Together with You

Xiaochun (Tang) is a brilliant violinist but living in a small village will do nothing to get him noticed, however many local competitions he wins. So his father Cheng (Liu) makes a decision, he is going to sell everything he has and together they will move to Beijing and find a teacher for his son. The problem is that at thirteen, Xiaochun really doesn't know what he wants to do and he doesn't like the fact that his life is already mapped out for him.

Combining such diverse emotions as love, guilt, greed, self-doubt, lust and teenage angst, writer, director and actor Chen Kaige brings us a heart-warming character driven drama that is a joy to watch and listen to.

Amalgamating music and drama into a story of family and acceptance, this movie is full of charm and character you can genuinely feel for. Chen Kaige, best known for "Farewell my Concubine", shows his love for the violin by creating a story around the exquisite sound of that wood instrument. The small cast of characters each have there own story to tell and are brought together by Xiaochun and his violin.

Cheng, Xiaochun's father wants more for his son than his own simple life of a cook. Peiqi Liu, who brings a certain naivety to the role, plays him brilliantly. His sheer determination to give his son the best start in life makes him an extremely likable character. Hong Cheng plays Lili, the object of Xiaochun's affections. The character uses her beauty to gain the attentions of older men, who lavish her with gifts but realises that her life is extremely empty. Zhiwen Wang is Professor Jiang, Xiaochun's first teacher. He is a gifted musician and teacher but memories of his past have restricted his future, making him a shadow of the man he could have been. Chen Kaige himself plays Professor Yu, the money driven teacher who sees Xiaochun as the next big thing.

Xiaochun brings all of these characters together. Played vividly by Yun Tang, this is a boy who is propelled as much by his wish to make his father proud as he is by his teenage hormones. The young actor is excels in the dramatic and musical aspects of his performance. He is either an amazing violinist or the best mime in the business as Xiaochun can really play but it is the emotional scenes where Tang proves that he is a young actor with great talent.

"Together with You" is an extremely heart-warming film, filled with emotion and wonderful music. It plays the heart strings as well as those on the violin to the point that even the most sternest of people will be moved by the fantastic finale.

PICTURE & SOUND
Presented in 1.85:1 Anamorphic Widescreen with a Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo soundtrack, the transfer is fine but not the greatest. The picture quality is grainy at times and at one point a scratch appears down the centre of the screen. The sound is better however but it would have benefited from a 5.1 track to emphasise the fantastic music that dominates the film.

BONUS FEATURES

Trailer
Your chance to view the theatrical trailer for the movie.

OVERALL
As with many foreign language movies there are no bonus features to speak of but this should not put you off renting or buying the film, as it is an absolute gem.

DVD

Farewell my Concubine

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2003