Aftershock

Aftershock is one of those movies where you really feel the experience and journey of all your characters for the length of its time and really connect with the characters. Even those who don't understand Chinese (myself included) will connect with the human story and its wonderful drama, not to mention some amazing visual effects at the beginning.

I'm not going to go into the plot of the film but it is essentially a very real human family drama that deals with the pain of continuing to live with guilt and having to restore one's life after a tragedy. It may sound familiar but the beauty of Aftershock is that its emotional core is something it never shies away from. You see and feel the journey of all three central characters and how a natural disaster can shape our destinies and change our perspectives on ourselves and those around us.

While you can sort of see the plot unfolding before it gets there in the end, it is essentially what you want. I really cared about these characters so anything less than what you would expect would have been even more harrowing. But the resolution which seems to solve everything yet still leaves an emptiness is remarkable.

This is a film not to be missed. I was almost in tears by the end of the film - it has been one of the most captivating films I have seen in a long time and is a remarkable piece of cinema. Not to be missed.

An epic disaster picture, disguised with a special human core...

Aftershocks works because it believed in the simple message about human lives – value. In the midst of today's world, people always conjure on the negatives, rather than the positives in our lives. For a moment of two, we forget about the person next to you, and focuses on the troubles that surrounds us. Ultimately, Aftershock is a movie about human survival and it works not because of the impact of the earthquake, but how human beings deal with the aftermath of an extraordinary earthquake. Director Feng Xiaogang delivers an epic that is not about special effects, but one that touches the very essence of a human heart by tackling important themes like survival, how one deal with death, love, life and ultimate sacrifice. Aftershocks is a highly successful film, that manages to be commercially saleable and also extremely humane. In doing justice to the victims, it is certainly aren't easy, but somehow, Feng manages to engage, express and emotes.

Zhang Jingchu is a wonderful actress. Her main strength is the ability to make a character performance so believable yet human, is almost extraordinary. In saying that she is the central to the success of this film, will be an overstatement, but without her, Feng would not be so successful. Look no further than the scenes when she faces her mum again, after 32 years for a moment of heart to heart cinematic performance. The highlight for me is most certainly the person who played Jet Li's Hero, in the class of Chen Daoming. While he was subtlety cunning in Hero as the first emperor of China, Chen is all class and humane as the caring fostering father of Zhang. His portray of the fatherly role is fitting and steals the show with his glaring eyes. His moments of anger are a joy to watch, along with his interaction with his wife and daughter.

All in all, Aftershock is the blockbuster Chinese epic of the year and to wipe internal tears from my heart, Feng have created something very special. It is not a easy job to satisfy both Chinese censors and still manages to create something worthy of our 5 senses. Feng knows the impending audience and smartly delivers what is essential a human drama about the aftermath of a devastating event. In the journey of their survival and seeing how every one of these characters due with life in their own way, allows us to re-think, re-evaluate, refresh and re-value the very essence of our own lives. It isn't so bad and it's good to be alive and loved. Most certainly the Chinese blockbuster, not to be missed...(Neo 2010)

I rate it 10/10

• www.thehkneo.com

This has to be one of the best films I have ever seen! From the minute you are drawn in by the amazing cinematography and the story set before you, you are hooked.

This film flows like the Three gorges dam, powerfully! Have a box of tissues handy as you'll need them. The film moves along at a nice steady pace punctuated with moments of such drama that if your of a certain disposition you will weep openly.

At 2 hours 15 minuets I was so glad it ended. Not because I hadn't enjoyed it but because I was an emotional wreck.

I could wax lyrical for paragraph upon paragraph about this film but the most poignant thing I could say is... Just watch it.

10/10 easily.

As an old white guy I have this knee jerk reaction to resist all things not American. Darn. That said, and considering all the dribble that comes out of Hollywood these days, juxtaposed against this truly wonderful film from China, all I can say is... if this is the kind of stuff they are capable of, "Hollywood, look out". One of the things that makes this movie so compelling is that it is not a "Chinese" story, its a "human" story. While the production and graphics are stellar, its the STORY that steals the show. How many times have we all sat through an hour and a half of incredible (and often gratuitous) graphics with a mediocre story sandwiched in between stuff being blown up. Here the graphics are truly great, but take second place to whats important... the story.

"god! you BASTARD!" wow... that scene took my breath away. i actually had to snap out of the movie for a second and make myself realize that i'm watching a movie, and its not real! (atleast not for me. but to imagine people actually go through such emotions in times like this makes you feel nauseous.) what an amazing movie! i only saw the 1st hour of it for time restraints... but i cannot wait to finish it. nothing i've seen in recent years compares to this movie. i don't know a word of Chinese, but the acting is just superb. i was reluctant to watch a movie in a language i don't understand, especially reading reviews about it being a "heart-felt" and "touching" movie; i'm so glad i didn't skip this one. brilliant!brilliant! brilliant!