Dwelling by the West Lake

Have you ever had any family members being sucked into a pyramid scheme? This is a story about a nature-loving simple college student, walking the walk with his mother, seeking to find herself again. His mother becomes infatuated with the self-actualization that the pyramid scheme offers her; such a false sense of self-worth never felt before is unleashed and it becomes very hard to let go. Between hell and paradise, the film artistically juxtaposes the hell-like identification with commodification against the power of sincere love and serene nature. The female lead's highly dramatic acting is award winning. Leo Wu's lotus blossom like Wulian is worthy of the big screen.

His face, his being and the natural scenery is breathe-taking, while scenes from pyramid scheme will surprise and shock you. This film is definitely a departure from the director Guo Xiaogang's earlier film, an astounding artistic use of hellish commercial world and paradisiac serene nature. A Great way of combining art and real world social issue.