Dan Beale-Cocks
This is a small warning for the few people to which this is important: The film contains a brief but graphic scene of deliberate self harm with suicidal thinking. This enjoyable film follows three young people, and the mother of a recently deceased child. They meet when the young people need to rent a room, and the mother has rooms to rent.I was worried that it was going to be nonsense after an early scene where Nan Feng (Fan Bingbing) confronts a gang. That scene feels weirdly out of place with the rest of the movie which has a much more natural feel.I'm not sure what message I'm supposed to take from the movie, but I never do; I just watch them and enjoy them, and this is a film I enjoyed.
Robert Stanievich (rsstanievich)
"Buddha Mountain" is a well-acted, well-directed film executed in a "cinema verite" style, that should find a common audience with young people the world over. It deals with the trials and tribulations of three young friends as they make their way through the modern-day Chinese youth culture. Night-clubs, fights, drinking, and sexual tensions ensure there is never a dull moment...at least until the morning after. The story takes an unexpected turn when the trio seek to rent rooms from a middle-aged widow who has sorrows of her own. What ensues is a story of pain, acceptance, healing, and ultimately...enlightenment? While this is a portrait of modern-day Chinese life, it is certainly not a new story.It's a re-telling of "Journey to The West". The Fat Kid is Piggie. The Girl is The Monkey King. The Dude is Sandy. The Widow is The Monk. The white car is like a white horse. In the end, the trio receives enlightenment...but what does that mean for this generation? That's the question the viewer is left to answer for themselves. This is a fine movie, more layered and hopeful than an average "teen-angst" film. It is worth seeking out.
Tomoko Ichigo Guava
The story is simple and can feel the love between mother and son or daughter from each others sites. Teenagers are going to think that they are looser because of their back grounds, heart break or frustration etc,but want to believe someone especially their mother. It's a good film to see with your mother, son or daughter... Sylvia Chang, Fan Bingbing, Bolin Chen and Fei Long,, it's good cast, I like Sylvia's act. her face is always show her deep mind (sad). One thing I don't accept the very end scene it's too long for just on the train. I can understand it, they are very sad to lost their friend like mother from that scene but I don't like it anyway... Totally very good movie!!!
sitenoise
I didn't believe any of the actors made contact with the feelings the characters were supposed to be feeling because everything comes off as an impression, rather than being anything of substance. I don't believe the director had a story to tell, as much as simply having a desire to make a film in this style. The hand-held camera-work didn't bother me, but the framing and composition of shots did. They seemed forced and almost precious, and the actors merely vogued their way through scenes. The story is uninspired. Three young drifters meet a single mom who is still mourning the death of her only son, and they all have an angst competition. That ought to be indie grill. But it's not in this case. It's just shots of people pensively staring off into space, and scenes of people pensively walking around aimlessly while the fog rolls by and the music meanders. Indie film school 101. It was very hard to finish this film because I didn't care about any of the characters. Caring about characters may not be necessary, although the director clearly hoped for it, so I'm going to make up a word to describe my experience and to differentiate it from simply not caring. I discared for the characters.