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13/21
Their son Ma Jiye is the only hope that can change their fate
Chronology
Ma Chenggang and Chunlan, who “have no oil in their soup and no money in their pockets”, ride a donkey to work and have a poor family. This is the third feature, it follows Xia Luo te fan nao (2015) & Xi hong shi shou fu (2018) in “Slinky Town Universe”, from screenwriters Da-Mo Peng & Fei Yan, starring Teng Shen. I want to be the wind Composed by Fei Peng Lyrics by Tian Tang Performed by Lu Xian Sen.
Ma Chenggang, the master of self-deprecating humor, presents The Truman Show – Chinese style!
I was unexpectedly invited by my wife to see the latest Chinese comedy and settled in for what turned out to be quite the experience! It seems that he and directors Da-Mo Peng and Fei Yan anticipated that we would check our brains at the door and accept child abuse as funny. The notion of "It’s just a comedy, so don’t take it too seriously" it falls flat when an audience dealing with life’s hardships seeks a brief escape from their burdens for two hours.
The film exhibits a fair amount of creative shortcoming, but unfortunately, viewers seem more captivated by the 4K visuals than any meaningful narrative structure
The story revolves around two hours of cheating parents while raising their child in a monitored open prison, culminating in a rather clichéd ending centered on fatherly love and duty. When all criticism and introspection is suppressed and the idea that “wealth equals paternal value”; permeates the film, we have to think about how to face the realities once we leave the theater. One striking element is the alarming nature of Chinese-style education, where parents feel compelled to impose rigorous training on their children in order to turn them into achievers.
What about the less fortunate?
The philosophy “Only through hardship can one become a master”; it has already made too many victims. Is it realistic to expect them all to thrive as predators in a competitive society? Can you really make sure you won’t be the prey?
Li Ma’s performance as Chunlan was classy, but her character had no impact on the plot progression
The mother’s portrait is reduced to little more than a womb, lacking any significant influence on the story. In the end, this movie feels like a commercial comedy creation with no real social message value.