CineMata's Movie Madness
  • Homepage
  • Guest Reviews
    • Rhapsody in August
  • Cine's Closeup
    • The Pale Blue Eye
    • The Munsters 2022
    • Hello, My Name is Doris
    • In Praise of Family
    • Venom 2
    • Ophelia
    • Mank
    • Macbeth 2015
  • Pioneering Feministas
    • Tar: Are You Being Gaslighted?
    • Janet Green: Tapping into the Dark Side
    • Women Make Film
    • Alice Guy-Blache
    • Auteur Directors
  • Star Spot
    • Juanita Moore
    • Raisin in the Sun 3
    • Cine's Walk of Fame Tour
  • The Woman's Voice
    • Blonde 2022
    • Women Warriors
    • The Divine Order
    • Twilight: A Primal Call for Patriarchal Dominance
    • The Fierce Women of Summer
    • Martha Fiennes' ONEGIN
    • The Dressmaker
    • Sofia Coppola and The Silent Woman
    • Thelma and Louise
    • Bridesmaids 2011
    • Mildred Pierce HBO
    • Dragonwyck
    • Cousin Bette
    • Stage Beauty
  • About Cine
  • Top Ten Faves
    • 'Tis the Season for Murder
    • 12 Days of Cinematic Christmas 2020
    • The Best Film Experiences of 2017
    • Female Villains to Die For
    • 10 Remakes to Remember
    • We Heart the Bad Boys
    • 12 Days of Cinematic Christmas 2014
    • Most Memorable Moms
    • Cult Film Faves
  • Contact Cine
  • Hollywood Notables
    • Fiona Shaw
    • Viola Davis
    • Elizabeth Banks
    • Shia LaBeouf
  • Rave Reviews
    • Best of Netflix 2017
    • Mayhem
    • Dave Made a Maze
    • Lavender
    • Hail Caesar!
    • Spy
    • Gravity
    • Inception 2010
    • Black Swan 2010
    • Flight
    • Moonrise Kingdom
    • Lincoln
    • Looper
    • Lawless
  • Telegenic Static
    • Wednesday
    • Cine's 2018/19 Seasonal Faves
    • The Highwaymen
    • Cine's New Year Resolution: Watch More Netflix!
    • TCM : A Class Act
    • Best of TV * 2017
    • Female Detectives on TV
    • Neo-Renaissance TV: Feud & Big Little Lies
    • True Detective Navigates Noirland
    • Texas Rising
    • 2014/2015 TV Season Highlights
    • 2013-2014 TV Favorites
  • British Film & TV
    • The Banshees of Inisherin
    • Doc Martin
    • Song of the Swan
    • Death in Paradise
    • Miss Scarlet and the Duke
    • The Stranger
    • Sanditon
    • Collateral
    • Handsome Devil
    • Love & Friendship
    • Victorian Slum House
    • 45 Years
    • Anonymous
    • Appropriate Adult
    • Sherlock Holmes: Many Faces
    • Philomena
    • British Feminista TV
    • Brassed Off
  • The Golden Age
    • Gone with the Wind
    • Cleopatra 1934
    • Elizabeth Taylor: The Passing of an Icon
  • Who You Callin' Crazy?!
    • Cine's Walk of Fame Tour
    • Count Bela: Nosferatu & Vampyr
    • Post Awards with Ida Lupino
    • The Duke: Cowboys/Aliens vs WWZ
    • Liberace Dishes
    • Elizabeth Taylor Visits Cine
  • Noir Greats
    • Nightmare Alley
    • The Big Heat
    • Femme Fatales: Crime is My Career
    • Femme Fatales: Honey, I'm Home!
    • Crime of Passion
    • The Loves of Carmen
    • The Many Faces of Noir
    • In Order of Disappearance
    • Boss - 2011/12 series
    • Pepe le Moko 1937
    • Mystery Street 1950
    • The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
    • The Barefoot Contessa: A Noir Bridge to Nowhere
    • They Won't Believe Me
    • Dan Duryea Nails Noir
    • What Is Film Noir?
    • They Drive By Night
  • Commentaries
    • Award Season 2019 Redux
    • #OscarsSoTarnished
    • Orson Welles Independent Film Tribute
    • Oscar 2016: The Politics of Segregation
    • Hollywood Director's Club: For Men Only
    • Poliwood and the Hollywood Blacklist
    • Cine Mata's 2015 Picks and Pans
    • The Unbearable Whiteness of Emmy Hosting
    • Oscar's Dodge
  • Drive-By Reviews
    • Dark Phoenix
    • Nola Circus
    • Comfort
    • ATOMICA
    • Innuendo
    • My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2
    • Film Franchise Meltdown
    • The Woman in Black
    • Girls with Guns 3.0
    • Coriolanus
    • Lady Scarface 1941
  • International Films & TV
    • My Pandemic Marathon Diaries
    • The Twelve
    • Mr. Sunshine
    • The World of International Noir
    • Romance of Our Parents
    • The Grand Hotel Saga
    • Don't Be Bad
    • The Handmaiden
    • Caramel / Sukkar banat
    • Morning for the Osone Family 1946
    • Fritz Lang's M
    • La Bete Humaine
  • Political Rx
    • Rebellion
    • Women in the White House
    • The Ides of March
    • By The People: The Election of Barack Obama
  • Culture Centric Cinema
    • Horror Noire
    • Self Made
    • Little
    • Hidden Figures
    • Fences
    • #Whiterose: Identity, Secrecy & BD Wong
    • Imitation of Life 1934
    • Frazzled Hair Wars
    • Soul Men
  • Indie Films
    • Scotland, PA
    • Adrift in Soho
    • H4
    • Paint It Red
    • HAMLET in the Golden Vale
    • Trouble is My Business
    • The Browsing Effect
    • Indie Films 2018 >
      • Clara's Ghost
      • Cold War
      • To Dream
      • The New Romantic
      • Here and Now
      • Unlovable
      • The Landing
      • I CAN I WILL I DID
      • Choosing Signs
      • Iron Brothers
      • Across the River
      • Josephine Doe
      • Sunset
      • SUNSET: Interview
      • The Forgiven
      • Kill Order
      • Midnighters
      • Half Magic
      • Looking Glass
      • Entanglement
      • Crazy Famous
      • Stratton
      • As You Like It
      • Hunter
  • eau de cinematic clunker
    • Avatar 2: The Way of Water
    • The Irishman
    • Almost Friends
    • The Osiris Child
    • Bushwick
    • Pilgrimage
    • Fun Mom Dinner
    • Once Upon A Time in Venice
    • Aaron's Blood
    • Black Rose
    • Lucy 2014
    • Transcendence 2014
  • Book Reviews
    • Conversations with Ray Bradbury
    • A Woman's View
    • Dark Dames
    • Auntie Mame's Favorite Son: Patrick Dennis
    • I'm A Lebowski, You're A Lebowski
  • Documentary Picks & Pans
    • Black Ballerina
    • Leftover Women
    • Natalie Wood: What Remains Behind
    • Unrest
    • Be Natural
    • Farmsteaders
    • Bombshell : Hedy Lamarr
    • Jungle
    • Who the F**k is that Guy?
    • The Man in the Camo Jacket
    • Spirit Game: Pride of a Nation
    • Burlesque: Heart of the Glitter Tribe
    • Listen to Me Marlon
    • I Am Not Your Negro
    • The Girls in the Band
    • TCM's Trailblazing Women in Film
    • The Honor Diaries
    • Side By Side
    • American Masters : Salinger
    • The Story of Film
  • LGBTQ pov
    • Making Sweet Tea
    • Drag Queens & Trannies
    • Milk 2009
  • Silent Classics
    • Charles Epting: Silent Film Historian
    • Hollywood's Silent Film Grave Huntress
    • La Boheme 1926
    • The Blot 1921
    • Pandora's Box
    • Don Juan
  • Art House Flicks
    • Birth
    • I'm Not There
  • Kid's Korner
    • Pokemon Detective Pikachu
    • Hotel Transylvania 3 : Summer Vacation
    • The Incredibles 2
    • Sherlock Gnomes
    • Paddington 2
    • Lego Batman: A Super Hero in Crisis
    • SING: Cine's 2017 Oscar Pick
    • Summer Flicks 2016
    • Kung Fu Panda 3 / 2016
  • Cine's Friends
  • Hollywood Award Shows
    • Cine's Fantasy Golden Globes 2021
    • Oscar 2020
    • For Your Consideration 2018
    • For Your Consideration 2017
    • 50 Shades of Oscar 2016
    • 2016 Golden Globes
    • 2015 Emmys Redux
    • 2014 Oscars: Plantation Politics
    • 2014 Emmys : A Dash of Racism
    • 2013 Emmys : Hold the Mayo
  • Archives
Picture

