Sunday, April 14, 2013

Yi Yi

"Yi Yi" ("A One and a Two" in Chinese) is an examination of a Tapei family coping with the illness of their matriarch, who is in a coma following a stroke. Her son is an ethical businessman who is entering an uneasy business deal while his wife embarks on a retreat after enduring a midlife crisis. Also their daughter engages in her first, tumultuous relationship while their young song uses photography as a form of escapism for the difficulties he faces at school. Given its material and content, Edward Yang's epic length film is unnecessarily protracted but still features some great cinematography and some poignant observations and performances.