Lighting Up the Stars

I wish I was gifted with the ability of writing so I could give full justice to this movie in my review.

Funeral themes are not something I like to think of so I was curious about the Director's approach, specially in China, a country with so much history and traditions. I was happy to find that it was a very human and down to earth tale Director is telling and full of heart.

The relationship between Sange, an ex convict and a homeless little girl feels very organic, the chemistry between them is palpable. The way he becomes a better person after knowing Xiao Wen is a treat to watch.

The relationship between Sange and his father also feels real, showing the lack of communication as the usual problem between fathers and sons.

The setting in Wuhan a city full of life, the dialect, the way the movie is filmed, the acting in general, everything adds to the movie.

An special shout to Zhu Yi Long, the way he transformed into Sange leaves me in awe! No wonder even Chinese audience didn't recognize the actor.

So if you have the time to watch this movie please do it! I'm sure you won't regret it!

"Lighting up the stars" is a fairy tale for grown-ups. I have a sleep disorder and most nights I struggle to fall asleep and stay asleep. The healing effect of the movie is so powerful that I slept over 10 hours on the day I watched it. The message I got from the movie is that even if you have completely ruined your life, there are still ways you can fix it.

This is a story about life and death. It is a story that gently teach people don't be afraid of death. Lighting up the stars allowed people to understand the fundamental of death was about those people who were gone would always be there with you in your life when you look up the sky. Live bravely, and enjoy your life. Everyone dies someday, live your life the best you can. The actor Yilong Zhu played Mo, Sanmei really well, he was like the neighbor we have, who had his own problems to deal with and he remained the sage heart to move on in life.

Great movie, heart felt and touching. Fast paced with hilarious moments that came naturally. Light hearted story telling but focusing on loss, coping, love and family. Amazing actors. Yilong Zhu pulled off Mo with an awards worthy performance. He changed so much, basically a different person. Very convincing as a rough working class guy at the lowest point of his life. Enyou Yang at her young age played amazingly well. Definitely recommend!

A monstrous performance from an unlikely actor, Zhu Yilong who in my knowledge was always seen as a fair faced boy band sort of actor. A tear jerker with just the right amount of punch is often a staple of movies of this sort, but the movie is definitely more than that. Like the title in Chinese suggest, significant events in a lifetime, the movie is able to humanize a lot of these moments into a single storyline, and somehow combining everything to make it feel organic. Marriage, death, parenthood are all themes of this little story about a funeral director whose character development and growth seems both organic and significant.