Film Review (UK premiere) : 'Yangzi’ Confusion' -- The Bittersweet 'Mission Impossible' of Mother-Daughter Honesty
Author: Dr Peize Li
Translator: Dr Peize Li
The film review is part of MINT Emerging Critics Scheme's outcome
English version article
The Chinese-language feature film Yangzi’s Confusion (洋子的困惑, 2023, China), directed by Li Jue (李珏), will make its highly anticipated UK premiere at the inauguration of the 2024 Mint Chinese Film Festival on February 3rd, 2024, at the Keswick Alhambra Cinema, the festival's main venue in the UK.
Yangzi’s Confusion is one of the feature films that had created expectations among viewers that are selected in the newly introduced brand feature film collection ‘Emerging Women Filmmakers Showcase’ of the 2024 Mint CFF. The curator aims to invite viewers to build this program together – to make it a prominent global hub for creative, bold, and brilliant films directed by women filmmakers on big screens for viewers in the UK.
A carefully staged 'burglary' was conducted by a 10-year-old girl to resolve her deep confusion. Filmmaker Li Jue’s debut, Yangzi’s Confusion, unveils the fragile and distant bond between intimate yet lonely mother and daughter relationships.
The film garnered nominations and awards from six international film festivals, notably Beijing and Pingyao. Its implicit and subtle portrayal of profound yet ineffable emotions, along with its depiction of the remote mental distance within close family bonds, contributed to its acclaim.
The hot steam of the hotpot on the dinner table was wafting over little Yangzi’s face as men speaking with southwest Chinese dialect in the background. Later, a blue car drives away in the misty, winding and wet mountain roads in the blue nightfall. A diary book fell onto the road, its pages fluttering in the wind, revealing notes and slightly aged photographs within, guiding us through the corridors of one's memory.
Yangzi’s Confusion transports the audiences to a mountainous area where the river meanders through valleys and city streets as Meihui drives on her own around to see her family members. Without intricate editing techniques and dramatic storytelling, the story of Yangzi’s Confusion does not leave much trace of deliberate touch and sense of manipulation of the filmmaker. The authentically subdued portrayal allows the audience to connect more deeply with the characters, fostering empathy and sympathy. Each of us has the potential to be a Meihui or a Yangzi, navigating life in another city, as we seek answers amid profound confusion.
Yangzi’s Confusion delves into the truth of distance, measuring the vast spaces between places and individuals. The film visually scales distances and the passage of time, offering insight into the challenges each character faces in engaging in candid conversations. Reminiscent of The Farewell (2019, Lulu Wang), this cinematic piece prompts reflections on how, over time, individuals find themselves residing in distinct realms, leading to irreconcilable divergences in cognitive perspectives.
Huang Xiaolei's performance in Yangzi’s Confusion distinguishes itself from her previous roles in television dramas and films. Abandoning theatrical dramatization, she exercises notable restraint in emotional expression, aligning her performance more closely with authentic real-life nuances. The character's backstory proves pivotal in shaping the unfolding events within the film. Through Huang Xiaolei's nuanced performance, her fashionable appearance—encompassing makeup, attire, and overall aesthetics—and carefully crafted dialogue effortlessly reveal her character's past experiences and emotional trajectory.
Through the narrative of Yangzi's Confusion, the film provides a lens for self-reflection, inviting us to observe ourselves from the vantage point of an onlooker through the characters' eyes. As the story unfolds, the mounting tension allows us to increasingly identify with the shadows of our own development mirrored in the characters. This tension eventually dissipates. Despite Meihui and Yangzi's initial struggle to openly communicate and unravel the complex truths about adult relationships, Yangzi eventually hears Meihui through the photos and words in the notebook. The film implies that effective communication should not be hindered by factors such as time, age, and distance.
UK Premiere: Yangzi’s Confusion 洋子的困惑 (2023)
Screening Time: February 3rd 2024 10:00 am
Venue: Keswick Alhambra Cinema, 36 St John's St, Keswick CA12 5AG, UK
Subtitle: English
Organiser: Mint Chinese Film Festival, UK
Filmmaker: Jue Li, a Chinese female film director and actress, graduated from the New York Film Academy and Bollywood Film School.
