Mei li xin shi jie (1999) User Reviews

short and simple

[SunnyBoi · 9/10 · 30 October 2003]

No other movie uses the term `Country Bumpkin' better than this one. Zhang Baogen has high hopes when his won an apartment in Shanghai, only to be told it won't be ready for another 1 ½ years. Till then, he has to cope through life in the busy and money-driven city, while staying at Little Auntie's 20-yuan-a-day dwelling.

A great depiction of the Old versus New China, country fella versus city chick personality. One of my all-time favorite Chinese movies.

9 out of 10.

A Beautiful New Chinese Film.

[Niels-2 · 9/10 · 26 September 1999]

I've just seen this film in a local festival here in Copenhagen: Films from the south, and would like to highly recommend it. This film is indeed not a narrow art movie from a foreign hemisphere, just the opposite it is a film with a very broad appeal. As a matter of fact it is much like some of the best American screw-ball films of the 30's and 40's. The roles could as well be played by Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn. The story is so well written, though the theme is old as history. The frame of the story is a song performed by some traditional Chinese musicians, which gives the story its special humor. As fx in "Cat Ballou". As you can understand this is a real peach. Don't miss it...if you ever get the opportunity to see it. It ought to be shown on national tv in prime time. It is a very funny ....and intelligent film.