Honestly only went to watch this for Kris because I wanted to support him. I was told from those that has seen it that the movie was alright but still went anyways. While the eye candy was nice, the movie itself is was a waste of my money and time. It kind of lost me a fourth way through the movie although the story with her grandma was interesting but also lost made me lose my interest when it was dragged on. Pretty sure I spent my money more towards the sceneries of Prague in this movie more than anything else. The movie honestly hurt my head and there was little to no development in the storyline and in definite character dynamic in convincing me as an audience. Love Kris, but totally would not watch it again if I had a choice.
14 Reviews
Light Hearted Romantic Drama/Comedy
cmandvl31 July 2019
I watched this movie because I am a fan of Kris Wu (formerly of the Kpop boy band EXO). As far as his acting skills go, all I can write is he isn't the best actor but rather a very pretty face. Which I think is what got him the role and he serves his purpose as a dreamlike fantasy guy/love interest for the main character. Some of his scenes where he has emotional moments are believable and others aren't so much. He's pretty even when it comes to his acting chops. But then again, his role is to look good as the romantic interest, which he does with A+ quality (I happen to think he looks the best when he smiles/with very little makeup and when he's not "brooding"). As for the movie itself, I thought the movie was a typical romcom/romantic drama. Which was good for what it was worth. It's shot really nicely and makes the viewer want to book a trip to Prague (if we had the $$$) in hopes of uncovering our own romantic love story through help from the past like the leading lady does in this film. In the end I think the overall message about this romcom was about healing and letting the past heartaches be put to rest so that we as individuals can move on and enjoy the future. 5/10.
Not bad, but not amazing
mekachi7 April 2015
The main reason I went to see this movie was because I was a fan of Wu Yifan, who was the male main lead in this movie. As he has landed his first acting role in this movie, I did not expect as much when it came to his skills. Yifan's role in this needed more... expression. I hope he can improve his skills as more easily-given opportunities come to him (considering he is a celebrity), and is used well.
The chemistry between the main couple was a bit dull. Both actor/actress's role did not give me the strong impression that they were in madly love with each other. The story of the side couple, however, was more interesting. (It actually made me cry)
I enjoyed how there were English subtitles, as there were many non- Chinese audience who went to watch.
Overall, the movie was...I guess you could say...average, and still had a lot of areas to improve, but was a enjoyment to watch in the end.
The chemistry between the main couple was a bit dull. Both actor/actress's role did not give me the strong impression that they were in madly love with each other. The story of the side couple, however, was more interesting. (It actually made me cry)
I enjoyed how there were English subtitles, as there were many non- Chinese audience who went to watch.
Overall, the movie was...I guess you could say...average, and still had a lot of areas to improve, but was a enjoyment to watch in the end.
There is a serious identity crisis here
MovieIQTest21 March 2015
Okay, what we got here is about a bunch of Chinese young people traveled, escaped, moved, migrated to one of the European countries trying so hard to re-discover, to rebuild, to rejuvenate, to find and to realize their souls, themselves, their beings, their lives and whatever they thought possible by just going to a foreign country, the only way to achieve such immature whims, by getting out of China, every one of them would then become a totally free new self.
But is it true, or is it possible? The new and rich generation of the Chinese got a very serious identity crisis. when they decide to get married, the brides would ask their bridegroom-to-be to have their weddings in an European castle or an European catholic church, or in a Tuscany, a Provence vineyard. They would prefer drinking a famous brand of red wine from Europe instead of their own Chinese wine. They would insist having a western styled wedding without any trace of their Chinese origin, wearing white wedding gowns, hiring music band to play western romantic music. Everything and anything must be in western style. The Chinese women must have a big diamond ring for their wedding, otherwise they would feel ashamed and lose face. That's the modern day stereotype shallow Chinese young men and women, they don't like being a Chinese, they don't like to use anything Chinese, everything must be either European or American made with a brand name, otherwise, it's garbage and lose face.
This movie is exactly the living example of what i've pointed out as above. Showing a bunch of unrealistic Chinese young men and young women live in Prague. They thought everything there is so romantic. We saw a young woman with broken heart got a letter related to her grand mother, about a romance when her grandmother was in Prague, and of course, a female artist specialized in painting, met a foreign guy and...Well, do i need to keep blabbering on and on? This film is such an unrealistic whim that most Chinese young men and women would like to have. But it's just a wet dream. Why you have to use the European background to have a romance? Why you have to have a romance that you failed to find in China, your hometown, you could find it in Europe? The casting is just like the formulaic crappy screenplay, with a young male actor (a very bad one, untalented, pretentious, extremely unlikable) trying so hard to look like those so-called handsome and cool idolized Korean young male actors but with such a poor and non-exist acting talent. Then we got the leading heroine who also got a very poor acting talent. Then we got the actress/producer/director who played the grandmother and the lover with broken heart, then....whatever.
