Qi yue yu an sheng

Just finished watching this what must surely be one of the most endearing and heartfelt emotional ride of a film I've seen in a long time. Very rarely do we ever get to see a friendship of this nature between 2 girls growing up together until their adulthood depicted in this way. But this is not a straightforward story and a huge credit must go to how the film was edited and put together to lure into thinking the story is one thing and then turned out to be completely different and really hit you right into your heart. The only reason I decided to watch this movie was because of Ma Sichun who reminds me of my favourite Korean actress Son Ye-Jin, but I was glad I watched this film, and you will do too. I would urge you to spend a couple of hours of your day to make time for this wonderfully told story of love and friendship.

The actors were splendid. Beautiful cinematics. I personally did not like how the tale unfolded and ended. But that has nothing to do with the quality of the movie. I think it is a gem. If you like this one you will for sure enjoy the rest of the movies Dongyu Zhou has acted in. I dare to say her more recent ones are better than this one. Watch Us and them 2018 if you need another but better doze off this movie. I like the realistic realness. I don't like when a story leaves you puzzled. Maybe it won't for you, maybe the English subtitles threw me off, but for me, I didn't quite understand all the aspects of how the story unfolded towards the end.

One of the ways I know a film is good enough for me to find the best words to adorn it is the feel of it the morning after. A good film should be a full emotional experience that you would find it difficult to let go off. It should create a warm hold on our feelings because through the course of the film we have unknowingly become a member of a family. Last night, we lived a lifetime with Qiyue and Ansheng.

The story couldn't be more cloying and overly familiar. Stories like this come a dime in a dozen, but this one is buoyed by the sured hands of debut director Derek Tsang (the son of screen veteran Eric Tsang), an inspired adapted screenplay, crisp editing, superb cinematography, a great soundtrack, and an outstanding sense of place and time. However, all these are naught if it doesn't get the casting right and right it so marvellously did. In the course of Qiyue and Ansheng's story, it is difficult to see any other actresses play their roles. Zhou Dongyu and Ma Sichun are born to play the roles and all the other parts they had played prior to this are just rehearsals for this. These are career defining roles and from this moment onwards, whether who will win the Golden Horse Award doesn't matter, because their stars are going supernova. This film lives or dies at the hands of these two actresses and both of them made it soar higher than it would want to admit.

IMHO the key to the film's structure is not about their relationship but how it lulls us into feeling it is about a relationship between us and both the girls. Who wouldn't want to have a soul mate like how it is depicted, not wishy washy with quick superficial emotions, but heart-wrenchingly hurtful and yet forgivingly embracing.. Their character arcs are superbly rendered with an awesome twist that felt totally earned. For me, the experience plays more like a spiritual experience than like a movie, maybe because I love deep friendships like this that I know can't happen.

Feted with seven Golden Horse nominations, including nominations for both actresses, director, screenplay, make-up, song and editing, my money is on Zhou Dongyu for a heartfelt performance. Her dismissive laugh hides a soul in turmoil so beautifully.

My affection for good films usually grows with familiarity, as it does with music and literature. That's why I can watch a good film again and again and relive the same experience without any dilution in intensity. I have a feeling that Soul Mate has found itself in this category.

Edit: Both actresses were rewarded with the Best Actress award. This is such wonderful news. It will be so cruel if only one got it for what are both towering performances.

What I love most about this movie is the great length they took to depict the time period, the realness and livelihood of ordinary people living in China. There's no rich guy trying to woo the girl or a character who went from a loser to being the hero etc. It is just a story about the friendship of two girls growing up. But the way they have set up the plot is brilliantly captivating and fast paced, unlike most Chinese movie I've encounter. Not many movies have two women as leading characters. The ones that do come in mind are Thelma & Louis (1991) and Bridesmates (2011).

Good story, good performances. The ambivalence of spirits is completely shown. Director Peter Chan is really expert at demonstrating the inside figure of characters.