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Saturday Fiction

Play trailer 0:52 Poster for Saturday Fiction Released Apr 22, 2022 2h 7m Drama Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
48% Tomatometer 21 Reviews 40% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
1941. Since the Japanese occupation, China has become a wartime intelligence battlefield for the Allies and the Axis Powers. Iconic actress Jean Yu returns to Shanghai, ostensibly to appear in the play "Saturday Fiction" directed by her former lover. But what is her true aim? To free her ex-husband? To gather intelligence for the Allied Forces? To work for her adoptive father? Or to escape from war with her lover? As she embarks on her mission, with friends ever more difficult to distinguish from undercover agents, as everything spirals out of control, Jean Yu starts to question whether to reveal what she has learned about in the imminent Pearl Harbor attack.
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Saturday Fiction

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Critics Consensus

Gong Li's typically outstanding performance notwithstanding, Saturday Fiction is too awkwardly assembled to recommend.

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Critics Reviews

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G. Allen Johnson San Francisco Chronicle Gong gives it her best shot, but there’s only so much she can do. Rated: 1/4 Apr 27, 2022 Full Review Robert Abele Los Angeles Times A spotty fusion of spy-story contrivances and diffuse themes of truth and artifice... Apr 21, 2022 Full Review Devika Girish New York Times [Gong] conveys depths of pain and longing even when the script offers none, seducing us as effortlessly as Jean seduces her enemies. Apr 21, 2022 Full Review Kelly Vance East Bay Express Saturday Fiction proves, as if proof were needed, that even the most radiant movie star can be sandbagged by indifferent or clumsy story construction and awkward direction. Apr 27, 2022 Full Review Avi Offer NYC Movie Guru A lackluster, convoluted and underwhelming crime thriller low on palpable thrills and suspense. Apr 22, 2022 Full Review Wilson Kwong VCinema This is a welcome return for Gong Li as an actress and another reminder that Lou continues to be one of Chinas most talented filmmakers. Feb 13, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (3) audience reviews
Audience Member a good movie that reminds me of shanghai nowadays. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/14/23 Full Review Audience Member Idiosyncrasy notion: C–. "Saturday Fiction" has a reason that sounds like it very well may be a rigid, charming wrongdoing spine chiller like "Allied or Wife of a Spy". To contrast it with Casablanca wouldn't be fair, notwithstanding the allurement, since it doesn't come close to accomplishing that degree of elation. The screenplay by Yingli Ma has so many exciting bends in the road and twofold intersections that it makes it difficult to trust any of the characters or to be aware without a doubt of what's in store straightaway. The plot frequently feels tangled with such a large number of characters, none of whom are especially noteworthy or fascinating. Nothing bad can be said about intricacy, yet without a well-composed piece and knowing when to trust the crowd's knowledge and when not to, it prompts a tangled plot. "The Outfit" is an example of a significantly more charming and mind-boggling thrill ride that is mind-boggling without being excessively confounding, while it likewise offers some unexpected developments. Similarly, there aren't nearly enough lighthearted elements, which would've helped to breathe some life into the film and keep it from becoming too repetitive. The movie producers don't spend sufficient time investigating the connections between the characters; they're too worried about continuing on after the next unexpected development. Shouldn't something be said about giving space to the crowd to sincerely put resources into the story? How might the crowd care about what befalls Yu Jin in the event that they don't get to know her more? It appears to be like the characters are there as simple pawns for the plot, so they neglect to become fully awake. All things considered, essentially, "Saturday Fiction" doesn't become as dry, dull, and confounding as "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, or Spy", yet it comes close. The high-contrast cinematography adds some style, but not much substance. It's not wonderfully shot, nor are the activity arrangements generally that energizing once they do show up. With regards to the exhibitions, they're very great, particularly Gong Li, who overflows with charm, yet they're completely sabotaged by the shallow, inert screenplay. "Saturday Fiction", which runs for an excessively long 2 hours and 4 minutes, is a dull, tangled, and disappointing spine-chill, devoid of discernible rushes and anticipation. Long story short, if you come to "Saturday Fiction" because you want to get some intense and thrilling emotions, you'd better not watch it due to its false categorization. This should be marked as "sleep therapy, somnolent medication, and black-white". Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/26/23 Full Review Audience Member LOL, a failure in China!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 01/28/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis 1941. Since the Japanese occupation, China has become a wartime intelligence battlefield for the Allies and the Axis Powers. Iconic actress Jean Yu returns to Shanghai, ostensibly to appear in the play "Saturday Fiction" directed by her former lover. But what is her true aim? To free her ex-husband? To gather intelligence for the Allied Forces? To work for her adoptive father? Or to escape from war with her lover? As she embarks on her mission, with friends ever more difficult to distinguish from undercover agents, as everything spirals out of control, Jean Yu starts to question whether to reveal what she has learned about in the imminent Pearl Harbor attack.
Director
Ye Lou
Producer
Yingli Ma
Screenwriter
Ma Yingli, Yingli Ma
Distributor
Strand Releasing
Genre
Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
Chinese
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 22, 2022, Limited
Runtime
2h 7m
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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