Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (2011)

The film weaves together two stories, one in modern China and one in Chinese antiquity. In each, two women raised together form strong friendships and pledge themselves to always support each other. As time passes these relationships are tested by tradition, marriage, love and loss.In Chinese antiquity, some women ("laotang", or "secret sisters") would communicate by writing on the folds of fans in an obscure language, nu shu (literally, "woman's writing"). In "Snow Flower" most of their missives are poems, Listen for the poetry: you won't understand the language (almost no one, including native Chinese, can) but the rhyme, meter and sounds of the poetry enhance the narrative.The older story also describes the binding of young girls' feet. This painful and crippling practice and other difficulties of life bind the women in these stories: mother to daughter, secret sister to secret sister, and friend to friend.Excellent acting, beautiful music, architectural cinematography of the first order and a pace that allows you to catch the many fine details of these stories make this film an exquisite experience. I already want to watch it again.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is a film based on the novel by Lisa See. It stars Gianna Jun and Li Bingbing together with Archie Kao, Vivian Wu, and Hugh Jackman.Wayne Wang directed this feature about female friendship.The screenplay is set on two historical periods.One is during the 19th century in China wherein two girls,Snow Flower and Lily, are bonded together for eternity.They were paired by a matchmaker as "laotong". They are isolated by their families and they try to maintain their relationship by communicating through a secret language known as Nu shu. They support each other through the ups and downs of their village, dealing with harrowing traditions like foot-binding and arranged marriages.The other story is set at present day Shanghai.Their descendants are Sophia Liao and Nina Wei.Both are struggling with their own childhood.During their teen-age years,they were introduced on the concept of "laotong".They maintained their special bond all throughout the years but struggled with their friendship due to their careers,love lives and modern society .Then both got into an argument that resulted into a temporary separation but they eventually got reunited when Sophia got into an accident.Nina reads the unpublished manuscript she wrote when she got into the hospital and she tries to understand the story written in it which is based on the lessons of their past generation particularly with their ancestral connection of Snow Flower and Lily.This was a well-shot film.The cinematography was definitely great.But unfortunately,Gianna Jun and Li Bingbing weren't able to generate interest on the characters that they are portraying both in the 19th century China and modern day Shanghai.It is not their fault since are talented actresses particularly Gianna Jun whom I have loved and admired in movies like My Sassy Girl,Daisy and A Man Who Want To Be Superman.Part of the reason is that the progression of the story is on a very slow pace and emotionally inert to capture one's interest.Even Hugh Jackman's singing in Chinese couldn't even lift it as both lead characters aren't given enough to capture the viewer's attention.Added to that,the mix of multiple languages served as a distraction the shift from Chinese to English and vice-versa despite the fact that it adds realism to the story.Finally,I felt that it wasn't really able to emphasize the message that it tries convey that that old traditions does work in modern times as it became very predictable and often times melodramatic especially in telling the story of female friendship and the people around them.Too bad that this beautiful story told by Lisa See could have had a better film adaptation.

From seeing the preview of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan you'd thinkthis would be a great film about friendship and the power of it lasting for ages but sadly it isn't.Here's the positiveRachel Portman delivers an Outstanding music score which is full of emotion I'm disappointed it didn't get any nods for this or the costumes either.The two leads try their best to act in this film but alas all we getis scenes of BingBing Lee looking out the window seeing parts of ancient culture blending in with modern day.The negativeFans of the book should stay away.From what I've heard this movie is nothing like the book.However if your interested then go rent it.My Chinese friend told me during the movie that he's never heard of laotong he told me it means "old saying". Maybe this was something they did in the southern part of China that he didn't know about.There were scenes that were just confusing where it looked like Lily was into Snow Flower.The scene when they were young and there feet binded/wrapped up to make their feet smaller and stand up and walk around. My friend pointed out again that they would be in extreme pain and might not walk for days.6/10I wonder what the author thinks of the movie?

One of the key discoveries in my life is that for me and for many of my women friends, our friendship is often the most wonderful gift of life. This movie celebrates friendship among women. It relates two stories of women in China whose friendship is signed as a contract, a laotong. Laotong, the movie explains, is a life-long relationship between women, often considered more important than marriage. The movie presents two young friends in Shanghai in the 21st century who celebrate a laotong. Their friendship is portrayed with the closeness, empathy and support that is well known about friendship among women. And it also presents the difficulties and distances that are very real and perhaps unavoidable in close relationships. In a similar way, the movie presents two 19th century women who had had a laotong in very different circumstances and for whom the friendship is also both a marvelous gift and a difficult relationship. Movies are often about relations between a man and a women but seldom about women friends. That is why this movie seems to be controversial. It is not always accepted that for women their women friends are their most rewarding relationships despite the complicated faces of any human partnership. Go see the movie. It shows a side of women's life that is amazingly real but poorly understood.