Written by: Edward Yang
Directed by: Edward Yang
Starring: Nien-Jen Wu, Elaine Jin, Issey Ogata
Rated: -[R]
Watch the trailer
Plot
Each member of a middle class Taepei family struggles with life and relationships.
Verdict
This is a slowed paced movie that looks at the family dynamic. While I like the plot, the movie didn't connect. Is it the subtitles, pacing, or the length? I don't know. It's strength is in developing the characters.
It depends.
Review
This is highly acclaimed, positioned on many "best of" lists. The matriarch of the family is the grandmother, who is in a coma throughout the movie. The family members at times talk to her.
Each of them deals with their own battles. The father deals with work, the mother a mid-life crisis, the daughter a love triangle, and the son with teachers who insult his creativity.
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| Yi Yi - The struggles of a family. |
Each of the characters face their own setbacks. A teacher skewers the picture the boy captured and even takes a jab at his father. All of the boys photographs are from odd angles, but he describes it as a fresh perspective. You only see one side of things, and he wants to capture the other side. That's the goal of this movie. To capture something different, the small moments in life rarely depicted in film.
When the father has a chance to rewrite the past after meeting an old girlfriend, he realizes that he doesn't need a second chance.
I can see why this would be popular. It's different from the typical movie. The characters have depth and it takes time in exploring their issues. There are instances where you feel bad for, mad at, or afraid for the characters. Despite how much I want to like this, I wouldn't watch it again, and I can't recommend it. The pacing combined with the subtitles was a bit too tedious.
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