Cow

Niu Er gets in charge of the cow of the 8th Division in the middle of the war, with Japanese, communists, nationalists, bandits, and probably everyone else in China in that time, close by. He will try to keep the cow alive and protected while also avoiding being killed himself. Slowly, a bond is created between them two. But with all the dangers around them, survival seems almost impossible.

"Cow" is a quite entertaining and interesting movie. Centered on Bo Huang's Niu Er, we jump in time constantly, while getting to know more about the two protagonists and their relationship. It is amazing how the director, the script and Bo Huang all make the cow another character with personality and spirit, sometimes even out-acting people around her. All other characters, from the Japanese soldiers to the townsfolk, just seem to be there to help the plot advance and show Niu Er and the cow in different moments of their relationship. Luckily, so much jumping in time does not make the plot difficult to follow or messy; however the movie can't overcome some shortcomings in pace and it could have been a tiny bit shorter.

In the middle of war, death and violence, a cow and the only human survivor show how friendship and love can be born anywhere and from anyone. Good movie.