Ping guo (2007)

Director:

Yu Li

Writers:

Li Fang (writer)
Yu Li (writer)

Release Date:

21 February 2008 (Russia)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A look at modern-day life in China's capital centered on a ménage-a-quatre involving a young woman, her boss, her husband and her boss's wife. |

Plot Keywords:

Infertility | Masseuse | Rapist | Nudity | Sex Scene

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Tony Leung Ka Fai	...	Lin Dong
Bingbing Fan	...	Liu Ping Guo
Dawei Tong	...	An Kun
Elaine Jin	...	Wang Mei
Meihuizi Zeng	...	Xiao Mei

Also Known As:

Lost in Beijing (International: English title) (USA) (new title)

Runtime:

Germany:112 min (Berlin International Film Festival)

Country:

China

Language:

Mandarin

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

China:17 | Hong Kong:III | Philippines:R-18 (MTRCB)

Filming Locations:

Beijing, China

Company:

Laurel Films

Trivia:

The film is banned in China, despite the heavily censored effort from the filmmaker. The producers have been banned from making movies in China for the next 2 years.

The present and future of China

Lost in Beijing is a very decent film about people lost in a system and culture characterized by a strong, sometimes brutal, sense of pragmatism and hierarchy.

When it comes down to power and status, wealth and gender play an important role in most countries - but this is especially true in China, where men are traditionally revered in the family (from the moment that they're conceived) and money/authority are distributed so unevenly. In the film, the contrast between people from wealthy and humble backgrounds, and between males and females, is put into evidence by the two married couples that take center stage in the story (one of them is well-off while the other one is underprivileged). Typically, the wealthy, male character (owner of a massage parlor) places himself at the very top of the hierarchical pyramid, while the poor, female character (a masseuse and migrant worker) immediately finds herself at the very bottom, where she is manipulated and handled as a commodity. Since all four of these characters want or need something from one another, it is interesting to see how they each play their cards and do everything within their power to protect their own interests.

Beijing, the bustling capital of China, brings together people of all different backgrounds and parts of the country, as they transform and build together one of the largest and most influential nations of the 21st century. What kind of nation it will become will much depend on the values of its people and the decisions that they make, day by day. (Curiously, this is suggested by a male name which was especially popular in the earlier decades of old-fashioned Communism: "Jianguo", which translates into English as "building a country".) The selfish attitude that is often witnessed in Beijing poses as much of a problem to the future of this budding country (sometimes described as a 'giant child') as it does to the uncertain destiny of the baby in this film.

Overall, it's a very engaging movie. While some parts of its plot are rather implausible, one should give credit to the filmmakers for providing entertainment, an inside look at the social politics of their country and some food for thought. It's also nice to watch an ambitious, yet down-to-earth film from the Chinese mainland which doesn't solely rely on an expensive and opulent production.