(may contain spoilers)
Her Story
Douban rating: 9.1
Director: Shao Yihui
Starring: Song Jia, Zhong Chuxi, Mark Chao, Ren Bin
Douban Comments: ”Best of the year! Some people in the comments are giving it one-star reviews, saying Shao Yihui is exploiting feminism to please female audiences. Even if that’s true – why shouldn’t she? Don’t we female viewers deserve to be catered to? What’s the point of nitpicking? I love this kind of work.
Besides, this film isn’t even remotely radical. In fact, it portrays male characters in a flattering light, without showing any malice toward men. It’s incredibly realistic, detailed, and moving.
There are countless movies that pander to male audiences – why hasn’t anyone complained about those? In an era dominated by male-centric hero stories and narratives, it’s refreshing to see a female director stand out and create a realistic yet female-centered world. The craftsmanship is top-notch, the storytelling is superb, and the film is so well-made. Shouldn’t we be celebrating such an outstanding work?“
”The scene where Zhang Yu gets his shirt pulled off had all the women in the audience bursting into laughter. When have we ever seen such a moment in a Chinese film, sharing this kind of collective joy?
And then, the film ends with a cliché: a spotlight shining on a child’s head. Such a tacky choice, yet I felt it was the best moment of all. When have we ever had such a dazzling finale for ourselves?
We’ve watched so many movies, cheered for so many underdog protagonists and glorious heroes. Finally, this gaudy spotlight is shining on us. Shao Yihui writes for us, comforts us, and gives us hope. Of course, I wish for a better tomorrow – and also for an arm to lean on.“
”Absolutely loved it! It’s the kind of movie that makes you grateful you went to the theater – this is why we watch films. Every moment hit me right in the feels, and amidst the countless bursts of laughter and rounds of applause, I found so much joy and heartfelt emotion.
Director Shao continues to deliver consistently, again setting her story in Shanghai, this time focusing on the everyday lives of contemporary migrants in the city. The tone is gentle, yet the expression is firm. A single mom doesn’t have to be a superhero. Being head-over-heels in love isn’t shameful. You’re allowed to make mistakes, to be vulnerable, to feel anger, or to show fear.
Families can be built without blood ties. You can sing and play music on the streets, or cosplay if you prefer. Women’s narratives and expressions don’t always have to be heavy and miserable – but if some people still can’t see them, then we need to keep telling these stories, again and again.
I’m proud to say this is not just a great piece of work – it’s exactly what Chinese cinemas need and deserve to showcase. A passionate five stars!“
Anora
Douban rating: 6.9
Director: Sean Baker
Starring: Mikey Madison, Mark Eydelshteyn, Yura Borisov
Douban Comments: ”I was laughing non-stop once the movie hit its stride. The chemistry between the bald guy and the female lead had me completely obsessed. The ending scene where they’re sitting in the car with heavy snow falling outside was unforgettable. The female lead sits on him, trying to use intimacy to repay his kindness, but he shows no interest in that – his eyes are fixed solely on her expression. It’s only when she’s finally overwhelmed by her emotions and collapses into his arms, sobbing, that he embraces her. That hug hit me so deeply.
But the first 30 minutes had too many unnecessary ‘provocative’ scenes, so I’m deducting one star for that.“
”A variation on Sean Baker’s signature style. The film starts by building a dazzling Hollywood romance fairy tale, only to see it unravel midway into chaotic, hysterical confrontations and a frenzied race through New York. By the final act, where it attempts to reconstruct the romance narrative, all that remains is a fractured, fragile shell.
Throughout the film, the protagonist is trapped in a materialistic society dominated by money and class. Money and everything it can buy – commodities, sex – are depicted with striking violence, creating an oppressive backdrop. The female lead mirrors the resilient characters from Baker’s previous works: outwardly tough and unyielding, refusing to give up even in the most hopeless scenarios. Her struggle feels like a reinterpretation of Cabiria’s pure romantic ideals, now made more contemporary and brutal – a desperate, violent fantasy of transcending class boundaries. In this sense, it’s almost an anti-Pretty Woman narrative, rejecting the traditional Hollywood-American Dream storytelling.
