Review of Beijing Bicycle (2001) by May T — 09 Feb 2008
Refreshing cinema. The plot is pretty simple, it's about a boy named Guei who comes from the Chinese countryside and tries to make a living for himself in the big city as a bicycle courier. However, he soon discovers how harsh life in the big city can be by the way people treat him as an outsider.
This story conflicts with that of a Chinese school boy, Jian, who unknowingly buys Guei's stolen bike. These two stories mix together well to give us a sense of the differing poverty levels and life challenges that people face as they live in the city.
The film is really quite moving and without question it was shot beautifully. You really get a sense of life in Beijing and the struggle of those living in the city. My only gripe would be that the end seemed rather bland compared to the rest of the film... it seemed to lack an appropriate climax. Definitely worth viewing, though.
This review of Beijing Bicycle (2001) was written by May T on 09 Feb 2008.
Beijing Bicycle has generally received positive reviews.
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