Made in China

I just saw this movie at the Stony Brook Film Festival. As a French expat in the USA, I enjoyed every minute of it. The subtitles are probably as good as they can be, but I think most dialogues were best appreciated if you have a solid grasp on the French language and culture. Overall, a crystal-clear plot articulated with great rhythm coming across as an entertaining comedy with a solid dramatic backdrop anchored in François' decade-long conflict with his father, and blending in various themes related to cultural identity and the French society.

Sophie is of Breton origin. François is of Chinese origin, from the Chinese district of Paris to be precise. Together, they are expecting a happy event whereas François broke up with his father, ten years ago, after a violent dispute.

Although the film is globally boring, with stereotypical characters, missing jokes and flat dialogues, I nonetheless truly loved one scene, the one during which the Chinese grandfather meets his granddaughter at the maternity ward.

I went to see this movie despite its horrible title. How it got this terrible title, i can't imagine. The leading character, Francois, was born in Vietnam but grew up in Paris, France. He is attached to Sophie, a Frenchwoman from Breton with whom he has a baby. The movie is about how Francois tries to reconcile with his estranged father so that they could celebrate the news of the baby together. Frederick Chau's Francois is very charming and likeable, and he plays his character with conviction. Enjoy this funny and heartwarming movie and just ignore its dreadful title.