Les Éternels

This is an intense movie. It's is less about the story, which is long, both in terms of movie length but also the time period of 2001 to 2018, than it is about the lead character and her protagonist, her love. Both Tao and Fan are exceptional. Understated yet convey such power. The hotel scene is superb.

This is a film of character. Of stoicism. Of progress but indomitable tradition. A pseudo love story but rather one of belief and strength. An excellent and absorbing character study.

An enjoyable journey into a land and character unfamiliar.

Qiao (Zhao Tao) lives in a mining town in the Chinese province of Shanxi. Her boyfriend Bin (Liao Fan) is a mob boss. As years go by, crime life brings consequences to their lives - individually and as a couple.

Though the film is long at two and a quarter hours, it is rarely dull. The two lead performers, especially Zhao, are engaging as are the occasional rural landscapes especially the ones captured by train travel.

The middle sequence is the most fascinating. When Qiao is on a mission in a strange place, she might act in terrible ways but it is still tempting to root for her; she's not much different from the corruption that surrounds her.

Overall, "Ash Is Purest White" is a fascinating journey albeit a cynical one that begins in 2001 and finishes seventeen years later. Whether it's taking place in a corrupt small town, a prison, or a chaotic travel experience, it is always intriguing in a mostly quiet way. - dbamateurcritic

We follow the evolution and the misguidance of a mafia couple for a decade. With highs (classically: money, feeling of power, ...) and lows (to be discovered!). I did not know Tao Zhao: she plays perfectly

Qiao is cool headed, smart, responsible and resourceful; good qualities to have when your boyfriend is a gangster. When Bin, her man, gets into trouble, Qiao gets him out of it. She fades into the background when Bin needs to take the spotlight. Qiao even takes a fall for Bin when he needs her in a pinch. And that is when he forgets her. Qiao emerges from five years in prison to cold indifference. To Bin, it is as if she did not exist. "People should keep their emotions in check" Bin's new woman tells Qiao. And even China seems to have forsaken her. This is a land where cities are swallowed whole by reservoirs, and the dark water is rising around Qiao. But this ingenious woman is going to get her groove back and do what is right, Bin or no Bin.

Such depth and beauty to each element of this enthralling film. The cinematography is luminous, characters are fascinating, the story is not predictable, and bits of modern China are revealed for the complex wonders that they are. Depth is everywhere. Surprises are constant. Analogies are all around; tigers lurk in cages, a volcano looms in the distance, and a street performer picks out Qiao from a crowd and sings to her "who knew I'd ever see you again." He speaks to her heart but does not know it. The actor who plays Bin has one expression in his bag of tricks, so he could have been better, but otherwise the acting is quite good. North American premiere seen at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival.

ASH IS PUREST WHITE - Chinese Director Zhangke Jia's (A TOUCH OF ZEN) latest is a sprawling drama about a two-bit local hood Bin (Fan Liao) and his moll Qiao (Tao Zhao; the Director's wife & muse). The first part of the story about their rise and fall takes place in the early 2000s and is the most purely entertaining with verve and visual impact, even if it covers a mostly familiar trajectory. We pick up the story several years later and the couple is estranged. Clearly the years (and a forced separation) has changed the individuals (especially Bin). The final section takes place in the present (more or less). ASH is a longish movie (136 minutes), not just in terms of time, but, also how the screenplay unfolds over the 17 year period. The acting and details are spot on (Zhao is particularly exceptional), but, the story drags after the sparkling opening section. Part of this is by design, without question, however, ASH is an example of a movie with so many apparent endings that one loses interest, rather than gains it. And, when we come to the conclusion, it is neither fully satisfying, nor, more importantly, seems worthy of the additional time spent to arrive at it. Still, ASH is a decent drama with some considerable merits (a long hotel sequence is deeply moving). The performances, Jia's direction and Eric Gautier's (MOTORCYCLE DIARIES) cinematography (combining 35mm with digital) are its strongest suits.