A single pedicure therapist who lives with her younger brother is trying to make ends meet while dealing with personal tribulations.
Dreams, sacrifices, and the unbearable hardships of life… Gripping opening act that distinctively introduces the characters, sets up the scenery, and presents the ordeals they have to face. Director Qisheng Gao stuns with the number of protracted shots that provide the opportunity for the actors to unfold their thespian skills and for the audience to absorb, on the one hand, the tiny yet significant details of the mise-en-scène (all the visual information within the frame), and, on the other hand, what one of the most significant film theorists, André Bazin, kept emphasising; the drama’s realism. Furthermore, Gao’s slow-paced editing does not rush the story, controls the film’s pace and rhythm, and reveals the key information the audience needs to know when they need to know it. Inevitably, that increases their anticipation regarding what and when they want to know.
As for the narrative itself, it hits the nail in the harshest possible way as it addresses the ancient battle inside us of who we are, who we want to be, and who society wants us to be in times when the bills can hardly be paid. The food on the table can barely suffice. While Gao deserves every praise under the sun, actress Yanxi Li crawls under the skin of the role, becomes Rong, and masterfully conveys the silent pain a woman in her position endures to keep her head above water while trying to save whoever around her is in need of salvation.
And all that while a dark secret lies underneath the surface…
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