So when you got the investors lined up at your front door, giving you the money to produce a film; when the budget is not a problem, the money is not an object to be considered, then you have to script a screenplay that would allow you to spend the money in Europe, no matter it's realistic or not, at least the movie's background would be European, so classy, anything else is not important.
This is a very shallow, naive, unrealistic, cosmetically false, and even shameless Chinese movie with fantasy-like screenplay and full of non-talented Chinese young actors. nothing rings true, and nothing looks real, except the money they spent in Prague was genuine.
But is it true, or is it possible? The new and rich generation of the Chinese got a very serious identity crisis. when they decide to get married, the brides would ask their bridegroom-to-be to have their weddings in an European castle or an European catholic church, or in a Tuscany, a Provence vineyard. They would prefer drinking a famous brand of red wine from Europe instead of their own Chinese wine. They would insist having a western styled wedding without any trace of their Chinese origin, wearing white wedding gowns, hiring music band to play western romantic music. Everything and anything must be in western style. The Chinese women must have a big diamond ring for their wedding, otherwise they would feel ashamed and lose face. That's the modern day stereotype shallow Chinese young men and women, they don't like being a Chinese, they don't like to use anything Chinese, everything must be either European or American made with a brand name, otherwise, it's garbage and lose face.
This movie is exactly the living example of what i've pointed out as above. Showing a bunch of unrealistic Chinese young men and young women live in Prague. They thought everything there is so romantic. We saw a young woman with broken heart got a letter related to her grand mother, about a romance when her grandmother was in Prague, and of course, a female artist specialized in painting, met a foreign guy and...Well, do i need to keep blabbering on and on? This film is such an unrealistic whim that most Chinese young men and women would like to have. But it's just a wet dream. Why you have to use the European background to have a romance? Why you have to have a romance that you failed to find in China, your hometown, you could find it in Europe? The casting is just like the formulaic crappy screenplay, with a young male actor (a very bad one, untalented, pretentious, extremely unlikable) trying so hard to look like those so-called handsome and cool idolized Korean young male actors but with such a poor and non-exist acting talent. Then we got the leading heroine who also got a very poor acting talent. Then we got the actress/producer/director who played the grandmother and the lover with broken heart, then....whatever.
So when you got the investors lined up at your front door, giving you the money to produce a film; when the budget is not a problem, the money is not an object to be considered, then you have to script a screenplay that would allow you to spend the money in Europe, no matter it's realistic or not, at least the movie's background would be European, so classy, anything else is not important.
This is a very shallow, naive, unrealistic, cosmetically false, and even shameless Chinese movie with fantasy-like screenplay and full of non-talented Chinese young actors. nothing rings true, and nothing looks real, except the money they spent in Prague was genuine.
Love to Hate?
jaslinnesogno29 October 2015
Warning: Spoilers
The movie itself is amazing. I enjoyed watching but some parts of the movie I some what had to force myself to watch it. I did end up watching this movie 3-4 more times and sharing it with friends.I, myself have a love-hate relationship with this movie.
During parts where Jian Tian(Wang Likun) would do something on her bucket list I would have to force myself to watch. She would go crazy and realize it to late to even go back. How she met Peng Zeyang(Wu YiFan) was a little cheesy in my option. She ends up drunk and passing out at his house. Her original plan with Peng Zeyang was...a one night stand. Again super cheesy from there I knew they would have a spark between them.
I did however like the idea of the bracelet. The man did say when you meet your true love it would break. I like how it didn't break until they both figured out it was meant to be. I wish that bracelet was real it would help out a lot of people.
Now, Wu YiFan...I am a huge fan of him and his work. Though I haven't watch his most recent movie I believe called Mr.6. I believe I like Wu YiFan more in romantic or serious films rather than actions. YiFan did a great job in this film for it being his first one.
