MovieChat Forums > Tou ze (2012) Discussion > How did people in Europe/USA like this m...

How did people in Europe/USA like this movie?


Assuming you do not know that Andy Lau and Deannie Yip are big stars in Hong Kong, did you like the movie/storyline etc? I mean, it is a simple movie, with no much twist and turn, so how did you find it?

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I am polish and I love andy lau and I can assure you that here in Poland there were many people in the theatre and we liked it very much , your movie got the ovation in the end :)

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they don't call this movie "a simple life" for no reason, the writing is on the wall, it was just too plain, i didn't even bother to see the very end of it

now i know why this movie wasn't even nominated for "best foreign movie" in Oscar, because it was simply not an Oscar material; movie like this is a dime a dozen, sad but it's true

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So you didn't like the lack of action then?

aneta_agape7, glad you enjoyed it!!

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It wasn't nominated because the Academy is incapable of understanding wonderfully understated work like this. Melodrama sadly always wins the day, not to say that's necessarily an inferior approach but the odds are woefully stacked in its favor against more realistic work.

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Too many adult metaphors for you to decipher lad. Try in about 10 years time. You don't know what you're missing.

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I live in the US and I was unfamiliar with Andy Lau and Deannie Yip, and for what it's worth I really enjoyed the movie. I found it sweet and very moving.

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I am Canadian and I have to agree with Egern. I had not known of the actors beforehand, but I found the film to be a lovely portrayal of a beautiful soul, who always puts others before herself. Truly unselfish. It is not often that one comes across a person like this. There have been several top-tier films which concern ageing this year, including Tabu, and Amour, and this certainly ranks among them. It may be 'simple,' but it leaves a lasting impression.

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I'm from Norway, and I saw it on a film festival. I thought the movie was absolutely fantastic, it moved me to tears. I am going to buy it so I can own it and watch it again and again. 9/10 for me.

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Sorry I'm a Japanese, not European/American. I just watched it in a neighboring cinema which was nearly full. Though it says the wartime Japan caused young Tao's misfortune, this film is very positively accepted here. This film is so touching and beautiful. Andy Lau is known here too, but people like it rather for the storyline and sentiment.

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sorry, didn't mean to exclude anyone. i didn't even remember the wartime tragedy, guess that was just a sideline of the story, imho.

come to think of it, i need to buy the dvd too!!

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I'm im the UK. I really enjoyed this film. I recently watched the "higher rated" Amour that has a similar theme. A Simple Life is far superior (in my humble opinion) Amour was just too painful to watch.

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lol, I haven't seen Amour yet, when it came out, I wasn't sure, despite it winning numerous awards in Europe, before winning the Oscar. I'm still not sure, maybe I'll give it a go....

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Thank you for asking. I'm American and unfamiliar with Andy Lau and Deannie Yip. I just viewed the film on DVD. I loved it, from early in the film to the very end. It was such a nice change from the typical American melodrama, always so loud and over the top. And I never expected the amount of humor in this feature. I laughed as much as I cried. Also, I really admired the attention spent on the supporting characters, such as the residents and relatives in the nursing home. That was a delightful bonus, and really, evidence that this film wasn't as "simple" as the title suggests. I didn't want it to end.

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I like those kind of questions. I'm from Cyprus.I know Andy Lau ( from other chinese films) i just know Deannie Yip and that she is his god-mother. The film is as simple as great. A simple humanite film, emotional, dealing with common human matters. The fact that i dont know very well the actors, i believe it helps me to watch the film not so subjectively. I mean if know and especially if you like an actor, it affects you to like a film.

Btw, im a fan of asian cinema and especially of asian dramas!!!

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