Personal Tailor (私人訂制) is an 2013 film out of Zhong Guo. The movie stars Ge You, Bai Baihe, Jacqueline Li, and Zheng Kai. Cameo appearances from Jackie Chan, Wang Baoqiang, and Miao Pu. The movie opened to big numbers a few weeks back and hit US shores the same weekend it opened on its home turf. Thanks to recent partnerships, it becoming a common occurrence that I welcome. The movie is a semi-sequel to the directors 1997 movie, The Dream Factory. However, its a new cast and current world problems are tackled.
The four main stars are part of a company that fulfills fantasies. Three separate stories intertwined with some other sub-elements. The first story is of a government officials "driver". The driver's last three officers are all in jail now and he says others thinks he's cursed. The driver believes that he would be a non-corrupt official if he were in their place. Thus his fantasy is that of a non-corrupt official. The second story is of a very commercially successful movie director. The director is so successful, he's gained every notable film award in the world. He want to create high art now. His fantasy is to be a artsy fartsy director. The third one is a return a favor fantasy. The woman is to live her life as the most wealthy woman on earth. The ending of the story is a PSA with a twist.
I saw this movie in a local AMC theatre. It's actually the most successful China Lion release from 2013. It's box office take is more than the other 6 movies combined, including My Lucky Star, Tiny Times, Tiny Times 2, Finding Mr. Right, and So Young. With that said, I am surprised by it's done so well in the US.
Ok, to the movie. I liked the movie a lot. It was a high quality film. Well made. I can't say that with a lot of the other crap coming out of Zhong Guo in 2013. The four stars seemed very cohesive and they seemed to enjoy each other on screen. I saw the chemistry. Jacqueline Li and Bai Baihe stole the show for me. Li is memorizing when she's on screen, stealing it. Bai was a surprise since I've seen her in so many things. Maybe it was being projected on a big screen that I finally saw the beauty that a TV can't. The two beauties kept my attention.
The other thing that kept my attention was the subject matter. The fantasies themselves turn current problems in Zhong Guo and take it head on. The first story is government corruption. The corruption is so everyday that its just the way things are. You get ahead with brides, favors, and "guanxi". The second story takes on "art" head on. Art is relative, but copy cat culture of the mainland is so prevalent that intellectual property is a joke. But its also that people in general don't even know what "art" is. The third story is that of "rich" dream so many people have that it turns people into monsters and thus you lose yourself. The movie ends with a PSA type montage of how the earth is being wasted away be selfish humans.
In all, as a film of 2013, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. Subject matter was entertaining since it's satirical take seems spot on for the time we live in. Li and Bai carry the beauty in the film to a new level. I might have to catch all the films on the big screen from now on.
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