Overall I still have a love-hate relationship with this film but I would recommend to anyone who likes Rom-Coms or Wu YiFan
During parts where Jian Tian(Wang Likun) would do something on her bucket list I would have to force myself to watch. She would go crazy and realize it to late to even go back. How she met Peng Zeyang(Wu YiFan) was a little cheesy in my option. She ends up drunk and passing out at his house. Her original plan with Peng Zeyang was...a one night stand. Again super cheesy from there I knew they would have a spark between them.
I did however like the idea of the bracelet. The man did say when you meet your true love it would break. I like how it didn't break until they both figured out it was meant to be. I wish that bracelet was real it would help out a lot of people.
Now, Wu YiFan...I am a huge fan of him and his work. Though I haven't watch his most recent movie I believe called Mr.6. I believe I like Wu YiFan more in romantic or serious films rather than actions. YiFan did a great job in this film for it being his first one.
Overall I still have a love-hate relationship with this film but I would recommend to anyone who likes Rom-Coms or Wu YiFan
Heartfelt, warm and beautiful movie
Marcia-orange15 February 2015
This was my first Chinese film, so wasn't sure what to expect. And the combination of a Prague location with bits of English and Czech dialogue along with the Chinese was certainly a unique combination.
But the film just hit it out if the ballpark for me. The acting, script, music, direction, even camera work were all perfect. And the flashbacks were woven in perfectly. I can't think of a thing I would improve...maybe just the publicity since I had not even heard of the film and it is a total winner.
I would recommend this film to anyone who enjoys good character development in a multi- generation, multi-ethnic romantic drama with gorgeous scenery. The English subtitles make this a joy to watch.
But the film just hit it out if the ballpark for me. The acting, script, music, direction, even camera work were all perfect. And the flashbacks were woven in perfectly. I can't think of a thing I would improve...maybe just the publicity since I had not even heard of the film and it is a total winner.
I would recommend this film to anyone who enjoys good character development in a multi- generation, multi-ethnic romantic drama with gorgeous scenery. The English subtitles make this a joy to watch.
Excellent Acting, Compelling Story
lj71712 February 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Somewhere Only We Know was an unexpected delight. I'm generally not a fan of Chinese movies, but this one took me by surprise. There is a lot happening in the plot, but each person is able to grow with the characters and come to understand them better. A huge recommendation for people living in China who want to watch a Chinese film as it comes with English subtitles. Some of the spoken English lines are a little awkward, but I live in China and hear it all the time. I also really liked the soundtrack that went along with the movie. It was an unexpected mix of music that complimented the movie very well. Check it out!
Unmissable - One of the Best Films I've Seen in 2015
totalovrdose15 October 2015
Falling in love, falling out of love, lost love, letting go and moving on are many of the themes explored in Somewhere Only We Know, a film that wears many hats, a statement that could be equally made about lead male actor Kris Wu, who portrays Peng Zeyang; single father to his daughter, Ni Ni (Sophia Cai Shuya), carer for his bipolar suffering mother (Cong Shan), friend of fellow professional musician Luo (Juck Zhang), and paramour of Jin Tian (Wang Likun).
Initially, Jin is not the kind of woman one would imagine having a relationship with Peng. Bereft, from been rejected by her fiancé, she arrives in Prague with the intention of starting over, wanting to dramatically alter her appearance and lifestyle choices in an attempt to forget the past, her unorthodox approaches leading her into the arms of Peng, who, rather than taking advantage of her, becomes a close friend, though neither of them can deny the feelings they begin to mutually exhibit.
The feature illustrates the burdening pain Jin experiences in a realistically effective manner, revealing, through several of its characters, the effects that depression and loss can have over a person. While in Prague, Jin receives a letter addressed to her recently deceased grandmother, Lanxin (Xu Jinglei), who was her adult guardian while she was growing up. Wanting to discover the truth behind such a mystery, her grandmother having kept her romantic history close to her chest, Jin gains the assistance of Peng, in trying to find Josef Novak (Gordon Alexander), the man who wrote the deeply heartfelt message, their story, set in the late 1940s, being conveyed in flashbacks over the film's duration.
The seamless incorporation of past and present is beautifully articulated, both stories mirroring and scaffolding each other. The talent exhibited by the actors is incredibly immersive, as is their undeniable chemistry, and the well written script makes for enjoyable banter, deeply thought-provoking conversation, and poignant emotion. The deeply romantic philosophies, sentiments and ideas depicted in the film are refreshingly inspirational, sweet and poetic, and have the potential to encourage anyone to renew their faith in romance.
