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    Chinese Take-Out

    Original title: Un cuento chino
    • 20112011
    • Not RatedNot Rated
    • 1h 33min
    IMDb RATING
    7.3/10
    18K
    YOUR RATING
    • Cast & crew
    • User reviews
    • IMDbPro
    Ricardo Darín in Un cuento chino (2011)
    ComedyDrama

    A well-ordered hardware store owner in Buenos Aires will see his life turn upside down when he helps a stranded Chinese man who doesn't speak a word of Spanish find his uncle in the bustling city. But can this coexistenc... Read allA well-ordered hardware store owner in Buenos Aires will see his life turn upside down when he helps a stranded Chinese man who doesn't speak a word of Spanish find his uncle in the bustling city. But can this coexistence bear fruit?A well-ordered hardware store owner in Buenos Aires will see his life turn upside down when he helps a stranded Chinese man who doesn't speak a word of Spanish find his uncle in the bustling city. But can this coexistence bear fruit?A well-ordered hardware store owner in Buenos Aires will see his life turn upside down when he helps a stranded Chinese man who doesn't speak a word of Spanish find his uncle in the bustling city. But can this coexistence bear fruit?A well-ordered hardware store owner in Buenos Aires will see his life turn upside down when he helps a stranded Chinese man who doesn't speak a word of Spanish find his uncle in the bustling city. But can this coexistence bear fruit?

    • Director
      • Sebastián Borensztein
    • Writer
      • Sebastián Borensztein
    • Stars
      • Ricardo Darín
      • Ignacio Huang
      • Carolina Hsu
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Sebastián Borensztein
    • Writer
      • Sebastián Borensztein
    • Stars
      • Ricardo Darín
      • Ignacio Huang
      • Carolina Hsu
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 27User reviews
    • 76Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
    • Awards
      • 12 wins & 19 nominations

    Photos23

    Un cuento chino (2011)
    Ricardo Darín and Ignacio Huang in Un cuento chino (2011)
    Ricardo Darín and Ignacio Huang in Un cuento chino (2011)
    Ricardo Darín in Un cuento chino (2011)
    Ricardo Darín in Un cuento chino (2011)
    Ignacio Huang in Un cuento chino (2011)
    Ricardo Darín in Un cuento chino (2011)
    Ricardo Darín in Un cuento chino (2011)
    Ricardo Darín, Ignacio Huang, and Muriel Santa Ana in Un cuento chino (2011)
    Ignacio Huang in Un cuento chino (2011)
    Ricardo Darín and Ignacio Huang in Un cuento chino (2011)
    Ricardo Darín and Ignacio Huang in Un cuento chino (2011)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Ricardo Darín
    Ricardo Darín
    • Robertoas Roberto
    Ignacio Huang
    Ignacio Huang
    • Junas Jun
    Carolina Hsu
    • Lias Li
    Muriel Santa Ana
    Muriel Santa Ana
    • Marias Mari
    Pablo Seijo
    • Cliente 1as Cliente 1
    Iván Romanelli
    Iván Romanelli
    • Leonelas Leonel
    Derli Prada
    • Proveedor 1as Proveedor 1
    Joaquín Bouzas
    • Cliente 2as Cliente 2
    Gustavo Comini
    • Chofer volqueteas Chofer volquete
    Pochi Ducasse
    • Doña Ameliaas Doña Amelia
    Liliana Cuomo
    • Vendedora floresas Vendedora flores
    Claudio Torres
    • Rotiseroas Rotisero
    Sebastián Codega
    • Suboficial policíaas Suboficial policía
    Yu Sheng Liao
    • Funcionario chinoas Funcionario chino
    Eduardo Jin Lin
    • Cajero local chinoas Cajero local chino
    Wang Heng
    • Empleado localas Empleado local
    Vivian El Jaber
    • Rosaas Rosa
    • (as Vivian Jaber)
    Enric Cambray
    • Roberto jovenas Roberto joven
    • (as Enric Rodríguez Cambray)
    • Director
      • Sebastián Borensztein
    • Writer
      • Sebastián Borensztein
    • All cast & crew
    See production, box office, & company info

