The movie was entertaining, even if the plot felt somewhat far-fetched and the character's actions didn't always make sense. Honesty I think maybe that was the point and I just don't fully grasp Chinese comedy style, I am more of an Asian horror fan. I think really it comes down to how differently humor is written in different cultures. Overall it was a fun watch and the acting was great.
8 Reviews
The film satirizes ccp
sunny896422 November 2021
The film reminds me of the book called History in Three Keys by Paul A. Cohen. The plot of the film fully embodies the three parts of events, experience and myths. In the other words, we can't find the truths from Rashomon.
A man wanted to protect his comrade's daughter. The man treats the girl as his own child. Some dirty rich men hurt the girl. So the scumbags were killed.
In a dictatorial country like China, if the truth is harmful to power, then it is not allowed to report. The story in the film took place in the regime of Chiang Kai-shek. If the story happened in the regime of ccp, the situation is obviously worse.
Ccp censors movies in dirty methods. They don't allow freedom of the press. At the same time, ccp do lots of bad things that violate human rights, which can safeguard its own regime.
Hitler is dead, so will Xitler.
A man wanted to protect his comrade's daughter. The man treats the girl as his own child. Some dirty rich men hurt the girl. So the scumbags were killed.
In a dictatorial country like China, if the truth is harmful to power, then it is not allowed to report. The story in the film took place in the regime of Chiang Kai-shek. If the story happened in the regime of ccp, the situation is obviously worse.
Ccp censors movies in dirty methods. They don't allow freedom of the press. At the same time, ccp do lots of bad things that violate human rights, which can safeguard its own regime.
Hitler is dead, so will Xitler.
A humorous and tense mystery film that offers great locations, experimental plot and diversified characters
kluseba15 December 2021
Be Somebody is a quirky Chinese mystery movie that fluidly shifts between humorous and serious moments. The story takes place in the mid-twentieth century and revolves around a group of filmmakers who are invited to a luxurious mansion by an entitled producer. They learn that the producer wants to create a movie based upon a triple murder that targeted Shanghai's most influential businessmen. What starts as a discussion turns out to be much more serious when the producer reveals that he has not only invited the murderer but that the mansion itself is the crime scene. As the filmmakers try to analyze what has truly been happening, they uncover a shocking conspiracy that governmental forces try to hide by any means necessary.
This movie convinces on numerous levels. First of all, the fluid genre shifts are truly interesting as viewers never know what to expect next and are kept on the edges of their seats until the very last scene. The movie sometimes evolves from slapstick situation comedy over dramatic discussions to creepy thriller sequences within a few minutes. This rollercoaster ride might be unconventional but is certainly very entertaining. It's great to see that directors, producers and scriptwriters are still willing to think outside the box and experiment with unusual genre combinations.
Another strong element of this film is its location. Except for the opening and the closing scene, the entire movie takes place in a lush building that has an elegant yet gloomy atmosphere. Investigative discussions in the living room, emotionally charged dancing sequences in the ballroom, heated arguments in the staircase, tense conflicts in the private quarters and claustrophobic discoveries in air ducts ensue.
The plot itself is a mixed bag. It asks for a complete suspension of disbelief since it expects us to believe that a movie producer is able to get a criminal on death row involved in a film project and is also able to walk around freely at a recent crime scene without any surveillance. The twists and turns that the story takes are certainly intriguing but also quite far-fetched. The entertainment is certainly present but the numerous ideas are often over the top.
The acting performances and character developments are also a mixed bag. Aggressive, energetic and negative scriptwriter and former journalist Li Jiahui who is incarnated by a brilliant Zheng Yin is a complex, intriguing and unusual protagonist that blends in perfectly in this quirky movie with its exaggerated plot. Qi Leshan who is played by Zhang Benyu impresses as mysterious criminal with a flexible, intellectual and spontaneous side that becomes more profound with every single scene. On the other side, arrogant, eccentric and moody producer Zheng Qianli who is incarnated by Yu Entai is particularly annoying with his repetitive narcissistic swagger. Su Mengdie is played by Deng Jiajia and turns out to be a shallow character who either feels arrogant or insulted in the movie and only seems to be present to show some elegant feminine looks that don't add anything at all to the movie.