Though all of the characters are provided enough screen time for the audience to sympathize with and appreciate them, more screen time could have been given to Peng's mother and daughter, and the same could be said for Jin's friend Shanshan (Re Yizha). The story of Josef and Lanxin is beautifully warm and strikingly emotional, despite their experiences being conveyed in only a few scenes, depicted only in a couple of varying settings. This being said, additional attention could have been applied to their backstory to assist the audience in connecting additionally with the affection they held for each other. Moreover, the same could be said for the references to the second world war, that are only briefly mentioned, though, due to its paramount role in human history, deserved further contextualization, in regards to what it meant to the characters.
The settings articulate the beauty of Prague, from its cobbled streets, to its rich architecture and vibrant natural environments, and make for an enjoyable background. In this sense, the film is perhaps, in part, a marketing tool, advertising for Chinese viewers, the beauty and excitement of tourism. The experiences are all relevant and meaningful when in conjunction with the characters, while the film's ending beautifully concludes the feature with much emotional depth, the tenderness and poignancy exhibited throughout necessitating the audience to perhaps come equipped with a tissue, or ten.
Though the film is centered around young adults, the story is powerfully mature, and despite the trailer promoting Somewhere Only We Know as more of a comedy, the film is unmistakably a drama, and is one of those rare films, that, upon conclusion, will leave you wanting to see it all over again. Though everyone will leave the film with a different impression, for me, the feature conveys the many qualities that cause me to be so attracted to Chinese culture...and Chinese women.
Initially, Jin is not the kind of woman one would imagine having a relationship with Peng. Bereft, from been rejected by her fiancé, she arrives in Prague with the intention of starting over, wanting to dramatically alter her appearance and lifestyle choices in an attempt to forget the past, her unorthodox approaches leading her into the arms of Peng, who, rather than taking advantage of her, becomes a close friend, though neither of them can deny the feelings they begin to mutually exhibit.
The feature illustrates the burdening pain Jin experiences in a realistically effective manner, revealing, through several of its characters, the effects that depression and loss can have over a person. While in Prague, Jin receives a letter addressed to her recently deceased grandmother, Lanxin (Xu Jinglei), who was her adult guardian while she was growing up. Wanting to discover the truth behind such a mystery, her grandmother having kept her romantic history close to her chest, Jin gains the assistance of Peng, in trying to find Josef Novak (Gordon Alexander), the man who wrote the deeply heartfelt message, their story, set in the late 1940s, being conveyed in flashbacks over the film's duration.
The seamless incorporation of past and present is beautifully articulated, both stories mirroring and scaffolding each other. The talent exhibited by the actors is incredibly immersive, as is their undeniable chemistry, and the well written script makes for enjoyable banter, deeply thought-provoking conversation, and poignant emotion. The deeply romantic philosophies, sentiments and ideas depicted in the film are refreshingly inspirational, sweet and poetic, and have the potential to encourage anyone to renew their faith in romance.
Though all of the characters are provided enough screen time for the audience to sympathize with and appreciate them, more screen time could have been given to Peng's mother and daughter, and the same could be said for Jin's friend Shanshan (Re Yizha). The story of Josef and Lanxin is beautifully warm and strikingly emotional, despite their experiences being conveyed in only a few scenes, depicted only in a couple of varying settings. This being said, additional attention could have been applied to their backstory to assist the audience in connecting additionally with the affection they held for each other. Moreover, the same could be said for the references to the second world war, that are only briefly mentioned, though, due to its paramount role in human history, deserved further contextualization, in regards to what it meant to the characters.
The settings articulate the beauty of Prague, from its cobbled streets, to its rich architecture and vibrant natural environments, and make for an enjoyable background. In this sense, the film is perhaps, in part, a marketing tool, advertising for Chinese viewers, the beauty and excitement of tourism. The experiences are all relevant and meaningful when in conjunction with the characters, while the film's ending beautifully concludes the feature with much emotional depth, the tenderness and poignancy exhibited throughout necessitating the audience to perhaps come equipped with a tissue, or ten.
Though the film is centered around young adults, the story is powerfully mature, and despite the trailer promoting Somewhere Only We Know as more of a comedy, the film is unmistakably a drama, and is one of those rare films, that, upon conclusion, will leave you wanting to see it all over again. Though everyone will leave the film with a different impression, for me, the feature conveys the many qualities that cause me to be so attracted to Chinese culture...and Chinese women.
