Review of Not One Less (1999) by Bryan K — 16 May 2009
Comparisons between this film and neo-realist pieces like The Bicycle Thief are not at all unfounded...the film unfolds like a documentary and often does not feel scripted at all. Further, the movie is also very good.
Minzhi is superb as Teacher Wei, pulling off the cluelessness and naivety of an overwhelmed teen effortlessly. The film's second half, on the city streets, so convincingly demonstrates the hopelessness of both Wei's search and her student's struggles that it becomes difficult to watch.
Director Zhang also does well to let the situation of rural China speak for itself without becoming heavy-handed...though he does lose some of this grasp in the final few minutes. The cinematography keeps its restraint throughout and is extremely effective (the shots of Wei's flyers being swept away, the chalk being smashed and Wei being in the middle of city street with traffic going six ways around her are all memorable).
The soundtrack is not uniform, which is a detraction; some dramatic moments get music, others don't. Well sub-titled.
This review of Not One Less (1999) was written by Bryan K on 16 May 2009.
Not One Less has generally received very positive reviews.
Was this review helpful?
