What is the plot - in one sentence? We follow a Taiwanese family, two sons and their parents, as they deal with various life challenges.
I don't have time, just spoil it for me? I don't blame you, how bland does that sentence plot sound? The younger, more promising son commits suicide, while the older is in prison for an assault which happens at the very beginning of the movie*. He's later found to have a son with a young (YOUNG) girl which his parents, the grandparents, struggle to deal with. When he's out of prison, he tries to work hard and raise his family, but his gangster mate arrives back in town looking to exploit him. Eventually, the dad kills the gangster guy, and he tells the mother, who hates the news. Life goes on for them
That's not so much spoiling it, as just saying all that happens.
What is the meaning of the title? The Mandarin title is about the sun shining, which is interesting I guess? Did they choose 'a sun' as a title because it sounds the same as 'son' and this is about two? I don't know and I'm sleepy.
Anything that's not aged well? Does a woman get slapped around? Too soon for that, but there's no violence to women in this, but there is a guy spraying shit around the dad's work to try to get him to pay damages for the assault the man is in prison for, which is a reminder of the fiduciary nature of a lot of Asian legal systems.
Any thoughts? The two parents of the family have been growing apart for the whole movie, she's growing close to her daughter in law and grandchild, while the father isn't dealing well with the stress. At the end they climb a hill and he tells what's happened, and her reaction is just terrible. It's some of the worst acting that I have seen in an otherwise good movie. It's a shame that that is the end.
I genuinely didn't see the suicide coming in the story, as the character was shown to be handsome and popular, he was even chased down by a woman I guess we're meant to think is attractive, but I couldn't tell. It is a good comment on the pressure that society and young people in East Asia in particular put on themselves. This movie is also a reminder of the struggle between honest and illicit life, and the eternal struggle between rich and poor.
The prison scenes were a little strange, the young son is in a dorm system with three other prisoners. initially they beat him (there are several beatings of this son, he's also savagely beaten by some gangsters, you can't say he doesn't deserve it), and then he's shown talking to them, but the story never gets resolved there - I was expecting him to become friends with the fay guy there, but it just kind of faded away. A lot in this movie, particularly the passage of time, is merely hinted at, which gives the whole thing an ethereal quality.
The handsome son takes the weird looking girl to the Taipei zoo, where they bother the gorilla. Without joking, that seems to be a national pasttime of Taiwanese teens. I've been to that zoo a few times, and the gorilla is always riled up. I can see him escaping someday, and I hope he wreaks some much deserved vengeance.
Would you recommend this? Was this good? It's very well shot and I liked it. Will you? Try it, I'm not your boss. The gangster - a big fellow with the translated name of radish also brings menace to the scene at all times.
Final thoughts? I am still working for a Taiwanese company. I really miss Taiwan. This wasn't the kind of holiday Taiwan you're hoping for though, it's more the Taiwan that has a huge problem with suicide and child trafficking. It's also noteworthy that the two love interests for the two brothers are: a mute child and a bit of a dullard. Anyway, hope you're well.
Piqued your interest? Haven't? Either way, more reviews by year are to be found right here
*They chop the hand off of a bloke in a restaurant. It's the first scene of the movie. One of the last is the son meeting the bloke, now with a fake hand, working as a plumber.
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