Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Latest
    • Thank You
    • 4000. Scenes From A Marriage (1973)
    • 3999. The Pianist (2002)
    • 3998. Philadelphia (1993)
    • 3997. Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975)
    • 3996. The Green Mile (1999)
    • 3995. Doctor Zhivago (1965)
    • 3994. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)
    The Mad Movie Man
    • Home
    • Blog
      • All Posts
      • Best Of The Year
        • Best Of 2015
        • Best Of 2016
        • Best Of 2017
        • Best Of 2018
        • Best Of 2019
        • Best Of 2020
        • Best Of 2021
        • Best Of 2022
      • The Decade In Review
      • Box Office Analysis
      • James Bond
      • Oscars
      • RANKED
      • Star Wars
      • The Big Questions
      • Top 10
      • World Cinema
    • Ratings
      • Top 250
      • Top 100 Foreign Films
      • Bottom 50
      • 0 – 1.9
      • 2 – 3.9
      • 4 – 5.9
      • 6 – 7.9
      • 8 – 10
    • Genres
      • Action
      • Anthology
      • Animation
      • Christmas
      • Comedy
      • Crime
      • Documentary
      • Drama
      • Fantasy
      • Film-Noir
      • History
      • Horror
      • Kids’
      • Musical
      • Psychological
      • Romance
      • Sci-Fi
      • Short
      • Silent
      • Sport
      • Superhero
      • Survival
      • Thriller
      • Western
    • Release Year
      • 2020s
      • 2010s
      • 2000s
      • 1990s
      • 1980s
      • 1970s
      • 1960s
      • 1950s
      • 1940s
      • 1930s
      • 1920s
    • Country
      • Afghanistan
      • Argentina
      • Australia
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Brazil
      • Cambodia
      • Canada
      • Chile
      • China
      • Colombia
      • Costa Rica
      • Czechoslovakia
      • Czech Republic
      • Denmark
      • East Timor
      • Faroe Islands
      • Finland
      • France
      • Germany
      • Georgia
      • Greece
      • Hong Kong
      • Hungary
      • Iceland
      • India
      • Indonesia
      • Iran
      • Iraq
      • Ireland
      • Israel
      • Italy
      • Japan
      • Latvia
      • Lebanon
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Mexico
      • New Zealand
      • Nigeria
      • North Korea
      • Norway
      • Paraguay
      • Peru
      • Philippines
      • Poland
      • Romania
      • Russia
      • Saudi Arabia
      • Singapore
      • South Korea
      • South Africa
      • Soviet Union
      • Spain
      • Sweden
      • Switzerland
      • Syria
      • Taiwan
      • Thailand
      • Turkey
      • Uganda
      • United Kingdom
      • United States
      • Uruguay
      • Vietnam
      • Zambia
    • About
    The Mad Movie Man
    You are at:Home»Review»2130. Love For Life (最爱) (2011)

    2130. Love For Life (最爱) (2011)

    0
    By The Mad Movie Man on April 28, 2018 100-109 mins, 2011, 6 - 7.9, Apr 18, China, Drama, Movies Of 2018, Review, Romance
    7.7 A big surprise
    • Acting 7.7
    • Directing 7.8
    • Story 7.7
    • User Ratings (0 Votes) 0

    Starring: Zhang Ziyi, Aaron Kwok, Tao Zeru

    Director: Gu Changwei

    Running Time: 100 mins


    Love For Life is a Chinese film about a small rural community where a group of villagers have been infected with AIDS, and two sufferers who unexpectedly fall in love put aside their troubles to spend their last days together.

    This film really surprised me. At first, I expected a somewhat melodramatic account of love triumphing over anything, with cheesy motifs in place of any real emotional depth, but I’m happy to report that Love For Life is both a riveting and emotionally impacting film, and one that manages to create real, engrossing drama from what at first seems like a whole lot less.

