Yi Yi (2000)

Each member of a middle class Taipei family seeks to reconcile past and present relationships within their daily lives.

Director:

Edward Yang

Writer:

Edward Yang

Stars:

Nien-Jen Wu, Elaine Jin, Issei Ogata

13 wins & 22 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Nien-Jen Wu	...	N.J. (as Nianzhen Wu)
Elaine Jin	...	Min-Min
Issei Ogata	...	Mr. Ota
Kelly Lee	...	Ting-Ting
Jonathan Chang	...	Yang-Yang
Hsi-Sheng Chen	...	A-Di (as Xisheng Chen)
Su-Yun Ko	...	Sherry Chang-Breitner (as Suyun Ke)
Chuan-cheng Tao	...	Dada (as Michael Tao)
Shu-shen Hsiao	...	Xiao-Yan (as Shushen Xiao)
Meng-chin 'Adriene' Lin	...	Lili (as Adrian Lin)
Pang Chang Yu	...	Pangzi (as Yupang Chang)
Ru-Yun Tang	...	Grandma (as Ruyun Tang)
Shu-Yuan Hsu	...	Mrs. Jiang (as Shuyuan Xu)
Hsin-Yi Tseng	...	Yunyun (as Xinyi Zeng)
Yung-Feng Lee	...	Migo (as Yungfeng Li)

Storyline

Each member of a family in Taipei asks hard questions about life's meaning as they live through everyday quandaries. NJ is morose: his brother owes him money, his mother is in a coma, his wife suffers a spiritual crisis when she finds her life a blank, his business partners make bad decisions against his advice, and he reconnects with his first love 30 years after he dumped her. His teenage daughter Ting-Ting watches emotions roil in their neighbors' flat and is experiencing the first stirrings of love. His 8-year-old son Yang-Yang is laconic like his dad and pursues truth with the help of a camera. "Why is the world so different from what we think it is?" asks Ting-Ting.

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Plot Keywords:

watching tv | love | neighbor | money | camera | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Taiwan Japan

Language:

Mandarin Min Nan Hokkien English Japanese French

Release Date:

16 December 2000 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Yi Yi

Filming Locations:

Tokyo, Japan

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$9,456, 8 October 2000, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$1,136,776

Company Credits

Production Co:

1+2 Seisaku Iinkai, Atom Films, AtomFilms

Technical Specs

Runtime:

173 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Title translation: One One.

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Quotes

Yang-Yang: Daddy, you can't see what I see and I can't see what you see. So how can I know what you see?
N.J.: Good question. I never thought of that. That's why we need a camera. Do you want one to play with?
Yang-Yang: Daddy, can we only know half of the truth?
N.J.: What? I don't get it
Yang-Yang: I can only see what's in front, not what's behind. So I can only know half of the truth, right?

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Connections

Referenced in Hou Hsiao-Hsien Master Class (2007)

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Soundtracks

Summer Time
Music by George Gershwin
Performed by Kelly Lee

User Reviews

Contemplative and Contemporary

This movie is a beautiful piece of art. Every shot of the movie is like a painting in its own right. Hats off to cinematographer Wei-han Yang for getting so many splendid images on film. From his serene reflective shots against a city nocturnal background, to innovative bird eye-view shots, to neat mirror shots, to the perspective of the bedridden grandmother in a coma, to cars passing by in front of the actors, to gorgeous corporate buildings... everything on camera was meticulously thought out.

Director Edward Yang uses this visual candy diligently and incorporates it nicely into his narrative. His script is very poetic and allows for a lot of reflective pause... which is, you've guessed it, supported by silent stunning images. The characters feel very real and their problems and concerns move us. The little boy is simply adorable and his perspective on life is quite refreshing. The dialogue is rich and intelligent and if you listen carefully you'll understand why this movie is so long... But the length does not drag the movie. Rather it allows us to think and to appreciate. There is enough material in this movie (both words and images) to have anyone musing for days if he so desires.

The ending of the movie is very well done and you don't really know if you feel like laughing or crying at that point, but you certainly know that you have just witnessed an amazing movie, a movie without proper description. Because like Yang chose to do, I should just be silent and let you enjoy.