Bai du ren (2016) Reviews

• The visual's good, the storytelling not so much

  karentownecn2017-06-17

  I had high hope for this movie, with Tony Leung and Takeshi Kaneshiro as leading actors and Kar-wai Wang as writers and producers (with bonus cast like Eason Chan, though I did cringe when I saw Angelababy was in it), but this movie is just not as good as it could be. It's not all bad, of course. The dialogues, esp. the monologues by Tony Leung, are very much what you'd expect from Kar-wai Wang. And the visual was superb (for which this movie won the visual effect award of HK film awards)--like many other WKW movies. The thing is , a good movie is more than good dialogues and visual effects. I have fewer problems with the plot than the story-telling. (Compared to other WKW movies, this movie actually has more plot and less self- reflection?) The exaggeration was a bit too much for me. The movie swings from a serious tone to a comic tone all the time and that stopped me from getting emotionally participating with the movie while watching it. The thing is, while in my opinion most of the WKW movies happen in a sort of vacuum world that's not quite the world we live in but not that far off, this movie went a bit too far as I cannot connect with the world the characters live in (things like a pub game that was so over-the-top it was like a boxing game, and live a life like a monk just to make a good...uh...pizza(or whatever it is but pizza probably is the equivalent thing in western culture)). As for the acting, Tony Leung was good, though he's played this kind of characters for so many times this is nothing but old news; Takeshi Kaneshiro surprisingly let go of himself in this, though I'm still not so sure that's a good thing; Angelababy, the de facto female lead in the movie, gave her usual performance, which is not something to brag about. If this is a rom-com, I probably wouldn't notice her bland performance, but with most of her scenes acting alongside Tony Leung, it was achingly obvious.(Though she does look like some girl who would be so single-minded in romance, so I suppose it was not all bad casting?)

• Sadly, another fantastic movie most audience just spit on it

  summerzsp2017-03-06

  This is the best Chinese movie I have watched during the past 5 years, it is about deep emotion and life experience. Sadly, not too many people feels the same way. I agree with a review I read from a Chinese website which says, this movie is not for youngsters, it is for those who have so many tough experiences and failed relationships, only these people know what the characters are talking about and mad about. I feel sad not just because this movie is under judged, also because I have become a person who have to endure the loneliness and pretend to be normal most of the time, like Chenmo, like the girl without tears on the train of 2046. The images of 2046 keep popping up in my mind now and then, even though nobody understand that movie as well. Anyway, I get the point of director Wang and Zhang, I enjoyed this movie quite much. Sincerely thank you both.

• You need to feel it by your heart

  joyoscar2017-02-25

  Although it seems like this movie got more criticisms than the praises, it is still one of the BEST I have seen in the last few years. It has the depth and details you need to feel by your heart, not your eyes. Despite the excellent pictures you will enjoy during the two hours, the music choices are awesome too! Most of all, the lines have inherited the spirits of Karwai Wong! BRAVO Zhang Jiajia! Looking forward to your next work!

• Zhang Jiajia's failed film, WKW's ruined reputation

  PShaphy2016-12-28

  I'm a new user, and I'm sorry that I post this review to the message board before.. ---- Here is Shanghai. If you are planning to enjoy a WKW's film, you'll be disappointed with this one. It is not directed by Wong but a new director Zhang Jiajia, who is an author of best-selling novel. See You Tomorrow is Zhang's second film adapted from his novel - the first is I Belonged to You - and both of these are awful...I Belonged to You gets a douban(a Chinese website like IMDb) score at 5.4/10, and See You Tomorrow is now at 4.4/10. Though such a fine cast See You Tomorrow has, in which there are Tony Leung, Kaneshiro Takeshi and Jennifer, not to mention that WKW is the producer, it is still unavoidable to go failed because of Zhang's poor script and direction. He is trying so hard to imitate in direction of Wong that the film is full of scenes just like those in Wong's. He makes a great effort to create an old-style atmosphere like Wong. Songs in the film are also made up of nostalgic ones. However, only the stacking- together of elements in WKW's style will not become a Wong's film. I'm sorry to see See You Tomorrow fails in an embarrassing way, but I'm happy to see that See You Tomorrow is not a success because too many similar films succeeded before, which are also like See You Tomorrow - trying to obtain box office success through fans effect but not telling a good story. Thank you for your reading and may you have a nice day. And most importantly, if you are planning to enjoy a WKW's film, DO NOT watch this one. :)

• Awesome movie with lots of lesson in life

  alexa_keelove2017-04-17

  Awesome movie with great plot. I love the way how the story goes. It started with others and slowly the main character he himself did a self reflect. Everyone in the movie helps other to overcome life obstacles, super meaningful movie.