Yi Yi (2000)
Genre: Drama
Duration: 173 minuten
Alternative titles: A One and a Two... / 一 一
Country:
Taiwan / Japan
Directed by: Edward Yang
Stars: Elaine Jin
IMDb score:
8,1 (33.577)
Releasedate: 20 September 2000
Yi Yi plot
NJ Jian, his wife Min-Min and their two children are a typical middle class family. They share their apartment in the Taiwanese capital Taipei with Min-Min's older mother. NJ works as a partner in a computer company that is in danger of bankruptcy. The idea of NJ is to work with the genius Japanese software designer Ota. He regularly visits this charismatic Ota in Tokyo. Things get out of hand for the Jian family on the day Min-Min's brother A-Di gets married. Min-Min's mother has a stroke that day and NJ runs into his first love, Sherry. In the weeks after the wedding, Min-Min becomes depressed and seeks support from a religious cult. Her daughter Ting-Ting falls in love for the first time and Min-Min's precocious son Yang-Yang gets into trouble at school. Meanwhile, NJ is on business in Tokyo as well as secretly meeting Sherry and finding out if life will give him a second chance.
Actors and actresses
N.J.
Mr. Ota
Min-Min
Ting-Ting
Yang-Yang
A-Di
Sherry
Dada
Xiao-Yan
Lili
Reviews & comments
Spetie
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- 38871 messages
- 8252 votes
Very strong film by Edward Yang.
A film about all the troubles within a family initially reminded me a lot of Ozu's films. While it's a bit different in retrospect, the themes aren't all that different, and the quality is almost as good.
Ting-Ting is certainly a great character, and played fantastically by Jonathan Chang. I thought he was a really nice little guy, who has a completely unique perspective on life. For example, not everyone takes pictures of the backs of people's heads, because you never see yourself from that side. His father, NJ Jian, is also well-played by Nien-Jen Wu. Everyone in the family seems very connected to their mother/mother-in-law/grandmother, and when she suffers a stroke, everyone seems to be struggling with their own issues from that moment on. Director Yang develops this beautifully, with respect for fellow human beings being a very important element in the film.
The film is well-balanced, effectively alternating drama with (lightly) comedic moments. It never feels forced, and the heavy themes it sometimes contains are presented subtly. The direction is solid, the camerawork quite static, and everything is well-shot, making the film's cinematography more than excellent. The music is calm but pleasant, as is the film's slow pace. On the one hand, the film is quite detached, but despite that, you're drawn into the characters and develop a certain feeling for them—at least, I do.
A great film. Calm, excellent acting, fun, authentic characters, beautiful cinematography, and a well-balanced film.
4.0*
Translated from Dutch · View original
BBarbie
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- 12893 messages
- 7675 votes
A charming family chronicle about a family that faces all sorts of setbacks in a short time. The story gradually focuses on the father grappling with an unresolved childhood memory, his teenage daughter, and the little one, who lives more or less in his own world. In almost three hours, there's a great deal of drama and despair. A few more lighthearted moments would probably have benefited the film.
Translated from Dutch · View original
mister blonde
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- 12709 messages
- 5848 votes
A good 2.5 years later (without a sensible word in between) ... No, that's a 4:3 version (!) Boo!! DfW. Boo!!!
A real shame, but I saw it anyway. Even now, I could see that it's a visually brilliant film and one of the best dramas ever. List work.
Translated from Dutch · View original
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