Dear Ex (2018)

A teenage boy and his mother are further driven apart when they find out that his father's life insurance policy is to be received by his lover.

Directors:

Chih-Yen Hsu (as Kidding Hsu), Mag Hsu

Writers:

Mag Hsu (screenplay), Shih-yuan Lu (screenplay)

Stars:

Roy Chiu, Ying-Hsuan Hsieh, Spark Chen

12 wins & 18 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Roy Chiu	...	Jay
Ying-Hsuan Hsieh	...	Liu Sanlian
Spark Chen	...	Song Zhengyuan
Joseph Huang	...	Song Chengxi
Fang Wan	...	Consultant
Ai-Lun Kao	...	Jay's Mother (as Alien Kao)
Cheng-Chun Liang	...	Stage Manager Allen
Li-Yin Yang	...	Sanlian's sister
Hsin-Ling Chung	...	Radio Voice (voice)
Kaier	...	Insurance Salesman
Ting-Chien Wu	...	Director
Clover Kao	...	Actress Lin Wenru
Zhe Ahn	...	Actor Ahn Zhe
87gongzhu	...	Stage Actress (17 years ago)
Yun-Hsuan Chen	...	Stage Actress (17 years ago)

Storyline

When Sanlian's ex-husband passes away, she discovers he has altered his insurance policy, cutting out their son in favor of a stranger named Jay. Outraged, Sanlian decides that she and her son will confront Jay, but Jay proves equal to her scheme. However, when her son unexpectedly moves in with Jay, she is forced to reassess her relationship with them both.

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Plot Keywords:

love | mother son relationship | loss of loved one | loss of father | love triangle | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

TV-MA

Did You Know?

Connections

References Singin' in the Rain (1952)

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Soundtracks

Bali Song
Music, Lyrics, Produced & Performed by Ying-Hung Lee
Arranged by Ying-Hung Lee & Kuo-Hung Tseng
[Theme Song]

User Reviews

a love confession starting with "Dear"

I wonder why there is a "Dear" in the film's English title. A confession to the protagonists' past relationships, or a revenge? Or, maybe both.

Hovering in my head for hours and hours after the emotionally powerful film-viewing experience is the main theme named Bali Song, unpretentious background music for a stage drama considered to be the Ex's brainchild in the film. The song is a ballad mixed with a bit folk and some dreamy, laidback and even sexy retro pop, with its arousing opening whistle notes sentimentally visualizing a pleasant and romantic vacation, an ideal escape and an Utopia...for anyone longing for true freedom in his/her same-sex romantic relationships against the so-called social convention. The use of music here is such a gentle and subtle move within the film's melodramatic context and a breath of fresh air out of the "traditional" conventions in the still relatively conservative Chinese culture, or even in most Asian cultures. To my surprise, though, the music and lyrics of Bali Song also work as a nice replacement (instead of a compliment) to the mediocre stage drama that it's echoing in the film.

At times, this film quietly reminds me of works from Taiwan New Cinema spearhead Edward Yang, while its music, its character-driven plot, and somewhat overacting with surely a purpose breaks my illusions immediately. It is a sharp reflection as well as honest observation of life in Taipei, for the first decade of the 21st Century or so, not of life more than 25 years ago, when Ang Lee's Wedding Banquet came out.

The film is never comfortable to watch. Literally, it is a love confession (-starting with Dear) to whoever has once been either an annoying adolescent or adult ( a.k.a. the most stupid creature on earth ). So, get your tissues ready if you wouldn't mind taking a HOME-bound emotional roller-coaster with the family drama, and then...getting bombarded by that song!

Details

Official Sites:

Dear Studio Official Facebook

Country:

Taiwan

Language:

Mandarin

Release Date:

2 November 2018 (Taiwan)

Also Known As:

Dear Ex

Company Credits

Production Co:

Comic Communication Studio, Ocean Entertainment, Hervoice Concept

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Color:

Color