This is such a wonderful film..
I can't believe it hasn't gotten better ratings or more IMDb attention. Philistines and luddites!! lol
ok, im ready now!
I have to agree with you, having just watched it too.
All the same, this is very much an art-house movie. That is, there are no special effects, handsome heroes, and ridiculously far fetched plot twists.
I see that one reviewer here claimed that "this was not real life", and that the lead deserved what happened to her as she was somehow to blame for it all. What nonsense. The woman came from a dirt poor commuity, and her own father scavenged rubbish for a living. As is the case for anyone who is as poor as can be in a country where being human is often no more significant that being a housefly, her choices are extremely limited in life. She was, owing to her economic predicament a victim of circumstance more than anything, and if bad was to happen to her there was little she could possibly do given her powerlessness. No doubt, many of those from a comfortable background would have great difficulty in understanding just how depriving it is to be so dirt poor and may well take a "why doesn't she eat cake if she's hungry?" attitude, as one reviewer here seems to have done. Sigh. Anyway, to even partly blame her for what happens in the movie is totally to miss so many points, that that particular reviewer ought better stick to Hollywood scmaltz.
That all being said, this might have been an utterly depressing experience. And yet, somehow it isn't. Well worth watching, and very realistic for the most part. I rated it 7/10.
Edit note: Spoilers in last paragraph
This is a realistic look at Chinese migrant worker. Is she selfish? Yes, but where could she have learned selflessness or consideration for others from? She is a product of the environment she grew up in. In modern day China, religion or belief system is often replaced with piety to family, earning money, and loyalty to the party. Emphasis on earning money. This is the thing that drives modern China. This is the heart of the economic boom. I live in Shanghai and my nanny left her husband and daughter to move here (24 hour train ride from her home town). She sees her 14 year old daughter and husband once a year for Chinese New Year. Why? Because she can make a lot more money in a big city than her small hometown where she would make a tenth of that income. While this may seem strange to most people, it's actually quite common for Chinese small villagers to migrate away from all their family, giving up relationships and memories to earn money and send it back to them. This is how they show their love to their family. You will hardly hear family members tell each other "I love you" either. You just don't express this kind of affection.
So would you rather be poor and happy with your loved ones near by? Or making a decent living, hardly ever seeing your family? This is the predicament of thousands of migrant workers slaving away in the factories through out China and other avenues of employment. Money is what drives people here. It is often their whole believe system.
Topics that are considered personal in Western countries but are fair game here: "What is your monthly salary?" "How much do you pay for rent?" etc... Strangers, neighbors, taxi drivers all ask these questions without a second thought.
Li Mei is naive. She doesn't understand what happiness is or how to find it. She is simply driving her existence forward...searching for a better predicament, but never quite learning from her experiences. She will continue to use people for her gain without the understanding of the emptiness she contributes to the relationship. Having a baby may actually make her aware of how to put people's needs above her own. She will have to learn to sacrifice everything for the betterment of someone else. This may be her first life experience that allows her to grow into a better person.