I'm glad I caught this during its limited theatrical run. Putting the film's synopsis into words without vaguely spoiling certain plot elements and thematic aspects is hard. I enjoyed this film's direction and the narrative's overall framing. It's meta at times, yet not too jarring, and the "life is like a movie" element is well-rounded and thoughtful. I like the message that life is what you make of it, that "predestination" in life is less about fate and more about what we make of our actions, how we move on, form relationships, and reflect on the past and present— in turn playing into our future. This film has some fun performances, and the chemistry between the two leads (Zhu Yilong and Qiu Tian) is tangible and helps bring life to an exciting approach from director Shipei Wen. I will have to watch his other film because he seems to have a natural talent for filmmaking and telling stories. If I were to critique the movie, my main focus would be on the plot being a bit aimless at times. More specifically, There are a lot of ideas and plot beats, yet some are more realized than others, so it feels like the room is left to be explored, in my opinion. I will say, though, that the ending had me questioning the direction positively, and I felt the film's conclusion was earned, even if it was a bit convenient. That said, this will likely be a film I continue to think about (and hope to get my hands on the physical media for this), and I will almost certainly seek out Shipei Wen's future projects. I would give this a strong 8.5/10 and recommend this film to those who enjoy a good melodrama with interesting framing between the past, present, and future.

I'm glad I caught this during its limited theatrical run. Putting the film's synopsis into words without vaguely spoiling certain plot elements and thematic aspects is hard. I enjoyed this film's direction and the narrative's overall framing. It's meta at times, yet not too jarring, and the "life is like a movie" element is well-rounded and thoughtful. I like the message that life is what you make of it, that "predestination" in life is less about fate and more about what we make of our actions, how we move on, form relationships, and reflect on the past and present— in turn playing into our future. This film has some fun performances, and the chemistry between the two leads (Zhu Yilong and Qiu Tian) is tangible and helps bring life to an exciting approach from director Shipei Wen. I will have to watch his other film because he seems to have a natural talent for filmmaking and telling stories. If I were to critique the movie, my main focus would be on the plot being a bit aimless at times. More specifically, There are a lot of ideas and plot beats, yet some are more realized than others, so it feels like the room is left to be explored, in my opinion. I will say, though, that the ending had me questioning the direction positively, and I felt the film's conclusion was earned, even if it was a bit convenient. That said, this will likely be a film I continue to think about (and hope to get my hands on the physical media for this), and I will almost certainly seek out Shipei Wen's future projects. I would give this a strong 8.5/10 and recommend this film to those who enjoy a good melodrama with interesting framing between the past, present, and future.