Les Éternels

Found this on the film channels, and it looked fascinating. You know what? It very much lived up to that billing despite not following initial expectations.

We have here a tale surrounding a young lady in love with a gangster who are top dogs in their local area, but then the usual story stops. It's set with the backdrop of the rapidly captalising China, with the light & dark sides that come with that, and we see the young lady's travails through this as well as her obsession for her selfish man.

Personally, I was a bit surprised to come on here and see that this has been little watched & reviewed. It's a wonderfully made film, and the story is an existential look at life, possibly absurdist, with an apathetic world waiting for no one and evolving crushing all those whose lives are on hold.

It's slow in tone, but it's very beautifully filmed and acted. It deserves more attention. Even though it will clearly tick more with those of a Chinese background, there are some very strong parallels for many of us in the Western World to learn from too.

It's cerebral, arty and unforgiving. That's actually a compliment, and I think I'm going to dig out more from this director. Clearly, very much recommended from me.

ASH IS PUREST WHITE - Chinese Director Zhangke Jia's (A TOUCH OF ZEN) latest is a sprawling drama about a two-bit local hood Bin (Fan Liao) and his moll Qiao (Tao Zhao; the Director's wife & muse). The first part of the story about their rise and fall takes place in the early 2000s and is the most purely entertaining with verve and visual impact, even if it covers a mostly familiar trajectory. We pick up the story several years later and the couple is estranged. Clearly the years (and a forced separation) has changed the individuals (especially Bin). The final section takes place in the present (more or less). ASH is a longish movie (136 minutes), not just in terms of time, but, also how the screenplay unfolds over the 17 year period. The acting and details are spot on (Zhao is particularly exceptional), but, the story drags after the sparkling opening section. Part of this is by design, without question, however, ASH is an example of a movie with so many apparent endings that one loses interest, rather than gains it. And, when we come to the conclusion, it is neither fully satisfying, nor, more importantly, seems worthy of the additional time spent to arrive at it. Still, ASH is a decent drama with some considerable merits (a long hotel sequence is deeply moving). The performances, Jia's direction and Eric Gautier's (MOTORCYCLE DIARIES) cinematography (combining 35mm with digital) are its strongest suits.

I felt privileged to watch this on its premier at the Cannes Film Festival 2018, with Zang-ke Jia and the cast. The film revolves around Qiao (Played by Tao Zhao) who is the girlfriend of Bin (Fan Liao) a mobster in a small town, who likes to believe he is a big fish in this small pond.

The film shows how the couple drift away along with their youth and optimism, captured in a three act structure, the undying love of Qiao for Bin and how it remains just as strong through the passing of time. Both Qiao and Bin are very well written characters and the cinematography is flawless, on a lighter note Carl and Biddu's 'Kung Fu Fighting' plays a vital role in this movie.

You should definitely watch this movie if you are a fan of Zhao and Liao, also watch this if you liked 'Mountains May Depart'.

We follow the evolution and the misguidance of a mafia couple for a decade. With highs (classically: money, feeling of power, ...) and lows (to be discovered!). I did not know Tao Zhao: she plays perfectly

Ash is Purest White is a tumultuous story of two people who were lovers in a forgone life. After spending 5 years in prison for a man she loves dearly, she is finally released. Qiao (Tao Zhao) is a woman searching in the past for a life that no longer exists. Bin (Fan Liao), a gangster thrust into the role of mob boss, also faced the consequences of having to find a new life once he left prison. Disillusioned by his past gangster life he moved away from Shang Xi. Their return into each other's lives is difficult to navigate and highlights the societal and economic changes in China that has occurred from 2001 to 2006/2007.

Ash is Purest White is a reflective and poignant movie that beams with beautiful,subtle commentary on a changing world.