It has a good plot
acheng-923308 December 2015
I was bored so I decided to watch the movie, it is worth watching. I really liked the storyline. This movie goes back and forth in time, so it's very interesting. I watched it originally for Kris but after a while, I fell in love with all the characters. It never really got boring. Although I wished the movie had more complexity to it. Personally, I think the actors and actresses did a pretty good job on acting. Very entertaining. If you are bored like me or a big fan of Kris, it is definitely a must-watch. Some part of me is glad that Kris left EXO, or he probably would have never gotten a chance to film a movie like this one. Overall, it's a fantastic film.
Beautiful movie with touching story
amandaalamia9 November 2015
Not sure why this has so many negative reviews. I found the movie very touching and sentimental. Was it completely realistic? No, most women don't go to a foreign country and fall into a whirlwind romance with a good looking man but I don't think this movie was meant to be realistic. It was meant to be raw and to touch people about love and not taking what you have for granted, to appreciate people everyday because it may be your last. The story was interesting and sweet, would definitely recommend (especially to chick flick lovers) but have some tissues on hand because I found it to be quite the tearjerker. Both Kris Wu and the female lead's performances were convincing and well done. Overall, a cute story about love and life.
Great Romance That Makes Your Heart Flutter
alishaaqmarina1 March 2015
The plot was actually interesting. Well I agree that the story was rather predictable, but I still enjoyed the movie a lot. The only complaint I have is, the movie editing could have done better. The transition between scenes weren't that smooth. But that didn't affect the movie plot, more to technical stuff. The lead actors and actresses' acting were all really good too.
Overall, Somewhere Only We Know was a good movie. Since it was a pure romance movie with a very little of comedic scenes, it is understandable that it's not majority's favorite genre. But for me, I really liked it. The movie didn't make me bored at all. It gave me this fluffy feeling in my heart after I watched it. Lovely! Oh, and the soundtracks were all great too.
Overall, Somewhere Only We Know was a good movie. Since it was a pure romance movie with a very little of comedic scenes, it is understandable that it's not majority's favorite genre. But for me, I really liked it. The movie didn't make me bored at all. It gave me this fluffy feeling in my heart after I watched it. Lovely! Oh, and the soundtracks were all great too.
One of the movies I've ever seen
mchgothmog24 November 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I just watched somewhere only we know and wow what a great movie the acting is great and I love that it focuses on the past and the present because both stories are equally important it's a very emotional movie but the ending is perfect I love foreign movies especially Chinese and Korean movies and this is one of the best I've seen the low reviews on IMDB are dead wrong
Somewhere only we know is currently available to buy on iTunes in case anyone's looking
Highly recommended
Somewhere only we know is currently available to buy on iTunes in case anyone's looking
Highly recommended
Romantic, heartfelt, and sweet.
CODA_Taem11 December 2016
Warning: Spoilers
I originally watched because I knew Kris Wu was in the movie, but once I was actually watching, I was really into the story, and I absolutely loved it. It had my attention rather than just watching for an actor, and I will definitely watch it again, many times. Kris' acting was solid, in my opinion, and he was up against a lead that he seemed like he could easily play off of, or at least they made it look good for the cameras or something. It's also a very relate-able movie, in the sense that everyone is really trying to find their true selves, which is what the female lead is struggling with when she meets Kris' character. The struggle of finding out who you are at her age is a very widely felt issue, and it touched my heart because I struggle with it myself. And anyone that tells you that they haven't had to find themselves to know who they truly are, odds are they're lying. I loved "Somewhere Only We Know," and I will absolutely recommend it to fans of the genre, or anyone that just needs to see that they aren't alone in trying to find out who they really are at the end of it all. Tagged spoiler, just in case, for the bit about her struggle with finding her true self.
Your review is correct, your findings are shallow
grumpy736-122 December 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Morristang correctly describes all the sequences in SOMEWHERE WE ALL KNOW and I was also noticing that this is a different kind of "CHINESE movie, almost frame for frame something Hollywood turns out all the time. Shallow love stories with a gimmick, a 30 year old undelivered letter that says, "we can be together, let's meet". Love interrupted. But I am glad Beijing and Chinese money is being used the same way Hollywood money is used. Asians need new images for the 21st Century. The actors were all charming. That Czech doctor didn't have a Brit accent, more of a Hollywood accent. I didn't know the young stud was in a Korean Boy Band. Good for him. I enjoyed this film. Jerry in Hollywood
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