SOMEWHERE ONLY IF YOU WANNA GO!

by Unknown 7/09/2015 01:15:00 am 0 comments chinese chinese movie Drama Cool kpop kris movie Pop-Tastic! somewhere only we know Spot my Korea wu yifan

‘Somewhere only we know’ film review

Admin Virgil.

I wanted to do a review of ‘Somewhere Only We Know’ because of all the hype that it created (being shot in Prague and having Wu YiFan in it and all) I was genuinely curious about it. This is a long post so bear with me. The general plot is about a girl trying to find herself in a new place.

Jin Tian comes to Prague in a bid to connect find something about her late grandmother, who leaves behind a sketchbook and a scarf. Through this, Jin Tian believes she would find the strength she needs to move on with her life. I guess it’s one of those feel- good romantic movies but some parts lost me, I will speak of them as I go with the story! Here’s one:

Jin Tian has this to-do-in-Prague list on her wall. Aww cute, what does it say? Bungee jumping! Awesome! Get a tattoo, that’s cool. Learn to smoke, ookay, interesting. One night stand, wait, what!? A ‘one night stand’? I thought she was her to find herself not lose her virginity. I guess it’s just one of those western/foreign influences that have crept in to the story line. Whatever, if she so badly wants to lose herself that she has listed it, then explain this.

Jin Tian changes her appearance. This clearly shows that she herself is a bit embarrassed about the idea that she doesn’t want people to know that it is actually her. I think it also shows how desperate she is break out of the norm life she was probably living up until now in China. What do you think?

As the movie progresses, Jin Tian and her classmate/ friend Shan Shan brage into a wedding (literally, they just walk in!), Jin Tian gets so enamoured by the wedding that is taking place in the church that she unconsciously walks towards them. Probably the fact that her marriage broke off before it even began created some sort of urge in her to get close and touch what seems to be a dream that is happening in front of her. But what I found weird was this.

Oh how rude! Just because I am Asian doesn’t mean I know every other Asian in the freaking city!! Talk about prejudice!

If that wasn’t weird! Jin Tian meets a dude who gives her a love bracelet! Oooh! How nice! Jian tian says she has no cash and the guy walks away but not before telling her that the bracelet would fall off when she meets her true love.

Wait! Hello! He just leaves? Like that? He didn’t get paid. I don’t need to be in Prague to know this NEVER happens! To anyone!

*sidetracks* I would never roll my eyes when YiFan eyebrows me! I eyebrow him back. Wouldn’t you? Moving on,,,,,,

20 minutes into the movie we finally get a little story on the granny! And the man she loved in Prague. But not before Yi Fan (Zi Yang) gives some deep insight on life and clearly states that one night stand is not the way to find a new self!

Josef Novak a.k.a grannie’s lover speaks of a place where the two had promised to meet someday. So now the movie gets a purpose – Jin Tian has to find Dr. Novak to know more about her granny and the only way to find Dr. Novak is to find that “somewhere only they knew” (see what I did there, sounds like a title to their sequel. Ha! Ha!)

So what I found weird is the inconsistency in acting. One second she is smiling and the next shot she is all serious. Quite literally this shift of expression happened in a second. See!

Not even 30 minutes into the movie and Zi Yang kisses the girl and carries her off to her bed! Quite frankly, I felt this was going to fast! Ever heard of takin it slow? Getting to know her better? Thinking twice?

If that didn’t go down well for you, here is some eye candy! The movie is telling that YiFan can and will do anything in this world! I never questioned he didn’t, sir! No not me.

You know your actors are following the script to the letter when they throw sense to the wind and say “Mister Doctor Novak”. Wow! Mister Doctor Novak, your wife, Misses Wife Sarah is in the hospital and your Miss Daughter girl is dead! Tough learning English eh?

Probably a good scene is when Jin Tian gets a bit paranoid when Zi Yang doesn’t respond to her calls! Her fears take a hold of her and she is in frenzy! This scene gives a different side to her!

The back story of Granny and Mr.Dr.Novak (haha) returns! The short clips show granny getting a job in the Doctor’s clinic and the slow assuring trust that grows between Granny and Mr.Dr.Novak (I just had to!). There are time references in this story which makes it more believable and realistic.

My most favourite scene comes in the 45 minute mark where we see Zi Yang’s mother acting like the psycho she is. Zi Yang is tired and irritated and desperate to get away yet he has the burden of two people on his shoulders and has no choice but to play a second fiddle to them! Sad, but it is the truth, chingu.

Mummy gets so frustrated that she forces her pills on Zi Yang!

While Nini reveals her mother to Jin Tian!

Jin Tian more hurt by the fact that Nini is actually Zi Yang’s daughter rather than the fact that he just swallowed some drug with his momma, Jin Tian gets another attack of paranoia and now we know she has trust issues and thinks Zi Yang doesn’t care for her, especially her past. She storms out of Zi Yang’s house! Tough night! But we are here for you!

