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Actors: Nien-Jen Wu, Elaine Jin, Kelly Lee, Jonathan Chang
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| Review Summary and Plot Commentary about Yi Yi (A One And a Two) |
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A modern Taiwanese family of moderate financial success goes through some difficult times, emotionally, financially and mentally. The two children face obstacles in school and with friends. The father faces uncertainty with his job and has to deal with past decisions. The mother leaves to find herself, and the family has to deal with this. And outside of the immediate family, everyone tries to deal with the matriarch's stroke and coma, including the often immature uncle, whose marriage is disapproved.
--Danielle Petty, Resident Scholar
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To call this a multigenerational family epic suggests more action and sweep than is actually the case. This is a subtle, delicate, beautiful film that manages to touch on almost every aspect of life and death (it opens with a wedding and ends with a funeral) without making a big noise about it. Family matriarch Ru-Yun Tang slips into a coma and the rest of the family reacts as well as faces his and her own problems: daughter Min-Min steals away to a guru, teenaged grand-daughter Ting-Ting becomes fascinated with the battling couple in the next apartment and becomes embroiled in a teen love triangle, and 8-year-old grandson Yang-Yang tries to avoid school bullies and photographs the back of people's heads ("You couldn't see it so I showed you"). But the center of the movie's action is son-in-law NJ, a successful middle-aged businessman whose partners are about to make a disastrous decision against his recommendation, whose irresponsible brother owes him a lot of money, and who runs into his first love again 30 years after he dropped her. The movie is stately and calm; many dramatic shots occur in middle distance, or partially blocked by sets, as if the camera were either embarrassed or respectful of people's dignity. The effect is lovely and spiritual, without being in the least religious. The film was named Best Foreign Language Film of 2000 by the NY Film Critics Circle, the National Society of Film Critics, and the LA Film Critics Association; it was nominated for the Golden Palm at Cannes, and writer-director Edward Yang (a sort of Taiwanese Ozu, to judge by this work) won the best director award at Cannes.
--David Loftus, Resident Scholar
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| Analysis of Yi Yi (A One And a Two) |
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Time/era of movie:
- 1980's-1999
Romance/Love/Hugging
Yes
Kind of romance:
- romance (general)
- love triangle/polygon
- inconveniently married while playing footsy
Kids growing up/acting up?
Yes
Kids:
- general coming of age story
Family, caring for sick?
Yes
Who is sick?
- Mother
because he/she is
- physically ill
Ethnic/Regional/Gender story?
Yes
Main Char. ethnic: (if not US Caucasian)
- Chinese
Culture of surrounding area:
- Chinese
Age group
- trouble in grade school
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- business executive
Age:
- 40's-50's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
Hair color?
- brunette (Brown)
Hair type
- (man) short/standard straight
Body type
- (man) average
Events of movie makes character more...
- sensitive
- caring
- sad
Ethnicity/Nationality
- Chinese
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor?
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
Physique
- average physique
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Female
Hair color
- brunette (Brown)
- brunette (Black)
Hair style
- (woman) short/butch/lez
- (woman) medium/shoulderlgn straight
Body type
- (woman) very skinny
How much in movie?
- 60%
- 80%
Ethnicity/Nationality
- Chinese
Main Adversary
Identity:
- general circumstances
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- 90%-100%
Setting
Asia/Pacific/Middle East
Yes
Asian country:
- China
City?
Yes
Misc setting
- resort/hotel
- school
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
Movie makes you feel...
- spiritual
- thoughtful
Non-American film?
Yes
What language?
- Chinese
Subtitles?
- Yes
Any profanity?
- Some foul language
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s). | |
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