NZ stars in Chinese drama
Only Cloud Knows (M, 132 mins) Directed by Feng Xiaogang Reviewed by James Croot ★★★★ In English and Mandarin with English subtitles.
Simon (Huang Xuan) spent his whole life intertwined with Jennifer (Yang Caiyu) yet, now, he feels like he never spent enough time with her.
Reflecting on their relationship as he prepares to make the 15,000kilometre journey to scatter her ashes, he recounts how the Beijingborn pair met in an Auckland boarding house.
Simon worked as a language school tutor and food delivery worker at nights, while ‘‘Luo Yun’’ spent her days at the fish markets. She was charmed by his flute playing, he had decided to marry her from the moment she said ‘‘hi’’.
Tiring of the big city, they decided to take up an opportunity to open a restaurant in the remote Central Otago town of Clyde.
Learning quickly that customers preferred spring rolls and sweet and sour chicken to traditional Chinese cuisine and, with the help of their waitress Melinda (Lydia Peckham), Yun’s Chopsticks and its owners became an integral part of the local community.
However, even as they grow into their peaceful and idyllic life, Jennifer remains unsettled. As the years go on, she becomes increasingly worried that they are becoming trapped by the restaurant and wonders how she can persuade Simon to start a new chapter elsewhere.
Inspired by real-life couple Shu Zhang and Yang Luo (although their tale took place in Canada), director Feng Xiaogang (The Banquet) and screenwriter Zhang Ling (Aftershock) have crafted a bittersweet love story that might be overly sentimental, but certainly packs an emotional punch.
Part of its power comes from its fractured narrative, which leaves their meet cute until the final act. At first, that seems somewhat perplexing, but its eventual reveal is particularly satisfying.
What starts out as a Chinese version of Ghost will leave you feeling like you’ve witnessed an interesting counterpoint to Noah Baumbach’s critically acclaimed Marriage Story.
Likewise, while the couple’s triumphs and tragedies follow a traditional path, you can’t help but be drawn into their romance, thanks to the luminous performances from Xuan (The Great Wall) and Caiyu (TV series Seven Days).
It’s also easy to see why New Zealand’s film and tourism organisations are keen to leverage off the movie. The country is a real character in the movie, with Clyde, Kaiko¯ ura and Mt Cook all getting the chance to show off their wares. Only Cloud Knows is a charming, heartwarming and wrenching love story well-worth seeking out.