I think I got something out of it, and for an otherwise stoic personality like myself, it definitely touched me.
Starting out with the main character Wolski escaping from Russian Siberia into China, you watch as he is taken in by a poor Chinese family consisting of Guo, his wife, and their daughter Song. So far, so good.
However, one night Song gets up from the dinner table and takes some food to Wolski. As soon as she sits down on his bed Guo comes in and knocks the food right out of her hand. From this moment on, Song is never the same, and you will see why.
My main complaint of this movie is that it is slow and lacks focus/direction in the early (after the first 9min) to middle parts. It is a bit slow but luckily it picks up in the last third.
One thing this movie does well is subtlety. Maybe this is a trait of foreign films in general? I am not sure because I haven't seen enough. My recommendation is if you're a fan of or interested in foreign films and enjoy short but sincere romances, then give this film a shot.
Otherwise, it might not be for you. I think I got something out of it, and for an otherwise stoic personality like myself, it definitely touched me.