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Plot Summary
From the director of The Joy Luck Club, and based on the best-selling novel, comes a timeless portrait of female friendship. Centuries ago, two “sworn sisters” are isolated by their families, but stay connected through a secret language written in the folds of a white silk fan. Now in modern-day Shanghai, their descendents must draw inspiration from the past as they struggle to maintain their own eternal bond in the face of life’s complications. What unfolds are two stories, generations apart, but everlasting in their universal notion of love, hope and friendship.
Credits
Director
Rotten Tomatoes Movie Reviews
TOMATOMETER
21%- Reviews Counted: 87
- Fresh: 18
- Rotten: 69
- Average Rating: 4.5/10
Top Critics' Reviews
Rotten: Emphasizes melodrama over character development, until the proceedings feel like a rabbit hole of misfortune.
Rotten: In this lavish adaptation of Lisa See's novel, the complex chronologies of the parallel narratives are skillfully handled by director Wayne Wang, which makes his reliance on unbridled sentimentality all the more irritating.
Rotten: A story of much visual grace and, sadly, considerable narrative awkwardness.
Rotten: "Snow Flower and the Secret Fan" aims for the heartstrings and only strikes a few notes.
Customer Reviews
Why English?
I don't know why the actress speak English? The place and story are all in China! Why not Chinese?!
Let Down
I expected this movie to be in Chinese with English subtitles. Strangely, even though the entire movie takes place in China, there are many scenes in English. Why? Just to reach a larger audience, because many American people don't want to read subtitles? The story jumps annoyingly from present to past and back again. I didn't find the modern day friendship very interesting. I think it would have been better if they focused the movie on the past. Also, the "friendship" touted in the description is misleading. The women are obviously attracted to each other as is shown in more than one scene, especially toward the end. This story thus seems to be more about forbidden passion than a true friendship between the women.
Soulmates
This was a wonderful movie and I absolutely loved it. Anyone with a true soulmate for a best friend will understand.
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- $14.99
- Genre: Drama
- Released: 2011
- © 2011 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved.