Lost in Beijing (2007)

A look at modern-day life in China's capital centered on a ménage-a-quatre involving a young woman, her boss, her husband and her boss's wife.

Director:

Yu Li

Writers:

Li Fang, Yu Li

Stars:

Bingbing Fan, Dawei Tong, Tony Ka Fai Leung

2 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bingbing Fan	...	Liu Pingguo / An Kun's wife
Dawei Tong	...	An Kun / Liu Pingguo's husband
Tony Ka Fai Leung	...	Lin Dong / Wang Mei's husband
Elaine Jin	...	Wang Mei / Lin Dong's wife
Meihuizi Zeng	...	Xiao Mei / Liu's Friend
Zhenjiang Bao	...	Dr. Zhang
Li Fang	...	Mr. Lin
Jinhang Zheng	...	Lin's Girlfriend 1
Manyang Zhang	...	Lin's Girlfriend 2
Ailing Huang	...	Lin's Girlfriend 3
Quinling Mong	...	Wang / Police Officer
Yi Zhou	...	Young Police 1
Tao Huang	...	Young Police 2
Liyuan Dong	...	Fat Woman Customer
Xiaoho Lin	...	Illegal Doctor

Storyline

Lin Dong and Wang Mei are a childless couple in Beijing, wealthy, approaching middle age. Lin owns a foot-massage parlor. One afternoon he rapes one of his workers, Liu Pingguo, who has nearly passed out from drinking alcohol with a friend. Part of the assault is witnessed by Liu's husband, An Kun, a window washer. He's angry with the boss and with his wife, and he seeks compensation. Lin's wife counsels him and joins in revenge. Then, Liu realizes she's pregnant and a set of emotional calculations ensues: Lin wants to buy the child, Wang agrees but has conditions, An Kun goes back and forth and barely contains his anger; Liu withdraws. The baby comes. Can anything be sorted out?

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Plot Keywords:

rape turns to consensual sex | hiked skirt | wanton woman | cuckolded husband | feminine hair | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

China

Language:

Mandarin

Release Date:

21 February 2008 (Russia)

Also Known As:

Lost in Beijing

Filming Locations:

Beijing, China

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,350, 1 February 2008, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$10,827, 20 April 2008

Company Credits

Production Co:

Beijing Poly-bona Film Distribution Company, Filmko Films Distribution, Laurel Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film is banned in China, despite the heavily censored effort from the filmmaker. The producers have been banned from making movies in China for the next 2 years.

User Reviews

Lost in greed and apathy

What happens to a collectivist, traditional society after it is traumatized by two extreme social experiments within a period of half a century – dehumanizing communism and equally alienating rampant materialism? Perhaps the best film to come out of mainland China in a decade, Yu Li's Ping Guo is both a scathing social commentary on the state of present day China and a moving human drama. The film, as well as its characters, looks like Beijing: Grey, polluted, crowded and confused. Acting is uniformly excellent. Bingbing Fan, the stunning young actress with morning-after eyes, is superb in the title role as the all-too-human Ping Guo. As the story unfolds and the humanity of the other three leads begin to rise above their greed and apathy, Ping finds her inner strength. The ending, which should be predictable, comes as a touching surprise.

Others have commented enough on the story. It is best to walk into this film without knowing too much about it. If you are a frequent visitor to China or an observer of its mind-blowing ascent, the film will have more to say to you. However, both the story and the characters are universal. Even a passing knowledge of that fascinating society is sufficient to enjoy this minor masterpiece, although you might miss its many subtle ironies.

Chinese authorities banned the film from being shown in China. They also banned its producers from working in the industry for two years. The decision, which is almost an unofficial award, won't stop those who want to watch it.