Shower (1999) Xizao (original title)

Director:

Yang Zhang

Writers:

Shangjun Cai (writer)
Yi'nan Diao (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

6 April 2000 (Netherlands)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

Shenzhen businessman, Da Ming, goes home to Beijing when he thinks his father has died. He finds his...

Plot Keywords:

Bathhouse | Businessman | Mentally Handicapped Person | Nudity | Rain

Awards:

17 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Jiayi Du
Bing He	...	He Zeng
Wu Jiang	...	Er Ming
Ding Li	...	Master Lin
Cunxin Pu	...	Da Ming
Xu Zhu	...	Master Liu

Directed by
Yang Zhang

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Shangjun Cai		writer
Yi'nan Diao		writer
Xin Huo		writer
Fendou Liu		writer
Yang Zhang		writer

Produced by
Sam Duann	....	executive producer
Peter Loehr	....	producer

Original Music by
Xiaogang Ye

Cinematography by
Jian Zhang

Film Editing by
Hongyu Yang

Art Direction by
Meng Tian

Sound Department
Qizhen Lai	....	sound

Production Companies

• Imar Film
• Xi'an Film Studio

Distributors

• Alfa Films (2001) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Look Now! (2000) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Classics (2000) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Ventura Film (2006) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• EDKO Film (Hong Kong)
• Flashstar (Brazil) (video)
• Keyfilms Roma
• Pyramide Distribution (France)
• Quality Films (2005) (Mexico) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Television (USA) (TV)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (2001) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Zima Entertainment (2005) (Mexico) (DVD)

Also Known As:

"Xizao" - China (original title)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for language and nudity

Runtime:

92 min

Country:

China

Language:

Mandarin | Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Chile:TE | France:U | Hong Kong:I | New Zealand:M | Peru:PT | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | USA:PG-13

Company:

Imar Film

Good Old Days vs. Shopping Centres

"Shower" is an story about loyalty, about the unstoppable advance of modern world in the detriment of rather traditional and more human ways of life. A man forced to choose between his successful career in business, his big-city life, his wife, and his retarded young brother. The eternal doubt between what we WANT to do and what we SHOULD do. The modern China versus the ancient one. The public baths with its gatherings, its cricket fights versus the shopping centres and the skyscraper. Lots of old men and women that are no longer needed. China, one country, two systems, as Xiao Ping said ... though one of them is killing the other.

Tender, moving, full of funny moments, and of bitter-sweet ones.The sensitive ones will cry and laugh equally. The actors are enormous, especially the one who performs the role of the retarded boy; and Yang Zhang makes a good job, easy, simple, letting the story just flow by itself.

My rate: 8/10