Shen nu

A young mother and prostitute does whatever she must to ensure her little boy receives a good education. The kind of movie that would be a melodramatic tear-jerker in the hands of a Hollywood director is given a much more naturalistic feel by Yonggang Wu. Lingyu Ruan, a year before she committed suicide at the age of 24, gives a performance of immense strength and nuance, while Zhizhi Zhang is full of malign cheer as the bullying pimp who takes over her life. Great movie that overcomes the generic nature of its story to deliver a real emotional experience