Us and Them

The movie is something that we all have experienced before / can relate, where relationship fails because love alone is not enough. Watched this with no expectation on netflix, rate it 10/10 after watching it. Cried a lot too :P This is a must watch for everyone!

I watched this as I was in the mood to switch off to a sup prime love story with the added bonus of it being in Chinese. I then found myself a few hours engrossed and in tears. Really fantastically written and acted in terms of exploring the ups and downs of relationships; what goes wrong and what is unexplainably unsalvageable. Almost anyone will be able to recognise the excruciating confusion of love that this film portrays, even if this film is outside of your cultural setting. Incredibly charming and moving, and as an added bonus, really beautifully shot and edited.

I have never felt so emotional watching a movie. One of the most breathtaking piece of work I have ever seen on romance. The very essence of a love that never dies is captured here.

I usually do not like to watch subtitled movies since reading the subtitles can be distracting. I came across this movie on Netflix and decided to give it a go and I am very glad that I did. The story itself is nothing extraordinary. However, the movie does an excellent job in building up the characters and drawing you closer to them. I think it is well worth the journey to spend time with these characters and look back to your own unfulfilled love or the ups and downs of fulfilled love. There is also an underlying theme about family, which was carefully and masterfully woven into the story.

A word of caution. Watch the end credits all the way through.

This tale of love encompasses only the entire world immmediately surrounding Jing Boran and Zhou Dongyu and it is a tale that is raw, honest and so real. Woven around this story however is a Beijing so beautiful it will enrapture you. All its surrounding nature however only emphasises how lonely one can be in a big city. The story flits back and forth over about 8 years and as much as you see the couple as they are currently, their story from a few years ago seems to always have you rooting for them to succeed and embrace the love that so palpable you can reach out and touch it. It is a tough tale to tell and it is both personal and seemingly perpetually painful. There is a line in a letter that is read towards the end that says it is very difficult for two people to live together forever. If only it were not so often true.