Meanwhile, with the help of Granny’s scarf, Jin Tian finds her Granny’s Prague residence and the story reverts to the past! Yey! Granny and Mr.Dr,Novak have dinner together and think of starting life anew in China! How nice!

In the birthday party of Luo Ji, Zi Yang’s friend, Zi Yang explain to Jin Tian how Nini was born! NO! not like that! It’s not what you think! Basically, Zi Yang admits that Nini was the result of one of his rebellious ways (nicely put!), and he is basically trying to live up to it!

After this eye-opening confession, Jin Tian and Zi Yang find the statue that appears in Granny’s little notebook of sketches! The story reverts to the past where Granny and Mr.Dr. Novak speak of the terrors of war and make a solemn promise to meet one another by this very statue.

In the present, Jin Tian comes face to face with her former boyfriend/would-have-been-husband-but-is-not-so-is-now-just-an-ex that goes by the name Qi Xin. They start off in a rough manner but Granny’s letter to Qi Xin puts the simmer on the boil! That is, Granny talks of love as a pot of boiling water which will eventually cool down with time but one must make sure it doesn’t freeze. Wow! If that didn’t hit you, Granny gives another blow! She has lung cancer! The scene shows Granny, Jin Tian and Qi Xin interacting and Granny breathing her last in the hospital. Qi Xin tells Jin Tian that he is always there for her and Jin Tian tells him that she has never felt so happy in all her life.

Now enough of that! The movie tries to mellow out the sadness by throwing in some lovey-dovey bonding images of Zi Yang and Jin Tian and ends it with Luo Ji proposing to Shan Shan (oh, who came here because her Doctor asked her to study languages. Who the hell is that Doctor?)

BANG BANG! Zi Yang’s mother gets admitted to the hospital in account of attempted murder and Zi Yang realizes that his two shoulders already have enough responsibilities and Jin Tian will only add to the burden. Therefore he cuts her off from his life and does some basketball instead!

                     
                     (Kris be ballin)
Oh! Me like this!

To make this better! Luo Ji and Shan Shan get married! Like this!

What the fork is that! Is he wearing a skirt? Is this some kind of fashion statement you are making? What is happening? Don’t tell me that Doctor of Shan Shan put you up to this!

Probably inspired by the fact that you don’t have to be the bride to wear the gown, Jin Tian wears Granny’s scarf in a bid to pass off as the Granny herself! And Hallelujah, it works! And there he is just as promised, sitting there waiting for her!

Why Mr.Dr. Novak you haven’t aged a day! A medical miracle you are sir!

Mr.Dr.Novak bursts into tears at the sight of the scarf and wishes that he could go back in time and tell Granny that he met his granddaughter which in reality would have freaked the poor granny out of this world causing an early death, if you ask me!

Poor Mr.Dr.Novak dies a week later out of sheer excitement of seeing the granddaughter!

However, before he dies, he explains to Jin Tian that the sudden appearance of his wife Sarah forced him to break his promise with Granny. Yet he missed Granny terribly that he went to her apartment and spent the night with her (oh so that’s why Jin Tian wanted to do the one night thingy) everything is all romantic until Granny decides to leave for China that very night without telling Mr.Dr.Novak resulting in Mr.Dr,Novak running down the street with only his underwear and an unbutton shirt. That’s cold, Granny!

Look he’s crying and all!

So anyways, Mr.Dr.Novak is dead and leaves behind a box of letters for Jin Tian. In it, she finds Mr.Dr.Novak’s ticket to China which has Granny’s little note in the back.

                   (Take Care - Lanxin)

Jin Tian explains everything that has happened so far to Zi Yang through text which Zi Yang reads in seconds and dashes to the funeral (because Yifan can and will do anything and everything)

He goes to the funeral and it is already over. He goes to Jin Tian’s place and finds it empty except for a photograph!

Hey you copied Granny! No fair Jin Tian!

Zi Yang decides to run some more and comes to the statue that started it all! And he sees Jin Tian sitting there. Probably because of the rush from all that running, Zi Yang lists out what a wonderful home keeper he is and different types of egg dishes he can make!

Basically he tells to stay with him and she agrees! They kiss! The camera pans out, focus on the goddamned statue and come back to show Granny and Mr.Dr.Novak kissing which made me go “aaaawwwww” cause they looked young and all, you know. The moving ends with Director Xu Jinglei dedicating it to her Nanna which made me go “super aaaaawwwww” because Xu Jinglei played Chen Lanxin (The Granny) in the movie!

This is that sort of movie which you can watch once and it would never get you the same way again. But if you still want to give it a try, go for Wu YiFan and also the story between Granny and Mr.Dr.Novak.

Before I end this, I want to give my thanks and credit to Drama Cool for subbing this film and making it available for me (and you) to watch! THANK YOU, DRAMACOOL!

So that was my review, what to you think? Let me know in the comments below please!