Romance of Our Parents / Fu Mu Ai Qing


By Paulette Reynolds
October 1, 2018



Chinese TV Series
2014


Subtitled

Director: Sheng Kong
Screenplays: Jing Liu

Starring Ting Mei/An Jie, Tao Guo/Jiang Defu, Re Shuai/Wang Ding, Lin Liu/Jiang Dehua, Yan Zhang/An Xin, Guangping Guo/An Tai, Yin Liu/Ouyang Yi, Jinghua Wang/An Tai’s wife, Tianchi Liu/Wang Xiu’e, Serena Liu, Na Renhua, Liu Mintao, Huang Hai, Liu Mingming, Fang Hui, Han Dantong

Picture

Say the word 'China' - what springs to mind?  The flood of imported goods into our stores?  Donald Trump's annoying pronunciation of the word?  Your favorite Chinese restaurant?  I'll admit to all three images - UNTIL - I watched the series Romance of Our Parents.  I wasn't quite sure what I was going to experience, but they had me on an emotional roller coaster ride after the first episode. ​
It charts the 50 year marriage of Defu and An Jie, an unlikely duo immersed in the post revolutionary China of the early 1950s.  Jiang Defu is an enthusiastic Commander attending military school for specialized training.  Recently divorced, he bunks on the base with his worldly wannabe friend, Ding. Defu and Ding play chess, exchange war stories and wax poetic about women, but Ding inflates his experience and Defu shrugs off his limited scope.  One night, our lackluster lothario gets talked into attending a dance, where he meets the lovely An Jie, an office worker with a sharp tongue, who's considered an 'outsider' because of her upper class background.  She limps home after twisting her ankle (made worse by Defu's stumbling footwork) and announces to her wealthy family that she's done trying to date outside of her class.
The large ensemble cast boasts some memorable characters: Husband Defu (Tao Guo) knows all the buttons to push in the never-ending struggles with his wife - even though he's fully aware it will get him in trouble.  An Jie (Ting Mei) is long on knowledge but suffers no fools, least of all Defu.  Defu's sister, Dehua (Lin Liu) is incapable of staying out of her brother's personal affairs, much to everyone's frustration.  Ding becomes their neighbor, which only results in  more muddled waters - especially when his wife and children descend.  But my favorite character is Defu and An Jie's eldest daughter Yafei, who excels at putting everyone in their place while solving every situation (before every one else - naturally).
So begins an improbable love story that centers on two strong-willed people who know they're in it for the long haul, despite meddling neighbors, skeptical family members, unruly offspring and changing party politics. Against the backdrop of a country mired in overzealous followers and timeless traditions, Romance of Our Parents brims over with humor and drama.  The core strength of the story is that An Jie and Defu are able to forgive a mistake even while bickering about it, because - let's face it - the battle of the sexes is the greatest aphrodisiac, isn't it?  
The production focuses on busy village life for the first 25 years, highlighting the issue of educating 'capitalist' raised citizens while elevating the working class.  Here is where - for western audiences - the cultural divide deepens.  All the farmers -especially women - are portrayed as gossipy illiterates.  Their political education improves, but they appear to be left out of the Chinese party literacy program altogether. For 'bad' citizens (i.e. those from the capitalist class) the fear and dread of the Red Guard is accurately depicted, as rumors produce lightening quick responses from party officials and unruly youths.  Yet these developments toughen up the characters, preparing them for the transition back to city life.
As they enter the second part of the series Defu, An Jie, Ding and their families settle into a new world of technological and social changes.  Grandchildren and growing older now bring a new set of challenges for the aging duo, allowing the edges of their old-fashioned common sense to be smooth by Yafei’s modern sensibilities.  Unfortunately for Dehua, she still doesn't get the education memo and remains woefully uneducated by the show's end…sigh.
This platinum series won the Golden Eagle Award for Best Television Series 2014, with Ting Mei (An Jie) winning the Feitian Television Award for Best Actress 2015.  Sheng Kong won the Feitian award for Outstanding Director.  Jing Liu was nominated for Best Writing and Ting Mei and Tao Guo for Best Actress/Actor by the Shanghai International TV Festival.
What is so moving about this series is the focus on this compelling couple and their enduring love story.  Netflix offers many Asian programs that feature mixed generations, but Romance of Our Parents is done so well that it transcends the confines of the small screen.  American television - let alone film - simply has nothing like it, perhaps because our culture doesn’t value aging parents and their personal history, in its frenzy to find the next fountain of youth.

Savor Romance of Our Parents for a truly unique experience that honors family, aging and above all - love.  
Picture

COPYRIGHT 2012/2018. Paulette Reynolds.  All CineMata Movie Madness blog articles, reviews, faux interviews, commentary, and the Cine Mata character are under the sole ownership of Paulette Reynolds.  All intellectual and creative rights reserved.  
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.