(aka "He ni zai yi qi " or "Together")
directed by Kaige Chen
China 2002
I enjoyed this film. It reminded me of Zhang Yimou's
'Happy Times' in that it shows a window on modern
Chinese culture. In fact it reminded me of a few Zhang Yimou films, with a
smattering of comedy, diverse characters and strong familial bonding in the end.
Saying that I wouldn't put it in Zhang's class. It was a little cloying and
subtly geared towards Western exposure. The performances were excellent, if a
little over the top at times, and the music was wonderful. Cinematography was
very good as well, but I couldn't help but feel the plot was somehow disjointed,
or maybe the editing was poor. The story left gaps that I don't think were
intentional. I could put this down to the faulty subs on the DVD that I saw, so
I won't take this into account too heavily. Interesting to see director Chen
take a part in his own film.
out of
Poster
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Theatrical Release: September 10th, 2002 - Toronto Film Festival
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DVD Review: TVA Films - Region 1 - NTSC
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| Distribution | TVA Films - Region 1 - NTSC | |
| Runtime | 1:58:20 | |
| Video | 1.85:1
Original Aspect Ratio - 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 7.50 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s |
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| Bitrate: |
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| Audio | Mandarin (Dolby Digital 5.1) , DUB: French (Dolby Digital 5.1) | |
| Subtitles | English, French (THESE SUBS ARE FLAWED), None | |
| Features |
Release Information:
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Edition Details:
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| Comments: |
This disc should
be recalled, the transfer fixed and replaced. Three times (using three different
players) the subtitles froze (at the exact same point) and will
eventually freeze your machine (even did this on my computer DVD player)
if they are not shut-off and then turned back on. The film continues but
the subs are 'stuck'. 8 times I noticed
spelling mistakes and 3 other times the subtitles were too long for the
picture and entire words were completely cut-off. The picture is
typically lack-luster, although anamorphic, but there is blurring during
motion. This disc is unacceptable by any standards. they have ruined the
presentation of this award winning film.
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Recommended Reading in Chinese/Hong Kong/Taiwanese Cinema (CLICK COVERS or TITLES for more information)
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Memoirs from the Beijing Film Academy
by Zhen Ni, Chris Berry, Ni Zhen |
Zhang Yimou: Interviews (Conversations With
Filmmakers) by Frances Gateward |
Chinese Films in Focus: 25 New Takes by Chris Berry |
Wong Kar-Wai: Auteur of Time (Bfi World Directors) by Stephen Teo |
China into Film: Frames of Reference in Contemporary
Chinese Cinema (Envisioning Asia) by Jerome Silbergeld |
New Chinese Cinemas
by Nick Browne |
Once Upon a Time in China : A Guide to Hong Kong,
Taiwanese, and Mainland Chinese Cinema by Jeff Yang |
Chinese Film Theory by George S. Semsel |
Women Through the Lens: Gender and Nation in a
Century of Chinese Cinema by Shuqin Cui |
Tsai Ming-Liang by Tsai Ming-Liang |
Check out more in "The Library"
DVD Menus
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FLAW: Subtitle FREEZE Samples (2nd capture is almost 2 minutes later and the same sub caption is up! )
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Screen Captures
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Gary Tooze
Mississauga, Ontario, CANADA |
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