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似水流年 (1984)
Homecoming


Reviewed by: STSH
Date: 10/20/2001
Summary: Dull and unpleasant

I'm puzzled as to what this film was trying to do. It appears to be a "big city girl returns to simple country town" tale, but there's more going on. The story centres around Coral Zhang meeting up again with schoolfriend Pearl. Outwardly, both woman appear succesful. Coral throws her money and worldliness around, while Pearl has become the school principal. Coral wants to take the new schoolkids to Guangzhou. But her arrival sows the seeds of discontent, not least into Pearl's marriage.

That the two women were once friends is clear. What is less clear is why they choose each other's company. Coral spends most of her time with Pearl treating her with, at least, lack of consideration. Coral appears to be more running away than going to somewhere, as the tense relationship with her whinging sister (who is suing her for the family assets) amply demonstrates.

Much of the content of this story is at least mildly unpleasant, and I just can't understand why these women did try to kill each other !

The acting is far below what I would expect from such a talented team, particularly from Siqin Gaowa.

The only thing I enjoyed about this film was Kitaro's wonderful music. Not recommended.

Reviewer Score: 2

Reviewed by: hkcinema
Date: 12/08/1999

Yim Ho's love letter to his guxiang (native place). Josephine Koois the disillusioned Hong Kong woman who returns to her village in the Guangdong-Fujian region to renew herself. She rekindles her friendship with her childhood friend (Siqin Gaowa) and almost has an affair with her friend's husband. This was one of the first Hong Kong films to address the issue of Hong Kong people's roots in the old country as the territory's reversion to China in 1997 became an indisputable fact.

[Reviewed by Anonymous]