Review of Yi Yi (2000) by Angie M — 21 Feb 2010
A naturalistic slice of life into the Jian family. Not relying on any contrived dramatic plots, the director managed to create such an A-perfect portrayal of a middle-class Chinese society in a modern city.
If one is made to cringe/laugh at the oh-so-identifiable boisterous gatherings, one also distinctly relates with the sense of alienation with oneself brought on by a series of "what if"s in life.
If the dysfunctional family next-door spoke about the kind of despair in a modern, urban society, the conversations between NJ and Ota were reminders of integrity being smothered in the cutthroat world of business.
Another especially strong point of the film was the small kid, Yang-Yang; a child with no pretensions, only curiosity and frankness. His eulogy to his grandmother was so simple yet so powerful. As one reviewer said, there were no characters in this film, only humans.
The cinematography was amazing with breathtaking use of color and intricacy in the focus on details. For instance, there was quite a bit of the use of the cityline reflected on glass, but each time the director used it in a unique way for a particular reason.
There were some good performances -- especially Wu Nien-jen, but also Kelly Lee, Chen Hsi-Sheng, and little Jonathan Chang.
This review of Yi Yi (2000) was written by Angie M on 21 Feb 2010.
Yi Yi has generally received very positive reviews.
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