Chinaman

2005
7| 1h28m| en| More Info
Released: 01 April 2005 Released
Producted By: Fine & Mellow Productions
Country:
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
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Synopsis

Keld is in a rut. His wife of 25 years has left him. For sustenance, he eats his way through the menu at the local Chinese takeaway. The owner talks him into a marriage of convenience with his sister from China and the unplanned-for happens. A delicate romance blossoms between these two damaged, fragile individuals, but a secret gives their relationship a fateful twist. A subtle and touching story of life's diversity.

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Fine & Mellow Productions

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Reviews

Listonixio Fresh and Exciting
Pacionsbo Absolutely Fantastic
Kien Navarro Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.
Mathilde the Guild Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.
Parker Lewis It's not often you see a Danish-Chinese movie production, and Kinamand is a gem. The acting is superb and the screen writing insightful. The ending was very heartbreaking, and I wish there was a different ending!Hopefully more Danish-Chinese co-productions can occur, perhaps a TV detective drama or something like that.
clehoullier It wasn't the best film we've ever seen (Under the Sun takes that prize, but certainly one of the best we've seen recently. Calmly and patiently paced, a few minor twists here and there - well and subtly acted, and beautifully filmed, this was one of those Netflix recommendations that really paid off. All of the characters were wonderful and the camera was very kind to them all. The movie just exudes humanity. After the wretched experience of Happy Go Lucky (could there be a more annoying recent film), this one was like a balm for the senses. And at a bit under 90 minutes, a perfect length for the story. Highly recommended.
Mike I thoroughly enjoyed this heartening and humorous movie. It tales the story of a plumber Keld who is tired of life after his wife has left him. His journey back to life begins when he starts to frequent a Chinese take-away shop. The owner of the take-away shop Feng proposes Keld to marry his sister proforma to acquire a residence permit. An offer Keld accepts.Kinamand is an untraditional movie that successfully succeeds in capturing boxed emotions, cultural gaps, and the essence of life.I gave this movie 9/10, and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good laugh, and an uplifting experience.
Bo Larsen Somebody wrote in a film chat that Vivian Wu is the most beautiful woman in a Danish film ever. She surely is the most beautiful woman in this film, and once she figured on a list of some hundred most beautiful people in the world, though according to my Chinese friends she is not a beauty by Chinese standards. Her presence in this film however is unquestionably delightful. I ascribe this to the camera work, the way she is dressed up and, of course, her beauty. The way she dresses together with her cooking and decoration skills brings about a marvelous atmosphere enhanced further by the Deng Lijun songs from the early 80s like Yueliang daibiao wode xin and believe it or not Bjørn Tidemanns Lille Sommerfugl. It is not normal (realistic) to wear a qipao (traditional Chinese dress) every day or otherwise dress up for a party every day and the atmosphere is not realistic either. I guess Ling and the atmosphere around her should be seen as a symbol of the mystic and beautiful traditional Chinese culture on a trivial, gray, realistic, modern Copenhagen working class backdrop. Chinaman is clearly inspired by In the Mood for Love by Wong Karwai; a great choice for inspiration! This is seen in the mood created by slow pace takes of Ling's qipao swaying forth and back to her sensual body moves. In In the Mood for Love, which is also a film where love is implied rather than becoming fleshly, Maggie Cheung changes qipao about 50 times. In Chinaman the focus is on Ling's earrings on which, along with her hips and eyes, the camera lingers. Thereby we as well as Keld (Bjarne Henriksen) are seduced by female and Chinese mystery. I guess it is also for the good of mystery that the Chinese dialogs are not subtitled. It keeps the common Danish viewer just as uninformed as the Danish main character about what is going on.Chapter headings consisting of Chinese sentences for beginners relate by hint what we are going to see. Overall they seem stupid to me; an original idea that should have been killed, but then there is the mistake! There is a chapter heading that goes something like Will you marry me?, which is also written correctly in Chinese signs but the tape voice says "yi bi hao jiaoyi" - "a good deal". So this "mistake" made on purpose actually points out what the marriage between Keld and Ling is - business, which by the way is also what Keld calls all things he wants to avoid explaining to Ling.At one point in the film Keld's otherwise gentle temper blows and he delivers an outburst of angry complains that Ling can't speak Danish and other right-wing cliché attitudes. Anyway, Ling's reply in Chinese is much more to the point. She has been sweet and serving so when not appreciated she complains that he never does any house work and that her clothes are smelly from his smoking and that had it been her own house he would have had to smoke outside. Unfortunately he doesn't understand her words, but his next move is to learn to say sorry (duibuqi) which turns out to be important.Chinese culture is presented here as refined, superior, traditional and beautiful compared to the Danish plumper, his wife and their son. The film offers great respect to Chinese culture. Thanks!This is the first Chinese Danish film and it is a very good first! I have watched many Chinese Westerner films and I am sure Chinaman is one of the best. 8/10