Dead Pigs

Little bit this, little bit that, this was a working script with all tragic-comic characters and events rolls on to growing upper capitalism in China. There's nothing new in this heart warming joint; gives you enjoyable watching. Could be bit shorter, bit less melo-dramatic

Dead Pigs is quirky and vibrant where the characters collide through their personal turmoils and as their city undergoes big changes. Crazy salon bird lady steals the show defending her house from developers.

Wow. This was a beautifully made film full of human warmth despite the cold bitter taste of capitalism permeating throughout. A scathing portrayal of the China's rapid development and how China's unquestioning embrace of capitalism forcably strips its citizens of a sense of home and belonging. Incredible to think that this was a directorial debut too. Loved it.

In 'Dead Pigs', we see a world where everyone is a liar and everything is faked and hyped. Everything that is real is dying off or being torn down, or at the least is undervalued. It's obviously a metaphor for modern Chinese society -- no, make that modern society in general. But the characters are vivid enough to ignore symbolism and enjoy the film at face value.

The only holdout is Candy Wang (played by Vivian Wu from 'The Joy Luck Club'), a cranky, shrill middle aged eccentric who is refusing to sell the family house to make way for a major new development.

We also follow a number of other characters, including the American architect for the development, who is portrayed in a surprisingly sympathetic light (even though he is as much of a fake as everyone else).

The only false note is a short stretch of sing-a-long karaoke. Maybe that is more meaningful to the Chinese audience. But overall, this is a good movie, well worth watching.

A pig farmer, a beauty salon owner, a young waiter, a wealthy girl and an architect share adventures when thousands of dead pigs appear in Shanghai's central river. Based on true events (in 2013, 16,000 pigs were found in the Huangpu River, infected with PCV), this film marks the debut of Cathy Yan as a director, who 2 years later (2020), makes herself known to the western world with Birds of Prey. The characters are excellent examples of the personification of various problems in modern societies, such as the lack of empathy, ambition, fear of facing reality or the social economic gap between classes. There's a clear western view on the narrative, so that the public can identify itself with the story, but it is still a very interesting set of ideas, and a kind of wake-up call for the Chinese boom at a global level.