Summary
What do you do when suddenly in your mid twenties you realise that your life has become a routine which consists of a monotonous nine to five job on weekdays and equally predictable Friday night parties?
What do you do when suddenly in your mid twenties you realise that your life has become a routine which consists of a monotonous nine to five job on weekdays and equally predictable Friday night parties?
Best known for her collaborations with Taiwanese auteur Tsai Ming-liang, Chen Shiang-chyi gives an exquisitely subtle performance in cinematographer-turned-director Chienn Hsiang's delightful drama. Well into her 40s, the careworn Chen's life is looking bleak: her husband has left to work in Shanghai, she despairs of their rebellious teenage daughter, loses her job in a garment factory and is diagnosed with early onset menopause. She also resents having to make regular hospital visits to her bedridden mother-in-law. But Chen's outlook begins to brighten after she befriends the accidentally blinded 30-something occupying the opposite bed on the ward, and her secret nocturnal ministrations give her the confidence to start living again, and even take up the tango. This is a poignant study of an invisible woman rediscovering her senses of purpose and self-esteem through the acceptance of a handsome man who cannot even see her. The social critique is as deft as the perfectly judged interiors, while Chienn's direction is as precise as it is laudably unsentimental.
role | name |
---|---|
Ling | Chen Shiang-chyi |
Mr Chang | Tung Ming-hsiang |
Mother-in-law | Bai Minghua |
Brother-in-law | Yu An-Shun |
role | name |
---|---|
Director | Chienn Hsiang |