Chunmeng

I saw this film during the Rotterdam film festival 2013 (IFFR), where it was part of the official Tiger Award competition. The first hour was promising, nicely visualized and an interesting plot. It does one long for a logical continuation and a gratifying finale. How our main character (Fang Lei) looses her child, is a bit vague but still anything can work out for better or for worse (being labeled as Drama, probably worse). Good acting, an unconventional story, so what will happen next??

Alas, the last half hour was lost on me: too many priests, fortune tellers and other misty figures, all of them failing to solve anything. It's a pity, as one can think of much better endings. The initial situation that started the film, offered a lot of possibilities, so many that I cannot understand how and why these opportunities got lost in the process.

All in all, I see no reason to recommend this film. It is not a ghost story, contrary to the synopsis on the festival website. Albeit mysterious, the nightly visitor does not make it such. It is not satire either, but someone living in China may see that differently.

This film explores the inner life of the Beijing middle class, and in particularly women, in a way that will not be easily understood by Westerners.

Could only have been done by a female director to portray the sexual longing and the motherly tenderness.

The fortune tellers, buddhist monks, vacations in Dubai, boy toys, dreams and ghost stories are all quite a part of life. As is the iPad game obsessed husband who ignores his wife, the Karaoke club and many other scenes.

Thus the Asian film awards and puzzlement by others. The film has weaknesses and strengths. Well worth 90 minutes of your time to get a perspective I have not otherwise seen portrayed.