Together

He ni zai yi qi (or Together) is the stirring story of a young violin protege, Xiaochun, competing in the cutthroat world of Chinese classical music. Xiaochun's father dreams only of his son's success and goes to great lengths to accomplish this goal. Each character is developed and interesting and viewers will find themselves sympathisizing not only with Xiaochun, but with each person he comes in contact with. Director Chen Kaige weaves unique images together with a heartbreaking soundtrack to give this movie a definite feeling of realism. The acting by Tang Yun (Xiaochun) and Liu Peiqi (Liu Chen)is heartfelt and endearing. This is another example of quality Chinese-made cinema worth missing a few Hollywood run-of-the-mill flicks for. This is a definite don't miss.

Here is fairly pleasant story of a 13-year-old violin prodigy and his financially-strapped father try to get the boy professional help to aid in the kid's musical career. The father is a bit on the pushy side but he has a good heart and he's pretty comical, too. The young teen is a likable kid and the other main characters - two of his teachers and the "big sister" - are all interesting people.

The dialog, as with many "foreign" films, is different from what we are used to hearing in North America and I, for one, find it appealing.

At almost two hours, this might be a bit long for most people to put up with subtitles, but I didn't find that a hindrance in keeping focused on this story. Along the way, you get to enjoy some excellent violin playing, too. People who like amiable-character stories and good music should enjoy this very much.

The positive things are all you can imagine and more. The acting is believable, the casting just right, the music is spectacular as are the performances, and the story is nice with a little surprise beginning slowly half way thru and blossoming near the end. Except for that there are no real unpredictable moments. The interplay between the story and music is accomplished masterfully. I remember listening to many of those selections as a boy and how the emotions in the music generated tears. The same emotions are here and yet amplified by the conditions in the lives of the people and the needs that drive them. You know the story: a peasant father whose son is a violin talent and who sacrifices everything to move to a big city so the boy can have advanced instruction and rightfully achieve fame and fortune. The boy's mother died when he was a baby and the only thing she left him was a violin, the same one he plays now and cherishes because of her. His talent is recognized by a master teacher who long ago has lost the woman he loved and has withdrawn from society with the exceptions of caring for stray cats and teaching untalented students - for his survival. There is a nice minor theme in the relationship between the teacher sinking and the student rising. A secondary theme develops between the boy and a woman he sees and meets at the train station. She is a man chaser and the boy sees beauty and fun in her beginning with an argument with her boyfriend who she kisses on parting. It turns out that she and the boy live near to each other and he plays violin for her. Because of her, the father wants to change teachers and convinces an up-scale teacher to work with the boy. The teacher reluctantly accepts; however, the boy doesn't want to leave the first teacher. Another energy to drive the plot.

Negative things, which likely trigger the PG label are, in my opinion, minimal. The boy has pictures of women he places in his music books. At first you are to think he is a naughty little boy; indeed, the father accuses him so, and yet you realize eventually that the pictures represent the mother he never met. The boy is enamored by the woman he meets in the train station; he even helps her prepare a party for her boyfriend; and goes with her when she shops. The father gets angry with him; hits him, likely for the first time; takes the picture of the lady away; and the boy hits back, unacceptable in his culture. Also, some of the women are portrayed as mean in their verbal attacks and this includes a young female violinist. The movie should be fine for any child who can read or understand that Chinese dialect. I'd like to see it again and I'll buy the DVD when it is released.

I really liked this movie. I studied the violin for 8 years so I felt a strong connection to the film. The story is a touching tale about a child violin genius who goes to Beijing with his father and finds the best teacher he can. Truly the story is really about the love of a man for his son. The father shows the deepest emotion and devotion for his son throughout the movie. Unless your heart is made of stone and smaller than the Grinchs before it grew two sizes, you can't help but feel something for how much the son loves his father.

The music in the film is a nice selection of up-beat, touching, sentimental and refreshing. The emotion and message of feeling the music is executed with musical brilliance. The pieces are played exquisitely and even if your not into classical or violin you should still be entertained.

I realize this film may not be for some people or if your not in a particular mood. But if it sounds interesting you won't be disappointed in its poignant delight.

Human feelings are universal whether you are a Chinese living in a crowded and vulgar country village or an American living in a comfortable and affluent suburban neighborhood. However, the experiences are different enough that there are subtleties in this Chinese film that only Chinese can truly appreciate.

I never wrote an online comment of a film before even though I have read a great deal. Unlike most of other films, comments on Chen Kaige's "together" is surprisingly divided into two extremes: love it or hate it. Maybe this observation prompted me to write something to express my feelings during and after watching this film.

I grew up in a small town in rural China, very much like the one shown in the film. My father isn't a "vulgar" peasant as the father in the film, and I wasn't a "prodigy" of anything by any measures either. The kind of strong character and sensitivity the kid showed is something I wish I had when I was a teenager. The incredible sacrifice and love the father showed in the film is also a bit surreal to me. In other words, my experience is much more real with little melodrama involved.

However, the film actually made me cry when sitting in the cinema, not just because of the melodrama and the music, more so because it made me miss my own father and remember many small moments between us that are not so much drama but only our daily experiences.

When I left cinema, I overheard a middle-aged American white couple in front of me making comments: "a cute little film, isn't it?" I can tell from the dialogue that they experienced different things when watching the film because they appreciate the details of ordinary Chinese life such as how the coal is used for heating tea. To me, those details are not novelties to appreciate, they WERE my existence and everyday experiences.

I will stop here not to violate the IMDB guideline. After all, everyone's experience is unique. Everyone has their ethos deep from their upbringing and culture. I am just glad that this film brings me a Chinese experience of love between a father and a son that I can relate to.