DVDs From the Library-Taking Father Home

In the library there is a bin full of DVDs. One may take up to five and keep them for a week. Don’t forget to return them on time or you will pay a hefty over-due penalty, or worse, they will develop a terminal mold and eat your furniture, flooring and, eventually, your brain. Join me now as I take a look at one…

“Taking Father Home”
A “film” by Ying Liang- in Mandarin w/ English Subtitles.

I qualify my review of this “film” (it was actually shot on video with a borrowed camera)-I usually only review professional cinematic projects but in this case I got fooled into thinking this was a real movie because it was in a plastic case (just like a real movie) and mixed in with a bunch of other plastic cases in the bin. That’s how the Library can fool you!

On the plastic case it had the usual accolades “A triumph of vision and talent.”-Variety, “A stunning introduction to a rare new talent”-The New York Times” and as usual these quotes are lures to get you to watch what is essentially a student film with Ying Liang and a bunch of Ying Liang’s friends running around looking much like a slow version of a Benny Hill episode without the Yackety Sax. Oh, and the landscape/cityscapes are nice so I take a Smelly Sock off for that. Similarly, I got a great nap during the last half hour, so I take one more Smelly Sock off for that. Some of the music was good too but I refuse to take off any more Smelly Socks.

If you are still interested I will give you a capsule shot of the storyline. YL is a peasant boy living in the flood plains of a rural village. His father has abandoned the family and moved to the big city and taken a new wife/life and YL goes out to find him. Having no money YL brings along two ducks to sell (?? Jack and the Bean Stalk-ish). He gets lost, he meets people, he chases people, people chase him…etc, etc. The ducks are the only constant in the film and out of the four still photos on the back of the box the ducks are in three so I don’t understand why they get no billing!

I will admit that I feel I got a real taste of modern China from this “film”. Mr. YL will, someday soon, translate that wonderful ability to capture the soul of his country into an entertaining and thought provoking movie, but this wasn’t it.

I give this film my “DVD from the Library” rating of---
Four Smelly Socks.