Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (2011)

[lkmg]

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan Blu-ray

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan Blu-ray Review

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment has announced that it will release on Blu-ray critically acclaimed director Wayne Wang's (Chinese Box) Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (2011), starring Li Bingbing, Russell Wong, Gianna Jun, and Vivian Wu. Street date is November 1.

Special features: The Sworn Sisterhood of the Secret Fan

Growing up in 19th century China, Lily (Li Bingbing, The Forbidden Kingdom) and Snow Flower (Gianna Jun, My Sassy Girl) are brought together in a Laotong friendship—a lifelong bond between two women who rely on each other for companionship and comfort. Amid the civil unrest and gender discrimination of the era, the pair deals with life's hardships together until they are separated by marriage and childbirth. As sworn sisters, however, the women continue to communicate through the secret Chinese language of nushu, hiding their stories and messages within the folds of delicate silk fans.

In present day Shanghai, the Laotong's descendants Nina (also played by Li) and Sophia (also played by Jun) struggle to maintain the intimacy of their own childhood friendship in the face of demanding careers and complicated love lives. Drawing on lessons of the past, the two modern women must understand the story of their ancestral connection or risk losing one another forever. What unfolds are two stories, generations apart, but everlasting in the notion of love, hope and friendship.

[Deciazulado]

pre-order ^^

[DavePS3]

Watched this Saturday night. Wow... what a beautiful film. I'd put it up there with New World and What Dreams May Come in terms of the emotion put forth. Snow is a well executed, beautifully shot film and while some of may seem to drag a bit, it's all a means to an end so what is there, is necessary.

The film makes a parallel between a friendship between two young women in the present and two in China years prior. The same two actresses play the friends in both times and while the book has no such present day parallel, it was an extrememly smart and artistic choice doing so in the film. The two actresses do not over act, in fact if anything, the acting is perfectly understated.

Resolution is top notch and sound, although not punched up like an action movie, is subtle, sweet and enveloping. It takes place in my top 20 films and I'm telling my friends, whom I know will appreciate such a film, about it.

[P@t_Mtl]

It's on my wish list, will be ordering this very soon.

[Deciazulado]

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan Blu-ray Review

[TheBoss062]

I read the original novel by Lisa See a while back and while my memory on it is a bit foggy I most certainly don't remember a present day subplot included. Why was that in the film adaptation? It only messed with the pacing and made the plot convoluted.

[Tokidoki55]

I would have enjoyed this more if it didn’t have the present day subplot honestly. It was distracting.