The movie was set during the lock down time of Wuhan, from late January till March of 2020, focusing on the lives of ordinary people - how they started with fear and anxiety, but gradually built up strength, hope and faith to overcome the darkest time. There were four story lines developed on their own, with intermittent crossover at certain time stamps.
The most heartfelt line was the story of Wu Ge (meaning "Brother Powerful"), a delivery lady and Ye Ziyang, a piano teacher. Very different in background, personality and education, they were both alone but not lonely, with loving hearts and positive attitudes. They used their own ways to influence people around them to stay strong and never lose hope. The chemistry was intense but fine-tuned, from how they supported each other to fight with the virus disaster, to how the romance expressed stronger and stronger in their eyes. Ge Ling depicted well how the tough outgoing fear-nothing labor gal Wu Ge had a crush on a sophisticated, poetic and gentle piano artist. The audience can "see" the butterflies flying in her stomach. As the female lead of Chinese box office, Jia Ling did not let us down. Zhu Yilong owned the character of Ye Ziyang, who had many aspects - an energetic and fun-loving children's teacher, a sensitive and lyrical poet and at the same time a fighter against his chronic illness. Zhu Yilong portraited the role fully and effectively, paying attention to small details, for example, the different tune when talking to children students, and the eye squinting when removing his thick glasses. The way he smiled each time after reading Wu Ge's texts showed how his feeling towards her changed little by little. The scene when he comforted Wu Ge with moist eyes were classic. Zhu Yilong transformed himself into the character so well that even people familiar with him/his other characters were barely able to recognize him. Another bravo to Zhu Yilong's immersive acting.
The most romantic line was the story of Xie Yongqin, a retired OB GYN physician and her boyfriend Pei Ye, a big shot chief of Cantonese cuisine. The retired doctor, at a high risk age for the virus, stood up and went back to provide patient care. Pei Ye supported her everyway he could. It is an interesting contrast how the romance between the younger Wu Ge and Ye Ziyang was so subtle, yet the retired couple were very expressive and passionate. Wu Yanshu talked and even walked like a doctor. She was a knowledgeable, calm and loving physician who healed patients, at the risk of her own health and even life. I was very impressed by her acting.
The other two lines, one about a rich business couple and the other about a delivery volunteer were not as strong but they stood on their own well.
I felt the movie showed how"nobodies" held onto each other and became heroes as a group, at the beginning of this life changing (still changing now in 2022) pandemic. There were some flaws in the plots, but overall the movie was warm, healing and touching. I give it a 9-10 for the good acting and the people who fought CoVid with love and hope.
