Mei guo nu hai

I just so loved the plot and narration.

Each of the characters did justice to their roles and it all just came out to perfection.

A perfect blend of emotions, family bond, sibling love, social and surrounding situations and a lot more.

This film is exactly what it's like. Most accurate depiction of mother daughter relationship i've seen on film thus far. Extremely well written, draws you in. I cried many times. It's just so well done it's so moving PLEASE WATCH.

Very ordinary story that everyone would experience, yet no resonance would be generated with audiences due to the extreme annoying performances of the actress. Acting as a mom, the actress was being unrealistically emotional that would make audience wonder if she is acting an psychotic patient as well.

Simple and common plot + slow pace story telling style by director + insensible performance by actress = surely not worth your time.

TL;DR: I cried the entire movie and am thankful for having the opportunity to see this film and the story it shared.

SHORT NOTE: The important parts of this movie for me were some of the smaller conversations. Some say that the film is slow, but I hope as a watcher you decide to notice the small details of these characters. The non-verbal communication is so crucial to this story. The slow pace is purposeful to draw out the emotions in each character.

Full review (contains examples but not spoilers of the film):

We may all try to step into the shoes of the protagonist and watch this story as if it were our own. Instead, I felt like these were my shoes being walked in by someone else. I do want to clarify that Fen's story is different from mine, but there is a lot of overlap and a deep connection to how everything is told. My own mother was always weak and sick ever since I can remember. We sometimes had discussions about her being ill and the "what-if" questions about death. I recall the fights my parents had about it, money, and more. I appreciate the ability of this film to show these perspectives. Even the feelings and emotions we regret having, the ones we try to ignore and forget. Fen does not shy from showing the honest and hurtful words that end up being used against your loved ones. The conversations these characters have are so accurate to the struggles of communicating during hard times. Each family member has their own legitimate concerns, but it feels like a war of who's in more pain. You can see it in their eyes, the sighs in their breath, and the attempts of them trying to say more.

Watching this movie, you get a third perspective on the family and their actions. Wishing that if they would all communicate more that everything would be better. Not the case. There is one scene in particular that sticks out to me. The scene of them entering a westernized diner to me is like a dream. Primarily because everything takes a pause. All their problems are left at the door before they enter this place. Fen gets to feel like she's back in the U. S. again, while, Ann gets the ice cream she has been longing for from Dairy Queen. Even the mother gets a small victory of being able to reconnect with her daughters. She lets her kids get anything on the menu, even though we're aware she doesn't have much to spend. We get to clearly see this mother is trying her best and would do anything for her children (that's within her power). Sadly, outside of this scene Fen believes her mother "can do better". But given the third perspective from Ting, she responds by asking "what if this is her best"?

As a kid, like Fen, I often found it difficult to still feel listened to when our problems were less that of our parents. However, our ignorance gets the best of us, and sadly and we hurt each other more than we need. This story felt personal to me and I appreciate the writers/directors and cast for telling such a good story in such an honest way.

This is a family drama that is realistic and relatable, at least for me. I resonated deeply with a lot of the main character's experiences - from the deep love-hate mother-daughter relationship and the bond between the sisters, to Fen Liang's stubbornness and intense emotionality. Watched it with my mum and she could "totally understand the feelings of the mother".

A couple of reviewers have noted that the film is quite slow but I feel like the pace, camera angles and scenery make it feel as if the audience is only spectating the real lives of the family, instead of being served some hyper saturated plot-driven story. I respect that it might not be everyone's cup of tea though. All in all, I thought it was a cinematic and greatly truthful film.