''A Lingering Face'' ( zh, c=非常夏日, p=Fēicháng xiàrì, l=A curious summer day) is a
2000
2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year.
Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...
Chinese film
The cinema of China is the filmmaking and film industry of mainland China, one of three distinct historical threads of Chinese languages, Chinese-language cinema together with the cinema of Hong Kong and the cinema of Taiwan. China is the hom ...
directed by
Lu Xuechang
Lu Xuechang (June 25, 1964 – February 20, 2014) was a sixth generation Cinema of China, Chinese film director. One of a new crop of talented filmmakers, Lu directed four feature films beginning with his debut, ''The Making of Steel'' in 1997.
...
. The film is Lu's second after 1997's ''The Making of Steel''. Compared to that earlier film, which was plagued with censorship problems, ''A Lingering Faces production and release was relatively free of problems or obstacles.
Plot
''A Lingering Face'' follows an everyman named Lei Haiyang (
Pan Yueming
Pan Yueming (; born 9 May 1974) is a Chinese actor. Pan is noted for his roles as Tai Lin in the film ''A Love of Blueness'', and as twin brothers Guan Hongfeng and Guan Hongyu on the Chinese web series '' Day and Night''.
Pan ranked 97th on ''F ...
), who has recently broken up with his girlfriend. Deciding to go to
Beijing
Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...
, he hitches a ride with a driver (Li Min) and a fellow hitchhiker, Yanzi (Ma Xiaoqing). Waking up from a nap, Haiyang finds the truck parked in the woods and the driver raping Yanzi. Hiding in the undergrowth, Yanzi sees Haiyang (the titular "lingering" face), but does not reveal his hiding position. Terrified, Haiyang runs away.
In Beijing, Haiyang sees a news report of a female corpse found in the woods. Later, while walking in the streets, Haiyang chances upon a woman who looks exactly like Yanzi. She denies it, but the two embark on a friendship which blossoms into romance. Soon, Haiyang will discover what happened on that curious summer day.
Reception
In his review of ''A Lingering Face'' for
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
, Derek Elley commented: ... "Set in average, non-touristy Beijing locations, ... the movie has a genuinely offbeat character, without any heavy underlining or condescending to the viewer. Script keeps several well-drawn characters ... on the boil throughout, and the plot continues to spring surprises right to the very end".
[
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See also
* ''Suzhou River
Suzhou Creek (or Soochow Creek), also called the Wusong (Woosung) River, is a river that passes through the Shanghai city center. It is named after the neighboring city of Suzhou (Soochow), Jiangsu, the predominant settlement in this area prior ...
'' and ''Lunar Eclipse
A lunar eclipse is an astronomical event that occurs when the Moon moves into the Earth's shadow, causing the Moon to be darkened. Such an alignment occurs during an eclipse season, approximately every six months, during the full moon phase, ...
'', two contemporary Chinese films that also deal with plots involving the double identities of women.
References
External links
*
''A Lingering Face''
at the Chinese Film Database
2000 films
Films set in Beijing
Films directed by Lu Xuechang
Chinese mystery drama films
2000s mystery drama films
2000 drama films
2000s Chinese films
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