Audience Member
Veteran Hong Kong director Peter Chan is presenting us a real life rags to riches story which began in the 1980's China and is still going on. I saw this film last year and could not find it on the RT database and I am glad that finally I could finish this review started year ago! The screenplay was written by Zhou Zhiyong and Zhang Ji, and the cast includes some really great actors like Huang Xiaoming, Deng Chao, Tong Dawei, Du Juan and Wang Zhen.
[img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/5/57/American_Dreams_in_China_poster.jpg/220px-American_Dreams_in_China_poster.jpg[/img]
I enjoyed watching this movie, but I will have to say that is designed purely for Chinese audiences. It is possible that ex-pats like me will enjoy it, too. The film begins during the period of sweeping economic reforms in China in the 1980's when the book-loving farm boy Cheng Dongqing (Huang Xiaoming) with ambitious, self-assured Meng Xiaojun (Deng Chao) and the slightly flaky, poetic Wang Yang (Tong Dawei), are studying together at university in Beijing and simultaneously prepping for American visa interviews. Wang is the first to be granted one but forfeits it to stay with his Western girlfriend, and Cheng is repeatedly denied one. Only Meng actually gets a study visa, and as he's leaving he tells his friends he has no intention of returning to China. Cheng and Wang build a massively successful school, New Dream, from the ashes of Cheng's misfortune (his girlfriend got a visa too, and Cheng lost his university teaching job for tutoring on the side) and Wang's innate ability to connect with students, often through Hollywood movies.
The story spans almost 30 years, so while all this is happening, Chan inserts references to major moments in contemporary Chinese history into the story: Beijing's first KFC in 1992 becomes Cheng's first classroom; the 1999 bombing of Chinese embassy in Belgrade sees the trio forced to defend themselves against angry mob charges of being traitors for running an English (meaning American) school... In general, Chinese adore Americans and Chan has managed some pithy observations about the perceptions commonly held among Chinese of Americans and vice versa...
Enjoyable acting, good directing, dynamic writing... and China you do not know!
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
02/18/23
Full Review
Audience Member
"I love my country" in reality, living in US is not as beautiful as you think.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
02/13/23
Full Review
Audience Member
I believe this is a monumental film that suitably represent the heart and soul of today's China. The success story of three businessman that is interluded with love stories and other side stories that are both funny and interesting, but also at the same time marks their transformation. With determination and dream, it is possible to be successful in China. film also act as a fine tribute to all those amazing Chinese businessman, and how hard and painful they have worked for the success of today. No question, this film represent today's China.
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
02/17/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Starts off pretty scattershot and unfocused, but eventually settles in to a modestly entertaining movie about ambitious young men making their way to success; validated by American recognition of their success. I've seen a number of these from various countries, some entirely fictional and some based on actual events like this one. So far they've each been only moderately successful as movie entertainment but at least, as opposed to the early 20th century Horatio Alger template popular in America, they are always about self-created successes and people who make their own way based on their own skills and ambitions.
Rated 2/5 Stars •
Rated 2 out of 5 stars
01/12/23
Full Review
Audience Member
loved the 80s/90s soundtrack!
quite enjoyable,definitely entertaining plus it was a breath of fresh air watching a film about dude friendship (or "bromance" if you like) instead.
huang xiaoming was so "ham" in here, i liked the tong dawei character and hey, du juan's in here too.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
01/19/23
Full Review
Audience Member
This film has real heart and passion about it. The friends who create their educational company are represented by fantastic actors who have the audience cheering for them as they take on the top U.S. brass.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
02/07/23
Full Review
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