Yolo

I was so confused by this movie that I went out of my way to write my first ever review on this site. Basically, what you have here is a very mediocre awkward rom-com for 90 minutes followed by 20 minutes of processing and healing from trauma, followed by the most lovely story told only within the end credits! This last bit was by far the best part of this movie and it has me longing for the longer "behind the scenes" or documentary they could have made out of the actress' real life journey, which was way more moving and affective than the movie itself.

I get the premise and the message here is important, it just didn't feel particularly well told for most of the movie. Maybe this is my bias in not speaking the language and missing something in translation, but it didn't feel that way. This movie clearly has some moving things to say that it finally said at the very end and in the credits. I wish the whole movie had been that way, and then this review would have been a solid 8. As it was, I spent most of the movie reconsidering my decision to see it, and then feeling a little more on board at the end. Overall, this means that I liked it by the end more than I expected to from the first half, but nowhere near as much as I wanted to.

Kudos to the actress/director for her bravery and her commitment to her craft. This was clearly a very personal story for her and that part was indisputably beautiful.

This movie has been intensely debated on Chinese online platforms. It is a remake of the Japanese film "Hundred Yen Love." The director of YOLO, Ling Jia, a Chinese woman, transitioned from being a comedic actress for more than ten years to become a director and screenwriter. With only two works to her credit, including YOLO, she can still be considered a new director. However, if we take a look at the box office performance of these two works, we might be surprised by this newcomer's achievement.

"Hi, Mom," Ling Jia's first directorial effort, grossed over 5 billion Chinese yuan at the box office, ranking among the top in Chinese film history. Notably, few new directors can achieve such success. The film, adapted from the director's own experiences, tells a deeply emotional story about Ling Jia and her mother (who passed away when Ling Jia was 19 years old).

As her second film, YOLO, released during the Chinese New Year season on February 10th, also became a box office hit. Many girls were moved to tears by the protagonist Le Ying and were encouraged to find themselves, embrace life, and grow. Despite being Ling Jia's second film, YOLO has already grossed over 3 billion Chinese yuan in China and is gradually being released overseas.

Ling Jia's success has sparked jealousy among some Chinese men, who have expressed extreme negativity towards YOLO online. These negative reviews ignore the facts and are often made by people who have never even watched the movie. They claim that it is an over-marketed film about weight loss, disregarding its deeper themes and emotional impact. Not only do they criticize the movie, but they also use unfriendly language against director Ling Jia. This is extremely unfair to both a woman and her work. Admitting someone else's excellence, especially a woman's, can be difficult for many Chinese men.

These negative voices do not only come from ordinary male internet users. We have reasons to believe that some industry insiders may also be involved in manipulating the situation, as the negative reviews suddenly increased and intensified at a certain point. Online marketing is often motivated by financial gain, and malicious behavior aimed at damaging a person's reputation has unfortunately become a common practice.

It is hoped that people with independent thinking can recognize these negative comments and enjoy the movie despite its imperfections. As a creator, having room for improvement is a good thing, isn't it? After all, every master was once a beginner.

At the same time, I hope that everyone who is imprisoned in their own self-imposed cage can rise up soon, accept themselves, and embrace a new life.

This movie reflects my personal life journey: always trying to back off, to please others, to say fine, till one day I was literally at the edge of the cliff. And I decided to change.

Even though right now I am not anything close to the most successful, the wealthiest, the most famous human being in the world, but I am proud of myself. I am proud of myself learning to say no, to set boundaries, and to have a goal and be laser-focused on my goal.

And, if you are struggling with the feeling that you've tried so hard but nobody appreciates you, I could tell that you are actually a really powerful person as you have so much to give. Just try to focus on yourself and your goal more.

I would recommend it to anybody who is or who was a people-pleaser.

"Le Ying" (Ling Jia) is a larger lass who has little success with anything save for half-drinking cola and sleeping for most of the day. She's been left a flat by her grandmother but her soon to be divorced sister "Dou Dou" (Zi Yang) needs some property if she is to be able to continue sending her daughter to private school. After initially agreeing to a transfer, a barney ensues and she storms out determined to find somewhere of her own to live. That means a job. Discipline. She gets a job in a BBQ joint for a boss who's a bit of a lecher, but she can deal with him. It's he who sends her to fetch some cigarettes from his car and that's where she rather curiously encounters "Hao Kun" (Jiayin Lei) who is a boxing coach at a gym round the corner. He's not having much success recruiting new clients so she agrees to be one. Now, on the face of it, she's not the most likely of boxers, but what now ensues sees her face a series of challenges that make her think deeply about who she is and who she wants to become. This reality check is only exacerbated by an appearance on her sister's rather comically cynical television talent show that makes "X Factor" look like "Mastermind" (though it does feature quite an entertaining strop between the panellists). The story itself meanders along a bit too slowly - it doesn't need to be over two hours long, but there can be no denying the effort put in by Ling Jia as her character comes to an empowering degree of self-realisation. It's a bit stereotypical, I suppose, but it's also quite frank and entertaining. It's can be funny, a little poignant and there's just the merest hint of chemistry between the two boxers. I doubt you'll remember it for long, and the ending is a bit of a muddle, but it is worth a watch.

This movie is amazing. It's so hard to describe the impact it had on me just by words, so I recommend everyone to watch it in the cinema, experiencing the impact brought by the movie's visuals, music, and cinematography and I believe you will reckon it worths too. Many scenes deeply touched me when I watched it. Seems like the other audiences got the same feeling as we were just so into the movie, all stayed and reluctant to go when it ends until the staff came in to clean the chair. It's never too late to make changes in life, striving for yourself once, compared with the past self, progress is a true win. Appreciate the hard work and contribution made by Leying - Jialing, the main girl and meanwhile the director of this movie, bringing us a self-redemption from a female perspective. The best fit of international women's day!