Snowfall (Chute de neige) 雪葬

On Sunday, September 23, 2018, I went to see the movie Snowfall (Chute de neige) or 雪葬 in Chinese.

The movie is about the rise of Communism and the economic reform in the 1970s to 1990s of People's Republic of China.  They centre their story around a village that becomes a herb export.  It also talks about the struggles that the people face as a result of this reform and China opening up its policies.  And of course politics and how people pass the buck to others and about swindling, etc.

The English and French translation of the title is not accurate though.  Though, perhaps more poetic.  The Chinese title literally translates to snow burial...

The Bookshop

On Tuesday, September 18, 2018 I went to see the movie The Bookshop, featuring Emily Mortimer, Bill Nighy, and Patricia Clarkson.

The movie is based on a Penelope Fitzgerald novel, which talks about Florence Green, a widow, who decides to risk everything and open a book shop in a small town.  However, she faces a local "diva", Violet Gamart, who believes that the town doesn't need a book shop, but an arts centre.

The movie develops a story around Green, who tries to bring some culture into the town via the novels of Ray Bradbury and Vladimir Nabokov, but she quickly realizes that just how stubborn and conservative the townspeople might be.

What does she do?  Does she fight and win?  Does she pack it up and go?  You'll have to watch it to find out!

Peppermint

On Saturday, September 15, 2018, I went to see the movie Peppermint featuring Jennifer Gardner.

This movie is about Riley North, played by Gardner, who witnesses her daughter Carly North (played by Cailey Fleming) and her husband Chris North (played by Jeff Hephner) gunned down in front of her.  She survives the shooting, but her husband and daughter do not.

The reason why her husband was gunned down was because he had initially agreed to do a deal to rip off a drug cartel.  But he finally changed his mind.  But, word had already gotten out and he was "made an example of.

Unfortunately, because of the power of this cartel, Riley North does not get the justice that should have been served in the court room.  She escapes, goes underground and then trains to become this kick-ass vigilante assassin.  What does she do?  You'll have to watch the movie to find out!

A Touch of Spring (Un printemps d'ailleurs)

On Tuesday, September 4, 2018, I went to see the movie A Touch of Spring (Un printemps d'ailleurs), featuring Kefa Cui, Émile Proulx-Cloutier, and Wensi Yuan.  This movie is about a couple, Li Fang (Wensi Yuan) and Éric (Émile Proulx-Cloutier) who's a couple living in Montreal.  They are having trouble conceiving a child and have a violent episode that causes them to break up.

Li Fang then goes back to her place of birth, Dazu in Southern China.  Through living with her family and their support, she tries to get through this hardship.

Does she succeed?  You'll have to watch the movie to find out.