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    Storyline

    Edit
    In Buenos Aires, the bitter and methodic Roberto is a lonely man and the owner of a hardware store. Roberto collects bizarre worldwide news in an album as a hobby and his acquaintance Mari has an unrequited love for him, but Roberto is always evasive. One day, Roberto sees a Chinese named Jun being expelled from a taxi while he is watching the landing of airplanes in the airport and he helps the man to stand up. Jun does not speak Spanish and shows a tattoo with an address on his arm. Roberto heads to the spot with Jun and discover that the place belonged to Jun's uncle that sold it three and half years ago. Roberto goes with Jun to the police station, to the China's embassy and to a Chinese neighborhood to seek out his uncle but it is a fruitless search. Roberto lodges Jun in his house and after a series of incidents, he finds a delivery boy to translate Jun and he learns the dramatic story of his life. —Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
    chineseargentinachinese abroadfriendshipcommerce5 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Genres
      • Comedy
      • Drama
    • Certificate
      • Not Rated
    • Parents guide
      • Add content advisory

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Connections
      Referenced in Estrenos Críticos: El episodio que va a contrarreloj (2011)

    User reviews27

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    Beautiful and touching story
    I really enjoyed this Argentinian comedy-drama movie about a solitary man that aids an indigent Chinese man that arrives in his country and speaks no word of Spanish! It's quite a beautiful and touching story mostly because of the way it develops and helps both men finding their way to happiness. It's told in the beginning that this story is based on true events. If so, it's even better and interesting.

    Roberto (played by Ricardo Darín) is a solitary man that lives in a poor house and owns a small shop. He's very methodic and has some strange habits and hobbies. For instance, he shuts down the light before sleep everyday on 23pm, o'clock, on the precise second (!) and collects bizarre and absurd true stories he cuts from newspapers (I also appreciated the way those stories are told in the film: Roberto imagines the story as he was there and assumes the character of that little story, like Amélie Poulain in AMÉLIE ). But his live is not easy. He's afraid to release his feelings and emotions and he's very closed and linked to the past. At the same time he's very honest, has a strong personality and is a person with great moral values. Precisely what will make him rescue Juan, the lost Chinese man (played by Ignacio Huang) and help him against everything, even other Chinese people, who are unwilling to aid Juan… (by the way it's hilarious the scene when they go to a Chinese neighborhood in Buenos Aires and when Juan starts speaking in Chinese, to his compatriot, the other man says in Spanish – "I don't understand him!! He's talking in Cantonese and I speak Mandarin! It's a different language!" AHAH! Of course he's right but the situation is hilarious and priceless!). So, it's for this man, with such noble character, that Mari (Muriel Santa Ana), a friend and neighbor of Roberto, will fall in love. But he seems to not care, he seems to be afraid of her… or maybe he's just afraid of himself… However, helping Juan Roberto will help himself too as we will see in the end of the film. I don't use to appreciate beautiful and happy endings but here I did! I really enjoyed the way this film ended, especially because what it meant to Roberto and to the way his life turned around!

    This film is delicious by its humor, its drama and also because of all those little circumstances portrayed, that can really happen to every one of us and change our lives!
    helpful•13
    1
    • mario_c
    • Mar 4, 2012

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 24, 2011 (Argentina)
    • Countries of origin
      • Argentina
      • Spain
    • Official site
      • Official site (Argentina)
    • Languages
      • Spanish
      • Mandarin
    • Also known as
      • Chinese Take-Away
    • Filming locations
      • Buenos Aires, Federal District, Argentina
    • Production companies
      • Aliwood Mediterráneo Producciones
      • Castafiore Films
      • Gloriamundi Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $5,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross worldwide
      • $10,911,008
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 33min
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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