    Let’s start off by looking at the film’s two distinct halves. First off, the movie begins with a look at how a group of AIDS sufferers are completely ostracised from their local community. It’s a striking opening, and even more so because it empahsises just how far-reaching and damaging the disease can be, deeply affecting people from the big city all the way to a small rural village in the middle of China. What’s more, the portrayal of the discrimination that the sufferers face is actually pretty heartbreaking to watch, as the villagers go out of their way to avoid any physical contact with the sufferers, distancing themselves as much as possible, and thereby socially isolating them.

    That leads us into the film’s second half, which proves an impressively touching watch. As the villagers affected with the disease are further isolated from the community, they begin to form a strong bond with one another, ultimately embracing the friendship that their affliction has allowed for. In that, the two who strike up a strong relationship, Zhang Ziyi and Aaron Kwok, represent their strength in overcoming their illness. Now, I know that sounds like a really cheesy central theme, but I was really surprised by just how emotionally affecting and genuine this part of the story was, with the romance that blossoms between the two providing a genuinely uplifting watch, all the while retaining the dramatic depth established in the somewhat harsher opening act.

    I won’t deny that the film has moments of melodrama – its ending in particular is a little over-the-top, and isn’t entirely earned over the course of the film, but I was pleasantly surprised by just ow engaging and touching a stroy the film was able to tell with what at first appeared to be a fairly cheesy story.

    What’s more is that, along with its touching story, the film’s setting and visuals make it an even more moving watch. Much like The Road Home (also starring Zhang Ziyi), the film creates a very bright and positive portrayal or rural living, and depsite the discrimination that comes about as a result of the disease, the sense of community that is emphasised even through the visuals, always showing the small town in bright, dazzling sunlight, is a wonderful central element that only added to my overall enjoyment.

    Overall, while there are moments of melodrama throughout, Love For Life is in all honesty a wonderfully touching and uplifting film that turns an often cheesy central theme about the power of love and community in the face of adversity into something that’s really wonderful, and that’s whhy I’m giving it a 7.7 overall.

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    The Mad Movie Man
    • Website
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    The Mad Movie Man, AKA Anthony Cullen, writes articles and reviews about movies and the world of cinema. From January 1st, 2013 to December 31st, 2022, he watched and reviewed a movie every day. This is the blog dedicated to the project: www.madmovieman.com

    Related Posts

    8.2

    4000. Scenes From A Marriage (1973)

    7.8

    3999. The Pianist (2002)

    8.2

    3998. Philadelphia (1993)

    Follow Me Online!
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Tumblr
    New Releases
    8.2
    December 25, 2022

    3994. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)

    5.6
    December 10, 2022

    3969. Falling For Christmas (2022)

    6.9
    December 4, 2022

    3956. The People We Hate At The Wedding (2022)

    5.4
    December 3, 2022

    3954. Disenchanted (2022)

    7.4
    December 3, 2022

    3953. Meet Cute (2022)

    7.6
    November 23, 2022

    3934. Do Revenge (2022)

    7.0
    November 18, 2022

    3929. The Wonder (2022)

    6.7
    November 13, 2022

    3924. See How They Run (2022)

    Recommended Movies
    8.3
    Review
    March 4, 20150

    877. Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999)

    8.1
    Review
    November 18, 20160

    1552. Meet The Parents (2000)

    8.2
    Review
    December 31, 20180

    2400. The Best Of Youth (2003)

    8.0
    Review
    August 15, 20130

    254. The Aviator (2004)

    8.4
    Review
    April 19, 20180

    2121. Annihilation (2018)

    Popular Posts
    December 31, 2022

    Thank You

    8.2
    December 31, 2022

    4000. Scenes From A Marriage (1973)

    7.8
    December 30, 2022

    3999. The Pianist (2002)

    8.2
    December 29, 2022

    3998. Philadelphia (1993)

    7.5
    December 28, 2022

    3997. Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975)

    9.1
    December 27, 2022

    3996. The Green Mile (1999)

    7.6
    December 26, 2022

    3995. Doctor Zhivago (1965)

    © 2023 ThemeSphere. Designed by ThemeSphere.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.