Let's finish on a positive note however. As producer Zheng Qianli remarks in this film, it's recommended not to mix arts and politics unless there is a reasonable purpose. This movie avoids to praise or insult any political agenda which is a refreshing change from many other Chinese movies that often add weird twists and turns to praise specific ideologies, parties and politicians. There is some social commentary here that criticizes how the rich and famous exploit the poor and ambitious. The fact that governmental forces try to hide a conspiracy might be seen as a minor political element but the movie avoids pointing fingers and lecturing the viewers. To be honest, these minor political and social comments are actually the most realistic elements in this experimental movie and have an honourable purpose.
At the end of the day, Be Somebody is a good Chinese mystery film with quirkily humorous and grippingly tense elements. The film has a few very good aspects such as some characters, parts of the plot and the settings. However, there are also a few inconsistencies such as some wooden acting performances, a few unimpressive characters and a few too many exaggerated twists. Fans of Chinese dramas and thrillers with historic contexts should give this film a try.
This movie convinces on numerous levels. First of all, the fluid genre shifts are truly interesting as viewers never know what to expect next and are kept on the edges of their seats until the very last scene. The movie sometimes evolves from slapstick situation comedy over dramatic discussions to creepy thriller sequences within a few minutes. This rollercoaster ride might be unconventional but is certainly very entertaining. It's great to see that directors, producers and scriptwriters are still willing to think outside the box and experiment with unusual genre combinations.
Another strong element of this film is its location. Except for the opening and the closing scene, the entire movie takes place in a lush building that has an elegant yet gloomy atmosphere. Investigative discussions in the living room, emotionally charged dancing sequences in the ballroom, heated arguments in the staircase, tense conflicts in the private quarters and claustrophobic discoveries in air ducts ensue.
The plot itself is a mixed bag. It asks for a complete suspension of disbelief since it expects us to believe that a movie producer is able to get a criminal on death row involved in a film project and is also able to walk around freely at a recent crime scene without any surveillance. The twists and turns that the story takes are certainly intriguing but also quite far-fetched. The entertainment is certainly present but the numerous ideas are often over the top.
The acting performances and character developments are also a mixed bag. Aggressive, energetic and negative scriptwriter and former journalist Li Jiahui who is incarnated by a brilliant Zheng Yin is a complex, intriguing and unusual protagonist that blends in perfectly in this quirky movie with its exaggerated plot. Qi Leshan who is played by Zhang Benyu impresses as mysterious criminal with a flexible, intellectual and spontaneous side that becomes more profound with every single scene. On the other side, arrogant, eccentric and moody producer Zheng Qianli who is incarnated by Yu Entai is particularly annoying with his repetitive narcissistic swagger. Su Mengdie is played by Deng Jiajia and turns out to be a shallow character who either feels arrogant or insulted in the movie and only seems to be present to show some elegant feminine looks that don't add anything at all to the movie.
Let's finish on a positive note however. As producer Zheng Qianli remarks in this film, it's recommended not to mix arts and politics unless there is a reasonable purpose. This movie avoids to praise or insult any political agenda which is a refreshing change from many other Chinese movies that often add weird twists and turns to praise specific ideologies, parties and politicians. There is some social commentary here that criticizes how the rich and famous exploit the poor and ambitious. The fact that governmental forces try to hide a conspiracy might be seen as a minor political element but the movie avoids pointing fingers and lecturing the viewers. To be honest, these minor political and social comments are actually the most realistic elements in this experimental movie and have an honourable purpose.
