Yi Yi

As a historical and cultural marker, this film is pretty famous and has a lot of symbolism and motifs of modernity, tradition, Westernization/globalization, repetition, reflections, class struggles, and the circularity of life that are really interesting to break down in a culture class. I appreciate all the little foreshadowing in dialogue, and the parallel of different storylines.

Whether I ENJOYED watching the show is a different matter altogether. It was definitely long, and a lot of the time it was hard to be truly engaged. Some of the acting was kind of cringe, from over-the-top sobbing to stiff dialogue.

Read More

Life’s journey from birth to death.

**Worth watching? 💯 If you are a fan of slice-of-life films, then this is a double must-watch for you.**

Surprisingly, there's only one review of this masterpiece. I don’t often write reviews, which might explain my inexperienced writing. However, I’m here to share my thoughts.

This movie is a profound life experience. It begins with a wedding and ends with death, symbolizing the journey from the start of life to its inevitable end. It captures the journey from childhood innocence to youthful naivety and ultimately to the regrets of adulthood. This movie connected the unconnected individual in one knot. Highlights the various stages of life, each with its own existential crises, struggles, and perspectives from different characters. The film powerfully articulates the sense of isolation or disconnection that can linger, even in the company of many. The film teaches acceptance and helps us confront our own truths that we often ignore or fear to acknowledge.

From a storytelling viewpoint, as well as an aesthetic one, this film is a visual treat. The cinematography and camera work are exceptionally well-crafted.

Let’s end this review with one of my fav quote sections from the movie :
- "𝙇𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙢𝙞𝙭𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙖𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨. 𝙈𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙤 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚, 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩'𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙮 𝙬𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢. 𝙈𝙮 𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙡𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙮𝙨 - '𝙬𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙚 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙨 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙞𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙨'"
- "𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘦?"
- "𝙄𝙩 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝙢𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙪𝙨 𝙩𝙬𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙚 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙙𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚”

Read More

Yi Yi is a film you can watch once, or twice—or five times

At the heart of the film is NJ, the father of a typical Taiwanese family, who finds himself overwhelmed by a cascade of problems familiar to many men in their forties. His wife is struggling emotionally, his mother-in-law has fallen into a coma, his teenage daughter is experiencing first love, and his young son, Yang-Yang, continually invites those around him to see life from unexpected perspectives. It is no coincidence that Yang-Yang appears on most of the film’s posters. Through the boy’s words and actions, Edward Yang conveys the film’s deepest wisdom and central ideas. In Yang-Yang’s relationship with the world—and the world’s relationship with him—we find a profound vision of an existence that is sincere, open, and free from prejudice.

Edward Yang constructs his narrative from every thread that contributes to the protagonist’s crisis, creating a film in which virtually every character could be considered the main character. At times, this makes the film feel demanding, even overwhelming, as its ensemble cast can seem almost too expansive. But this complexity is precisely what gives the film its extraordinary realism.

Yi Yi is a film you can watch once, or twice—or five times. With each viewing, you are likely to discover something new: a memory of first love, an encounter with a long-buried past, a difficult teacher from your school days, or one of those moments when moving forward seemed impossible. Or perhaps you will simply be touched by the film’s quiet melancholy, as gentle as a cool October breeze brushing against your face, stirring memories of something deeply cherished.

Read More