Somewhere Only We Know

Honestly only went to watch this for Kris because I wanted to support him. I was told from those that has seen it that the movie was alright but still went anyways. While the eye candy was nice, the movie itself is was a waste of my money and time. It kind of lost me a fourth way through the movie although the story with her grandma was interesting but also lost made me lose my interest when it was dragged on. Pretty sure I spent my money more towards the sceneries of Prague in this movie more than anything else. The movie honestly hurt my head and there was little to no development in the storyline and in definite character dynamic in convincing me as an audience. Love Kris, but totally would not watch it again if I had a choice.

Falling in love, falling out of love, lost love, letting go and moving on are many of the themes explored in Somewhere Only We Know, a film that wears many hats, a statement that could be equally made about lead male actor Kris Wu, who portrays Peng Zeyang; single father to his daughter, Ni Ni (Sophia Cai Shuya), carer for his bipolar suffering mother (Cong Shan), friend of fellow professional musician Luo (Juck Zhang), and paramour of Jin Tian (Wang Likun).

Initially, Jin is not the kind of woman one would imagine having a relationship with Peng. Bereft, from been rejected by her fiancé, she arrives in Prague with the intention of starting over, wanting to dramatically alter her appearance and lifestyle choices in an attempt to forget the past, her unorthodox approaches leading her into the arms of Peng, who, rather than taking advantage of her, becomes a close friend, though neither of them can deny the feelings they begin to mutually exhibit.

The feature illustrates the burdening pain Jin experiences in a realistically effective manner, revealing, through several of its characters, the effects that depression and loss can have over a person. While in Prague, Jin receives a letter addressed to her recently deceased grandmother, Lanxin (Xu Jinglei), who was her adult guardian while she was growing up. Wanting to discover the truth behind such a mystery, her grandmother having kept her romantic history close to her chest, Jin gains the assistance of Peng, in trying to find Josef Novak (Gordon Alexander), the man who wrote the deeply heartfelt message, their story, set in the late 1940s, being conveyed in flashbacks over the film's duration.

The seamless incorporation of past and present is beautifully articulated, both stories mirroring and scaffolding each other. The talent exhibited by the actors is incredibly immersive, as is their undeniable chemistry, and the well written script makes for enjoyable banter, deeply thought-provoking conversation, and poignant emotion. The deeply romantic philosophies, sentiments and ideas depicted in the film are refreshingly inspirational, sweet and poetic, and have the potential to encourage anyone to renew their faith in romance.

Though all of the characters are provided enough screen time for the audience to sympathize with and appreciate them, more screen time could have been given to Peng's mother and daughter, and the same could be said for Jin's friend Shanshan (Re Yizha). The story of Josef and Lanxin is beautifully warm and strikingly emotional, despite their experiences being conveyed in only a few scenes, depicted only in a couple of varying settings. This being said, additional attention could have been applied to their backstory to assist the audience in connecting additionally with the affection they held for each other. Moreover, the same could be said for the references to the second world war, that are only briefly mentioned, though, due to its paramount role in human history, deserved further contextualization, in regards to what it meant to the characters.

The settings articulate the beauty of Prague, from its cobbled streets, to its rich architecture and vibrant natural environments, and make for an enjoyable background. In this sense, the film is perhaps, in part, a marketing tool, advertising for Chinese viewers, the beauty and excitement of tourism. The experiences are all relevant and meaningful when in conjunction with the characters, while the film's ending beautifully concludes the feature with much emotional depth, the tenderness and poignancy exhibited throughout necessitating the audience to perhaps come equipped with a tissue, or ten.

Though the film is centered around young adults, the story is powerfully mature, and despite the trailer promoting Somewhere Only We Know as more of a comedy, the film is unmistakably a drama, and is one of those rare films, that, upon conclusion, will leave you wanting to see it all over again. Though everyone will leave the film with a different impression, for me, the feature conveys the many qualities that cause me to be so attracted to Chinese culture...and Chinese women.

I was bored so I decided to watch the movie, it is worth watching. I really liked the storyline. This movie goes back and forth in time, so it's very interesting. I watched it originally for Kris but after a while, I fell in love with all the characters. It never really got boring. Although I wished the movie had more complexity to it. Personally, I think the actors and actresses did a pretty good job on acting. Very entertaining. If you are bored like me or a big fan of Kris, it is definitely a must-watch. Some part of me is glad that Kris left EXO, or he probably would have never gotten a chance to film a movie like this one. Overall, it's a fantastic film.

The plot was actually interesting. Well I agree that the story was rather predictable, but I still enjoyed the movie a lot. The only complaint I have is, the movie editing could have done better. The transition between scenes weren't that smooth. But that didn't affect the movie plot, more to technical stuff. The lead actors and actresses' acting were all really good too.

Overall, Somewhere Only We Know was a good movie. Since it was a pure romance movie with a very little of comedic scenes, it is understandable that it's not majority's favorite genre. But for me, I really liked it. The movie didn't make me bored at all. It gave me this fluffy feeling in my heart after I watched it. Lovely! Oh, and the soundtracks were all great too.

This was my first Chinese film, so wasn't sure what to expect. And the combination of a Prague location with bits of English and Czech dialogue along with the Chinese was certainly a unique combination.

But the film just hit it out if the ballpark for me. The acting, script, music, direction, even camera work were all perfect. And the flashbacks were woven in perfectly. I can't think of a thing I would improve...maybe just the publicity since I had not even heard of the film and it is a total winner.

I would recommend this film to anyone who enjoys good character development in a multi- generation, multi-ethnic romantic drama with gorgeous scenery. The English subtitles make this a joy to watch.