At the end of the day, Be Somebody is a good Chinese mystery film with quirkily humorous and grippingly tense elements. The film has a few very good aspects such as some characters, parts of the plot and the settings. However, there are also a few inconsistencies such as some wooden acting performances, a few unimpressive characters and a few too many exaggerated twists. Fans of Chinese dramas and thrillers with historic contexts should give this film a try.
A film that reflects many contemporary realities
bj-7563115 October 2022
Based on my own viewing experience, I feel that this film involves women, the problems of Chinese films, capital and other fields. And each character has its own distinct character characteristics. The early stage of the movie fully shaped the character image, a little boring, but it made a lot of foreshadowing for the back, and there was a lot of foreshadowing in the movie. It has the feeling of an O. Henry-esque ending.
They came to the scene of the murder to make themselves famous, and the purpose changed from selfish desire to for others, achieving "fame".
The above is a personal opinion only.
They came to the scene of the murder to make themselves famous, and the purpose changed from selfish desire to for others, achieving "fame".
The above is a personal opinion only.
Wow, that was a surprise
sprayeddog-4426321 February 2022
This movie is not your average run-of-the-mills big budget heavy CG'ed boring plot movie that is so typical of Chinese production over the past few years. It is a very special movie, that walks a fine line between comedy, satire, suspense and mystery. And the director shows strong composure in keeping everything in balance while moving the plot along that fine line, which is not easy at all.
The plot is smart, albeit maybe a little unrealistic (but it's a movie!) The acting is good, the movie started off as a comedy but I was involved in all the characters and quite moved towards the end.
Sure the movie is not without its flaws, but overall it was entertaining, it was moving, and it is not predictable. And to top it all off, it is brave given the political situation in China to make a movie with this message. I was quite pleasantly surprised and entertained by this flick, well done.
The plot is smart, albeit maybe a little unrealistic (but it's a movie!) The acting is good, the movie started off as a comedy but I was involved in all the characters and quite moved towards the end.
Sure the movie is not without its flaws, but overall it was entertaining, it was moving, and it is not predictable. And to top it all off, it is brave given the political situation in China to make a movie with this message. I was quite pleasantly surprised and entertained by this flick, well done.
that is my best feel movie in this year
googl-641051 November 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Chinese prople have a nice minded. The incomparable wonderful plot, the profound thinking logic of the East, during the epidemic, gave me an amazing experience. The story was set in the war ravaged Republic of China, and created a film with modern thinking that gives people deep thinking. It's great! I have nothing to say, really. Why do you sometimes fail to understand the culture of oriental people? It takes a long time to understand why they speak like this. Then you will find that they are reasonable and wise. I think Chinese people are too short of wealth. They need more money to train talents. With their civilization, I think they are really powerful.
A Disaster from Start to Finish
RealCharlesTsui8 February 2023
This movie is a complete disaster from start to finish. The artificial acting is so over-the-top that it detracts from the story and makes it impossible to fully immerse oneself in the plot. The dialogue is also extremely exaggerated and often cringeworthy. The filmmakers appear to have no respect for regional time and space, as every location seems to have a full sense of Beijing dialogue, regardless of where the story takes place. The cinematography and editing are also lacking in quality, making the film look cheap and unprofessional. It's as if the filmmakers took a script and just went wild, producing a reality show-like spectacle that is full of low-quality production values. The characters are equally uninteresting, making the movie a tedious and unengaging experience. If you're looking for a good movie, this is definitely not it. The best way to experience this movie is to watch a five-minute highlight reel on TikTok, as the complete film is not worth the time or effort.
Below Average Chinese Mystery - Yang Ming Li Wan
arthur_tafero26 October 2022
Charlie Chan films were better than this second-rate mystery about a film crew that has a secret killer among them. It's more of a who-is-it? Than a whodunnit. We are supposed to watch the film transfixed and guess who among the crew is the killer. There is only one problem. Nobody cares about the film crew or anyone in it. There is no character development of any of the characters, so why should we care about them? This is a common error of a young writer and obviously, a young writer was responsible for this script. Next time, they will hopefully remember to flesh out the characters before killing them off.
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