Rain Li managed to create in ‘Beijing, New York‘ a work of art any festival would be glad to screen. The story focuses on a love triangle in the period of the economic power shift between America and China. The three main characters are two Chinese childhood friends and an American artist that cope with the complex matter of love in a difficult time. The whole story is so intense you will find yourself in different situations where as a viewer you will be overwhelmed with emotions.
This is one of those movies which is sure to get your heart beating fast. It is very rare for a movie to be of this class. The whole film revolves around a certain plot with ups and downs that is very well based, telling a story with great ease. This may not be a caper story but it feels like one at the end. And the credit goes to the actors too, of course, as the acting is simply phenomenal. We rarely have the occasion to watch a movie with no flaws at all in acting or editing, and this is a huge honor for our festival. One scene that shows the whole range of human emotions at the same time is the table scene in the beginning. Everybody deals with such a moment in their own way: drinking and smoking (smoking inside – some of us remember those times) and making small talk. The randomness of the situation foregrounds the deep thoughts of the main character, which is an amazing way to do so.
Although the movie is quite predictable, like most romance movies are, nevertheless it was very good. Sure a bit unrealistic in terms of the timeline of the whole plot but this is why we have movies like this: so you can escape into the fantasy of romance. If you are looking for a time waster then watch a three hour drama or soap-opera, but if you want to escape for a while and just enjoy a movie that will make you rethink some things about life, then ‘Beijing, New York’ is worth your time.
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