Little Big Women

I have to wholeheartedly compliment reviewer blaze32646 February 2021 for his/her "A slow moving film about letting go" review; a rare great in-depth analysis of how it should have been done more properly and why it's a huge miss of making this movie a greater and better movie.

The movie didn't completely tell the backstory of why that husband/father had become estranged to his wife/daughters, why the wife/mother still gave a damn to her betrayed/estranged husband and as a husband/father. it also failed to show us how this woman had been forced into a single parent mother, how his betrayal, his heartless cruelty impact the family he left behind. What's the reason he betrayed his wife/daughters? An adulterer for another woman? If so, can you believe this wife-by-marriage would forgive him? Schopenhauer On "Woman" claimed that Woman in Love is far weaker than woman in Hate; a woman in love and hate is far barbaric than most men. There's no way to correct such fact that this Mamma San in particular had evolved and transcended to a kinder and more generous female.

Therefore, once her persistence of carrying out the farewell ritual to her husband is quite obscure and argumentatively controversial, this movie could only have achieved a small part of a bigger picture. But nonetheless, still a not so bad nor so great or so unique movie.

Personally, I was very emotional throughout many scenes in this movie. Mainly because I am a Chinese to Canada immigrant. The countless words in English cannot describe what I felt and what I am feeling after I watched this film. I felt connected, and for the first time, emotionally invested in this film. Although it is a Taiwanese film, our culture is not too different. I felt warmth from this movie, sadness, nostalgia, and it was, in a sense, relatable. If I did not have the background I do, I wouldn't be giving this movie such a high rating. The plot wasn't especially exceptional, and a lot of things may be confusing. However, it really tugs on my heartstrings. It opens my eyes to family connections, about letting go, and really impacted me because of certain experiences in real life. Overall, I found this a great film, but that is a complete personal opinion.

As another reviewer already stated, there are certain universal truths that ring true to everyone, no matter where you are from or how you lived. Well for most that is - because family and the relationships therein are always complicated. There is always love of course (at least a little bit of that), but there is also a lot of regret ... how and where you go when one of the pieces go missing (expires/dies, however you want to put it).

It may confuse a little bit, but the drama is worth it. This is for everyone who likes things to be "real life" and feel as real as possible. Secrets get revealed, passions exposed and other things that were under the surface. Now while that might sound exciting and powerful - it is, but not in a strong fast way, but rather a slow paced burning ... if you can dig that, you'll love the movie. If not ... well it's obvious isn't it.

When an absent father dies, his daughters clash with their mother.

A family drama in Taiwan, far from the canons we're used to by Hollywood studios.

I am more and more attracted to slow-burners like this one, where we are treated, little by little, with the elements that build the narrative, in a very intelligent way.

The way it's structured allows the viewer to change their opinion about the developments that they see on screen, and to root for different characters, as the story unfolds.

It's mainly about reflection, morality and rigidity of tradition, and being at peace, on a personal level, and then with others, and letting life take the course it is supposed to.

The recurring flashbacks can be confusing sometimes, without the proper context.

There's no jaw-dropping twists, just surprises, that I personally liked. The final scenes are undoubtedly the highlight of the film, and well worth the wait.

With the tradition and Chinese culture this movie performed it impeccably. Taiwan is one of the countries with strong family value and love surround between people. Mainland China cannot make this kind of movie as their product is always overdramatic, hk and Singapore won't have this background support and will become lame for this topic and always commercial kind. This movie just so natural and telling a story in a woman family. It just full of love and tears from this movie, if you have connection with any Taiwanese and been in their culture, you will like it.