Get Tickets Here: Keswick Alhambra Cinema
You can now secure the Festival Pass to access the Mint CFF films, events and programmes with a 50% discount.🔗 Find more information about what you can enjoy from the Festival Pass at festival website: unicornscreening.com/passes-tickets-2024
中文版文章 《洋子的困惑》影评：成年的秘密，孩子的游戏
作者：李佩泽博士
由李珏执导的华语女性电影《洋子的困惑》（2023，中国），将于2024年2月3日在英国薄荷紫华语电影节迎来观众期待的英国首映，地点在英国薄荷紫华语电影节主会场：凯西克阿罕布拉电影院（Keswick Alhambra Cinema）。
《洋子的困惑》是入选薄荷紫华语电影节2024年新推出 “天才女导演展映”单元备受瞩目的影片之一。策展人旨在邀请观众共同打造这一展映单元——将其建设成为创意独特、风格明确和质量成熟的女性导演作品放映国际平台，让精彩的电影在大屏幕上与英国观众见面。
这部电影讲述的是一位10岁的小女孩为解决内心困扰而精心策划了一场“入室盗窃”的故事。李珏导演的长片处女作《洋子的困惑》揭示了亲密但令人感到孤独的母女关系，以及家庭中脆弱而疏离的亲情纽带。
该影片在六个国际电影节中分别获得提名和奖项，其中包括北京国际电影节和平遥电影节。影片含蓄而微妙地描绘了深沉却难以用语言表达的情感，刻画了亲密关系和家庭成员的心理距离，为其赢得赞誉和观众的期待。
晚餐桌上火锅的热气在笼罩在小洋子的脸上，背景中传来男人们用西南方言交谈的声音。一辆蓝色汽车在蓝色的夜色中行驶，在云雾迷茫、蜿蜒湿润的山间道路上驶离。一本日记本掉在路面，清凉的夜风翻开了日记本的内页，认真的笔迹和照片略显陈旧，我们在日记本里走进主人记忆的回廊。
《洋子的困惑》将观众带到群山连绵的地区，河流蜿蜒穿过山谷和城市街道，美惠独自驾车往返于城市和山区之间看望家人。影片没有运用太多复杂的剪辑技术和戏剧性叙事，《洋子的困惑》的故事因此没有留下太多导演刻意的操控感的痕迹。真实而克制的描绘使观众更深刻地与角色产生共情——我们每个人都有可能成为生活在另一个城市的美慧或洋子，带着内心的困惑寻找答案。
《洋子的困惑》深入挖掘了关于距离的真相，几乎视觉化的展示了时间和空间的刻度线， 度量了地点和人之间的遥远。利用电影媒介的特质，通过视觉听觉表现的距离和时间的推移，揭示了每个角色在进行坦率沟通时所面临的困难。这种关于沟通困难的主题似乎与制作于2019年讨论家庭关系的华语电影《别告诉她》（王子逸执导）相似。这两部电影让我们不得不思考，人因为时间的推移和流逝，其认知观念会产生不可调和的差异。
黄小蕾在《洋子的困惑》中的表演与她在电视剧和电影中先前的角色有着明显的区别。她抛弃了戏剧化的演绎，以更贴近真实生活的方式表现角色。在这个故事中，角色的人物小传对塑造影片中的事件发展起到了关键作用。通过黄小蕾细腻的表演，她时尚的外貌——包括化妆、服装和整体美学——以及精心设计的对话，举重若轻地展示了角色的过往经历，情感轨迹以及人物与其他角色之间的关系发展。
通过《洋子的困惑》的叙事，电影让我们能透过角色的眼睛观察自己。随着故事发展，由于沟通失败而产生的焦灼感逐渐堆叠。这种焦灼感最终在电影里得到了释放。尽管美惠和洋子无法在同一个空间对话，却在超越时间的照片和文字里实现了最坦诚的超越年龄跨度的深度对谈。对于洋子的困惑，电影似乎在提出关于沟通的问题 —— 最亲密的人之间的沟通，为什么会这么难？
英国首映：《洋子的困惑》（2023）
展映时间：2024年2月3日 10:00
展映地点：Keswick Alhambra Cinema, 36 St John's St, Keswick CA12 5AG, 英国
语言：中文，英文字幕
主办方：薄荷紫华语电影节，英国
制片人：李珏，中国女性电影导演和演员，毕业于纽约电影学院和宝莱坞电影学校。
您现在可以购买电影节通行证，以50%的折扣享受薄荷紫华语电影节电影、活动和节目。🔗 在电影节网站上查找有关通行证的更多信息：unicornscreening.com/passes-tickets-2024
