neostjames
I though this was a well made movie on what was obviously a very small budget. The camera angles are well thought out and the actors are given plenty of room to expand on the characters through the clever use of body language.The reviewer before this likened the movie to a student film but I think they missed the point. Some movies are made to challenge the viewer and make them think and this is one of them. You're allowed to form your own opinions of the characters and that plays a key role in how you interpret this movie.The movie doesn't examine all the angles or go further into any further character study that was available. What it does do is show us a raw side of China that could also be anywhere and sometimes humorously shows human nature all around. That comes from a certain energy throughout that makes this film worth a look and a key work from China.Mainstream movie lovers probably won't like this film because it doesn't spell everything out for you but instead leaves a lot to your imagination. For the rest of us Indie movie lovers this is a treat.
whist
Zhifu is a gritty film that explores the plight of people who have few skills and little education in a China shifting from a command to a market economy. It is also about the disconnect between the "common folk" and the authorities who ride herd over them. Having spent most of the 90s in China, I can say that Zhifu captures a lot of what daily life in urban China is like - family life, attitudes towards authority, the sense of aesthetic, and the contradictions of loyalty.If I had a criticism of Zhifu, it would not be the lowish production value, which I think makes the film more authentic and fresh. Rather, I would take issue with the near utter lack of humor or happiness. The director may be trying too hard to depict a difficult situation. Chinese people are not typically morose or grim, and often express a sense of humor that is somehow cheerfully sardonic. The film would have been lifted to something more had we been shown this resilience, in addition to the hardships the characters endure.
davidisrael
I watched Diao Yinan's Zhifu (UNIFORM) at the DC FilmFest last year. It made a strong impression at the time -- and it lingers in memory (now many months later) as a work that afforded an intriguing experience.In some respects perhaps Zhifu exemplifies a new esthetic model gradually emerging with the DV medium. While a fictional story, UNIFORM feels very close to real life: to the ambiguous, low-temperature, mundane texture of life in much of the world. ... The deeper lessons of experience are not summarized in plot lines. They're etched out in the slow toils of living.The story & relationships are built gradually and naturalistically. The closing scenes of Zhifu were (for me) particularly affecting. Kudos to Diao for guts -- & for what seemed a distinctive, understated style, and an interesting, individual viewpoint.
satinguo
I'm only commenting due to the lack of information about this movie available--I'd like to keep anyone interested from making my same mistake."Uniform" was a largely cliche-ridden, uninspired movie which contained sequences both unappealing to the eye and intellect ("simple" as the reviews called it). Essentially fruitless, "Uniform" is simply unbearable to sit through-I painstakingly made my way through half. I found it amazing this movie was given any credibility (however underground it may be), as every aspect was entirely banal and seemingly ignored during production (note when a passing SUV passenger sticks his head out the window to look at the camera crew). An obnoxiously linear story teamed with horrible, horrible acting is what should be expected.In summation..."Zhifu" is reminiscent of a student film--a student sadly disgracing cinema who has no right to be using the medium until he shows a little more respect for it's intrinsic artistic value.
AD
