secondtake Electric Shadows (2005)With sweeping camera-work, beautiful scenery in several locations in China, and a heartwarming and heartbreaking story of two children trying to make their lives make sense amidst lots of upheaval, "Electric Shadows" makes a great first impression. For movie lovers it works intrinsically, and then it adds another compelling layer--the title refers to movies themselves, and there is scene after scene of makeshift outdoor theaters and crowds of people watching domestic films. It's a highly romanticized bowing down to the art form.It's also an attractive way to see the changing currents in Chinese politics, as seen by the common people in the last forty or so years as the Cultural Revolution went through its paces. The events on and off screen echo, with almost storybook precision, the main moods and events of those times.I found all of this stunning at first, and then I started to get little hints that it was all a bit obvious, and then, as the plot continued to play with both the troubles of these cute kids growing up and with the changing tastes and types of movies shown, I grew restless and irritated. And to grow irritated at such a finely made love story is troubling all by itself.The ability to make a superb looking movie these days is within reach of anyone with a budget. There is no sense that it takes a hugely specialized set of talented technicians and actors to pull it off, as was far more true fifty or even thirty years ago. And the down side to that rears its gnarly head here--this is a movie that should have done more and said more."Electric Shadows" plays so loosely with clichés of meaning and clichés of beauty, it ends up being the very thing it most wants to avoid. A sensation. A glimmer on a flat screen, an electric shadow. The magic is only in the surface, and the more beautiful and compelling it seems to be the more you want it to dig in and go somewhere with sincerity and depth.

chrishend I have a pretty high tolerance for slow period pieces, but this one pushed me to the limit.The first 5 minutes, and the last 10 minutes were okay. Everything else in between was a snore fest.If you don't mind watching annoying, boring children try to act for over an hour straight then I suppose this might be the movie for you. Personally though, I spent most of the movie hoping all those kids would fall in a well.The plot was contrived and relied completely on massive coincidences to drive itself, the children had way too much screen time and were annoying, and I got about ten times as emotionally attached to a puppy that was on screen for about 30 seconds than I was to any of the main characters.Three thumbs down!

davehfz92 I loved this movie! It was much better than Beijing Bicycle and most other contemporary Chinese films taking place in modern China. Xia Yu delivers an amazing performance as is expected from him. This movie is somewhat comparable to The Notebook. It definitely ranks up there next to Crouching Tiger and Hero. I cannot praise the movie enough. The movie really has a great twist. It is worth renting all the way. I especially like the portrayal of 1970's China and modern day Beijing. The film sequences from old movies are also great! Being Chinese, I found this movie somewhat accurate in depicting the 1970s. I would recommend this to movie!

rbverhoef 'Electric Shadows' tells a story about a girl named Ling Ling and her friend Mao Dabing against the backdrop of the Cultural Revolution in China. The film starts with Dabing (Xia Yu), a teenager who loves movies, accidentally falling into a brick wall with his bicycle. The walls collapses, a girl picks up a brick and smashes Dabing on the head. Then the girl, who seems unable to speak, asks Dabing to feed her fish while she has to stay with the police. He agrees and in the girl's apartment he finds her diary, learning that she is indeed his old friend Ling Ling (Qi Zhongyang).While he is reading her story we see the images, starting with Ling Ling's mother, how she always wanted to be a famous actress or singer, how Ling Ling was born as an unwanted child, how her mother wanted to end her own life but due circumstances changes her mind. Ling Ling's mother becomes a caring mother who wants nothing but the best for her daughter. Dabing enters the story, at first a bully for Ling Ling but after a while they become best friends. In the meanwhile Ling Ling's mother spends a lot of time with Uncle Pan, the town's movie operator. This is of course where the kids find their love for the movies, and Ling Ling's mother finds the love for a new man.I should say nothing more about the story. We understand things will get complicated since Dabing and Ling Ling did not recognize each other when he was smacked with the brick. We also see that some terrible things must have happened to Ling Ling. All those things are for you to discover with this terrific film from first-time director Xiao Jiang. In a way this film is about loving movies, the way 'Cinema Paradiso' is that. The director told the audience that she was honored with this comparison, but it seems only right. 'Electric Shadows' is original in its own way, but shows a lot of older Chinese pictures, honoring them. The performances ask again for comparison with 'Cinema Paradiso'. The adults are good, especially Ling Ling's mother, but the child performers here are the best thing. The film shows them most of the time when they are around six years old. The way kids around that age say anything that comes to mind is perfectly portrayed here, with two effective kids for Ling Ling and Dabing. Much of the humor in the film comes from them and their moments together.Although the final moments of the film play in a conventional way the scenes work. Everything comes together, making 'Electric Shadows' a real finished picture, accessible for larger audiences than a lot of other Asian films. The film has its flaws. It shifts back and forth in time where it does not really have to, like the director just chose a couple of moments to do so. The same with the narration. Sometimes we hear Dabing and his life story, sometimes we hear him reading her diary, sometimes we hear Ling Ling herself like she is reading or writing her diary. Both things do not really matter, but show how hard it is to make the right choices, especially when you direct a film for the first time.