Kinamand

I saw the film today, and seldom have I been so touched by a movie. Not only I, but most of the cinema was going through the emotions of laughing and crying, as we were following the story of Keld and Ling. Being a Dane married to a Chinese woman myself, I could strongly relate to how the oriental mystique and beauty was affecting Keld's life so much. I have always been a great fan of Vivian Wu, and I think that her performance in this movie was great, even though it is a smaller part than for instance my all-time favorite "Pillow Book". Bjarne Henriksen who carries most of the film, gives a great performance, demonstrating what a truly great actor he is. One of my favorite moments in the film is a pan over the area where the main events take place. To me it displayed how fragile life is. It also matches beautifully with a similar pan later in the movie that I will not reveal. I personally think that Henrik Ruben Genz has created a masterpiece.

"Chinaman" is a deceptive film. While it appears very simple and perhaps even a comedy on the surface, the film is much deeper, more sensitive and very engaging. I must warn you though, this is NOT a film everyone will like. It does not have a happy Hollywood style ending and the film is pretty unconventional. As for me, I liked that the film didn't try to fit a formula and didn't even mind the sad portions of the film. But I do recommend you have some Kleenex nearby--just in case.

At the beginning of the film, Keld's wife tells him that she's leaving him for good. You have absolutely no idea why or what their marriage had been like--all you know is that she wants out as soon as possible. Not surprisingly, Keld is depressed and directionless--and Bjarne Henriksen makes this very apparent in his performance. Part of his depression and directionless is evident in his habits. He goes to the same Chinese restaurant every night and he sells off all his furniture. Sitting in an empty apartment, Keld is just drifting through life--waiting for his divorce to be final.

One evening when he's at the Chinese restaurant, the place's plumbing goes crazy and Keld jumps into action. After all, he is a plumber. And through the course of this, Keld and the owner of the restaurant become friends--so much so that his new friend makes him a VERY unusual proposition. He wants Keld to marry his sister, Ling, in order to allow her to remain in the country. Naturally, it will be a marriage in name only. She'll move in with Keld but their relationship will be business. However, rather expectedly, a closeness develops between them and after a while, Keld realizes he's falling in love with his new wife. Now the rest of the film is NOT what you'd expect--it is a very unusual film to say the least. But, Henriksen's excellent performance and the film's nice direction and script really hooked me. A very unusual and bittersweet film--and one that left me very impressed.

Being in the U.S.A., I kept expecting this lovely poignant film to crumble into gratuitous violence or some other cheap surprise. As it went on, keeping everyone's motives human and showing them coming to do the right things in relationships, it ended up resting at the top of my recommendation list (even above Antonia's Line). Besides the simple story and impressive character acting by everyone, the experience and skill apparent in the lighting, color choices and sequence of each scene, the interesting angles of every take, and the top drawer casting were all distractingly above the norm. I kept thinking, 'Wow!' Still not sure why this is in the comedy category. We were out of Kleenex by the end, and totally content. If the English subtitles were big enough to read, it would be perfect.

This film just goes to show that you can make a good film for 10 dollah. It's a lovely story and full of observation of human interactions with love overcoming many obstacles.

Well cast and professionally produced on an ultra low budget. It can be done and this is better than many big budget films.

Recommend you see it !

Somebody wrote in a film chat that Vivian Wu is the most beautiful woman in a Danish film ever. She surely is the most beautiful woman in this film, and once she figured on a list of some hundred most beautiful people in the world, though according to my Chinese friends she is not a beauty by Chinese standards. Her presence in this film however is unquestionably delightful. I ascribe this to the camera work, the way she is dressed up and, of course, her beauty.

The way she dresses together with her cooking and decoration skills brings about a marvelous atmosphere enhanced further by the Deng Lijun songs from the early 80s like Yueliang daibiao wode xin and believe it or not Bjørn Tidemanns Lille Sommerfugl. It is not normal (realistic) to wear a qipao (traditional Chinese dress) every day or otherwise dress up for a party every day and the atmosphere is not realistic either. I guess Ling and the atmosphere around her should be seen as a symbol of the mystic and beautiful traditional Chinese culture on a trivial, gray, realistic, modern Copenhagen working class backdrop.

Chinaman is clearly inspired by In the Mood for Love by Wong Karwai; a great choice for inspiration! This is seen in the mood created by slow pace takes of Ling's qipao swaying forth and back to her sensual body moves. In In the Mood for Love, which is also a film where love is implied rather than becoming fleshly, Maggie Cheung changes qipao about 50 times. In Chinaman the focus is on Ling's earrings on which, along with her hips and eyes, the camera lingers. Thereby we as well as Keld (Bjarne Henriksen) are seduced by female and Chinese mystery. I guess it is also for the good of mystery that the Chinese dialogs are not subtitled. It keeps the common Danish viewer just as uninformed as the Danish main character about what is going on.

Chapter headings consisting of Chinese sentences for beginners relate by hint what we are going to see. Overall they seem stupid to me; an original idea that should have been killed, but then there is the mistake! There is a chapter heading that goes something like Will you marry me?, which is also written correctly in Chinese signs but the tape voice says "yi bi hao jiaoyi" - "a good deal". So this "mistake" made on purpose actually points out what the marriage between Keld and Ling is - business, which by the way is also what Keld calls all things he wants to avoid explaining to Ling.

At one point in the film Keld's otherwise gentle temper blows and he delivers an outburst of angry complains that Ling can't speak Danish and other right-wing cliché attitudes. Anyway, Ling's reply in Chinese is much more to the point. She has been sweet and serving so when not appreciated she complains that he never does any house work and that her clothes are smelly from his smoking and that had it been her own house he would have had to smoke outside. Unfortunately he doesn't understand her words, but his next move is to learn to say sorry (duibuqi) which turns out to be important.

Chinese culture is presented here as refined, superior, traditional and beautiful compared to the Danish plumper, his wife and their son. The film offers great respect to Chinese culture. Thanks!

This is the first Chinese Danish film and it is a very good first! I have watched many Chinese Westerner films and I am sure Chinaman is one of the best. 8/10