A subtle if layered LGBTQ drama centering on a Chinese family’s past secrets and the persistent problems they have caused in this sensitive and composed feature debut.
Tag / China
Spring in a Small Town (1948)
Continue reading →One might need a historical appreciation of the progressive impact of this Chinese classic to feel its greatness, but as a film in itself, it feels quite bland and uncompelling.
First Farewell, A (2018)
As beautiful and poetic a first feature can be, this heartwarming Chinese drama centering on Uighur kids in the Xinjiang region is eye-opening.
Elephant Sitting Still, An (2018)
Continue reading →Could have been a formidable work if it was a good 90 minutes tighter, but Hu Bo’s first and last film is still a riveting watch, backed by strong performances and societal themes.
Dead Pigs (2018)
Continue reading →Clearly an ambitious first feature, and it mostly hits the right spots in this ‘Magnolia’-inspired ensemble drama about China at the crossroads of modernity.
Trap Street (2013)
This seemingly saccharine drama about a blossoming romance between two strangers plunges headlong into an unexpected, but satisfying direction.
Long Day’s Journey Into Night (2018)
Continue reading →Difficult to connect emotionally, though it features a technical masterclass in a nearly hour-long 3D sequence-shot that must be experienced on the big screen.
Angels Wear White (2017)
Continue reading →Qu’s second feature is a decent follow-up to ‘Trap Street’ in what is a bleak sociopolitical indictment of the treatment of women in modern society.
Ash Is Purest White (2018)
Continue reading →A Jia Zhangke enthusiast might find this very much a recycling of past themes—not that it is any bad, but that greatness seems elusive as the film progresses.
Mountains May Depart (2015)
Continue reading →Jia Zhangke returns to form in this superior drama about the ties that bind us together, even if we scatter like fireworks.
Eternality Tan 