Un millier d'années de bonnes prières

Boy! Just what we need more of in our world today! Such a thoughtful piece. I could almost want to watch it again, now that I'm more familiar with the story and the language barriers. It moves slowly and quietly, murmuring life along its way. I loved it! I don't want to say anything negative except that a couple of reviews were unduly critical and mean spirited.

1000 years is a small film built on a simple premise: a Chinese father visits his daughter. He is nearing the end of life and the film is at all times reflective and quiet. His daughter is recovering from a bad divorce and they have never felt close. He arrives in America feeling alienated and the film centers around themes of reaching out and alienation. He makes friends in the park with an Farsi woman - they don't share language, but they share communication.

Of course, the journey they all take is in their conversations and silences is the film.

If that doesn't sound like your cup of tea then you won't enjoy this: however if you can let this wash over you it is surprisingly involving and beautifully rendered.

It is film for the mature, the small gestures and meanings of the words in different languages hold meanings within meaning but there is something implicitly human on display here.

Shot in natural tones with a washed out feel to it the cinematography lends much.

One to be savored and strongly reminiscent of Swedish cinema this is real film in one sense, but it fails in being too staged in places.

All in all a small film that will appeal to those who enjoy reality in film.

The films of Wayne Wang are an acquired taste. His early films,such as 'Eat A Bowl Of Tea','Dim Sum:A Little Bit Of Heart',and his best known film 'The Joy Luck Club' are meditations on the Asian lifestyle in the United States. If your tastes are aimed at explosions,car chases, mindless teen sex romps,bathroom humour,then avoid Wang's films at all costs. If you like a well written screenplay that doesn't dwell on car chases,explosions,toilet humour & all the rest that make for just another descent into the cinematic sewer,then you just may get your groove on with the films of Wayne Wang. Here,a elderly Chinese widower comes to the U.S. to visit his adult daughter (and try to run her life), while adjusting to the American experience (or at least trying to adjust). Toss in an attempted friendship with a widow from Iran,mix in some long hidden family secrets, and we have ourselves the formula for a real human drama. The cast,mainly made up of unknowns,make this slowly paced (but never boring)drama an alternative to the formulaic Hollywood garbage that always seems to be the centre of attention at the local multiplexes. No rating,but outside of the discreet mention of extra marital affairs,nothing to offend here.

This movie felt like it lasted over 1,000 years. A really bad soap opera masquerading as a meaningful family "drama" exploring generational and cultural barriers. There is not one genuine moment in its bloated running length. An anamorphic screen image can't disguise what an amateurish production this is – the acting is especially laughable. Story in a nutshell: elderly Chinese man comes to The States to visit his daughter. The father is hoping (and pushing) to become a grandfather. Pathos and a lot of moping ensue. Yawn. The void between father & daughter is played out in interminable dinner scenes. The only thing more boring are the excruciating park bench pidgin English dialogue scenes between the father and an Iranian woman he befriends. Daughter's Russian boyfriend is a cardboard cutout of a joke – like everyone in this epic. And oh yeah, the most unintentionally hilarious line of the movie, "You were never a rocket scientist."

The retired rocket scientist Mr. Kun Shi (Henry O) arrives in the United States of America to visit his daughter Yilan (Feihong Yu), who moved twelve years ago from China to America with her husband Keming and now is divorced. Mr. Shi tries to approach to his estranged daughter and expect to help her to find another husband. Meanwhile he befriends an Iranian old lady (Vida Ghahremani) in a park, and despite their language barrier and difficulties, they meet each other everyday. When Mr. Shi sees his daughter with the Russian Boris (Pasha D. Lychnikoff) late night, they finally have a honest conversation with each other.

"A Thousand Years of Good Prayers" is a pointless family drama that goes nowhere. The story has a promising beginning with the encounter of an old Chinese with his estranged daughter and with an Iranian woman, but the plot and subplots are not well resolved and are cold and emotionless. Maybe if I had had a lesser expectation, I could have liked this little film more. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Mil Anos de Orações" ("A Thousand Years of Prayers")