Reviews
Together | Review
Dime a Dozen
Another story about a musical prodigy fails to make a true, inspiring note.
After the reunification, Hong Kong not-surprisingly remained intact, it showed that perhaps China is in the slow transition from the red ways found in of communism to the rise in consumerism and a global market. Like depleted day-old warn lipstick, certainly this is a new source of inspiration for the vague of China’s best film directors. Acclaimed filmmaker Chen Kaige seems destined to embrace this change, and bring along international audiences into his world of storytelling with Together, the uplifting drama of a film with a sad song that says so much.
Perhaps what is sad about this film is not the story itself, but the varnished with a Hollywood glaze feel that embodies this effort. With the heart and brimming full of hope tale remnant from the likes of Billy Elliott, this is about the clash of cultures, the difference in values and drum-roll please…the process of growing up. The story gives us a herd of Chinese people who could use a little truth syrup to awaken the true goodness within them and who better to teach city folk the way to a better life than some peasants from the countryside. Without delivery-boy experience, this determined father (Liu Peiqi) with plenty of hope pushes his son (Tang Yun) to greatness, but this annoying budding angry teenager musical prodigy is more into the marvels of a female presence. With very big hopes and the on-screen idiocy of a Roberto Benigni-like character and over-concerned parent at an American little league baseball game, we get a father and son story which spoon-feeds an eyeful of life-lessons to the audience.
This is effective story-telling in the classical form which brings out the triumphant heart-warming finale, with a touching juxtaposed concert sequence which is milked to the max for emotional purposes. No that I minded it, but it seems lost with a cast of irritating characters who are simply used as symbols, whether it be the rat-pack music teacher who can’t find a sock, or the consumerist daddy’s little girl anime cartoon of a character or the ungrateful child who gets a history lesson we almost can’t wait until the solid ending to see them turn into beautiful butterflies. Kaige actually turns in a good performance in comparison to the pre-teen adolescent Xiaochun who we never care about and might be great with the instrument but lacks the acting-skills to bring us in.
Like the true elegance coming from the strings of the violin, this is a beautifully filmed story, and Together will certainly grab its niche audience. For those who like over-sentimentalized works, this is a film for you, but in contrast to his other works, Kaige just falls into the pattern of the type of film that you’ve seen this before and which you have most likely seen better.