As Filhas do Botânico

I stumbled upon this movie last week and just happened to finish it yesterday. Have to say, out of those loud, CGI filled films and those typical LGBT movies i've watched recently, "The Chinese Botanist's daughter" is a pleasant treat.

The story starts with Min Li-a half Chinese half Russian orphan who lives in the post war period of China. She's going to intern for one of the best Chinese botanist there is. And once she arrives she notices that her internship is not going to be easy. The professor is a much perfectionist person with short temper-which would be shorten a lot more when it comes to untraditional behavior. But despite all that, during her stay in the exotic garden, Li finds herself attracted to An-the botanist's daughter. Their bond grows stronger and their love blossoms alongside this beautiful landscape. However things turn ugly when Li has to marry the botanist's son in order to never leave the garden (so she could live with An after her intern ends). And the conservative society has very little place for the both of them.

The story seems solid enough, nothing extremely special or stand out here but it's soft while intense, exotic yet tender, traditional yet manages to has very different feeling. Its visual is absolutely stunning and full of desire. I have seen so many "oriental landscape" embedded films but not many comes close to be this sexy and spiritual. Of course this was filmed in Vietnam and not China but it's hardly an argument here. The director definitely has eyes and heart. The acting flows well, the characters come out quite naturally. The girls really are victims of their times, so it's sadden seeing them trying their best for love and survival. However, even though some scene can be more than cruel or brutal and makes your heart jump, it's strangely up-lifting in the kindest way. Once in a while this movie appears to be a little bit distracting with cut-away scene and long silent moment, but we all have taste and style i guess.

Of course, what's risky about this movie is that it's very cultural oriented. It's not that "if you're not Chinese, you won't understand". Surely one will know that "it was that way at that time in that country" but still, the culture aspect will make one with experience or understanding about China less depress than one who don't. Certain characters might appear two-dimensional and the cruelty shall frustrate the viewers. But it is a quite small factor, and if you're already interested, don't let this stop you watching. This is a great film that actually has style. Even if you're not a fan of LGBT films, The Chinese botanist's daughter has potential to be appealing to open-minded movie lovers. If you're against homosexuality...well, i can't see why you would wandering here and read my comment to this point. I know art can sometimes change the world and people's mind set but i'm not gonna try.

This story of lesbian love in a culture that forbids it is sensual and erotic without being uncomfortably graphic. It's also slow-moving, so if you're watching just for the physical stuff, be prepared to wait a long while and then be disappointed. The cinematography is beautiful and the gradual build-up makes the romantic feelings seem more real. If you're bothered by a little male-bashing, avoid this film, because to say that both the male characters are unpleasant jerks is putting it mildly. However, interactions with the men serve to expand the story a bit beyond just the relationship between the women. I recommend this film if you can be patient with the pace.

I'm from an Asian background and I love Asian cinema and was intrigued by the beauty of the film. But after the first few minutes I realized I was in for some utter crap. The film tries to be erotic, but somehow fails. Very flimsy storyline with loads of bizarre discontinuity, black and white characters with no depth, i.e. good (the girls) versus bad (the guys). Lack of any sort of interesting dialogue, and altogether poor screenplay. Even the cinematography, which benefits from beautiful locations, is just plain tacky (oh, pretty reflections in the water!)

This film was a total drag. I cannot vouch for its authenticity, but in terms of human interest or an engaging storyline, it really suffers.

With "Balzac and the little seamstress" Dai Sijie delivered a nice period piece with some interesting reflections on the importance of literature, moving images and theatre. Although a large part of the crew were French, it had a real Chinese feel to it. That feeling is totally absent from Les filles du botaniste. One gets the impression it has been made to order, to cater to the European market. There's hardly any Chinese name on the credit roll, if they're not French they're Vietnamese. The story could have been powerful but has been diluted by its cliché approach and its David Hamilton-esquire photography. In addition, I got completely disoriented by the Vietnamese setting. The worst mismatch was the temple. It was so blatantly a Vietnamese, not a Chinese temple. And using Ho Guom Lake right in the middle of Old Hanoi was not a wise decision. There were plenty of other lakes to choose from, while the urban setting of Ho Guom made it hard to forget we were not supposed to be in 2006. The mountain landscape in the movie is similar to the karst rocks in southern China, so no problem with that. I even wonder if the Kunlin in the film is not meant to be a combination of Kunming and Guilin. Still, I felt cheated by this movie. It is as if the makers are not taking the public serious. It was the same with Memoirs of a Geisha, another Eastern tale made consumable to Western tastes, with 3 very Chinese actresses trying to be Japanese and failing. But hey, who cares? If it has slanted eyes it's all the same, no? One of the commentators to Memoirs of a Geisha was calling it neo-colonialism. I think the same could be said of these Filles.

The photography in this film is one of the best I've seen in years. Though the story, at first, sounded too simple, I must admit the actors and director did a wonderful job.

There is a small gap (5 minutes long) when you do wonder where the story goes. But it quickly catches up. (that's why it got an 8).

The emotion ran high in the movie-theater and all left quite moved. Some fought back tears.

It is a movie on love. And a beautiful one too. As a romantic film, with its beautiful landscapes, camera moves, photography, this would be a perfect start to an evening.

Also, the music score does ad to it, without taking over.