Despite relentless blows from reality, the protagonist never bows down or admits defeat – until she’s utterly shattered in the film’s final claustrophobic moments. This might be Baker’s finest work since Tangerine.“
”While attempting to deconstruct the Cinderella trope, the film itself becomes mired in melodrama and clichés. The fairy-tale elements are visually striking and stylistically distinctive, but the anti-fairy-tale aspects rarely go beyond a shallow surface.
The characters lack depth: the female lead feels like a paper cutout, the male lead serves as a mere plot device, and the supporting cast are little more than NPCs. There’s almost no exploration of character psychology or coherent growth arcs. The portrayal of the wealthy heir is unimaginative – he’s the son of a Russian oligarch and arms dealer, a reductive setup that crudely shifts blame and reinforces a simplistic us-vs-them dichotomy.
On a deeper level, the film lacks intellectual substance, failing to provide any reason why it should be considered a highlight of Cannes, awards season, or the year’s global cinema. The absurdist comedy in the overly long second act offers a few bitter laughs, but the ending takes a blunt, overly direct approach, further exposing the male gaze and exploitative undertones lurking behind the female lead’s story. As the so-called pinnacle of art cinema converges with the Oscar-driven glitz of awards season, one can’t help but question: is world cinema heading in the right direction?“
Gladiator II
Douban rating: 6.6
Director: Ridley Scott
Starring: Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington, Pedro Pascal
Douban Comments: “Everyone can probably understand that Gladiator 2 is unlikely to have the same impact and emotional resonance as the original did for us. The film tries to recapture the glory and brilliance of the first one in many scenes. Under Ridley Scott’s direction, action sequences like the opening naval battle and the arena duels are gripping, exciting, and exaggerated, still full of curiosity. The intricate and dignified details of the Roman Empire are also portrayed in great depth.
Perhaps Ridley Scott realized the heavy burden of so many characters and the scattered plot points, which is why a lot of the time, the film’s original score is used to enhance and connect the scenes. However, it still struggles to build and elevate the emotion in the same smooth way as the first movie, making the protagonist lose much of the story’s focus and power, and the acting is fairly average.
With every character lacking depth and the political intrigue feeling weak, the plot doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. That said, I didn’t expect Gladiator 2 to surpass the original. The film carries the legacy of Ridley Scott’s style, and for that reason, it makes for a decent sequel. But it’s still 24 years away from being a masterpiece.”
“I watched the premiere in Sydney, and the plot is richer and more emotional than the first film. The performances are all fantastic, and Paul is great as always. Denzel has a real comedic talent and adds a lot of funny moments to the story. Personally, I didn’t find it bloody at all. There’s a lot of exciting fight scenes, and the ending is emotionally rich with many touching moments.
This is a film based on historical events, so there’s no need to obsess over its originality. It has nothing to do with replicating the script of the first film. People say they want a sequel but don’t want it to be too connected to the original – this is a contradictory stance. If you insist on seeing a completely different story, we might as well call it an original script. The core of Gladiator 2 is rooted in real history, and the two emperors and the politician Denzel plays actually existed. Some of the gladiator movements are even based on historical events. So when you say it’s a lackluster, uncreative remake – come on, that’s just funny. You can critique the adaptation, but if you’re not happy with its originality, feel free to rewrite history books.”
“The story structure is exactly the same as the first film, and this narrative style might feel outdated to modern audiences, especially given the popularity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s theme-park style storytelling over the past decade. Ridley Scott’s filming style has also evolved; the lighting and cinematography feel much rougher than before. It seems like there were multiple cameras shooting at once, capturing wide shots and close-ups from various angles. There’s an industrial feel to it, but the level of precision and refinement in the shots is lacking. For example, in the first film, many indoor scenes used firelight to cast dramatic shadows on the faces of characters. Now, the cameras are so advanced that everything is clear and visible, and the director no longer spends as much time perfecting the details of lighting and shadow.
That being said, the film still has its enjoyable moments. While watching, I found myself counting how many times Paul Mescal touched the faces of background male actors. I enjoy seeing actors add their own touches to their roles.”
