Soul Mate / 七月与安生 (2016)

[superborb]

This is one of the best movies I've watched in recent memory! (I... need to re-organize my tags so I have a separate cdrama and movie tag, don't I. Hmm.)

The premise: a novel has been published that describes the friendship of Li Ansheng and Lin Qiyue, bringing all those painful and happy memories of the past to the front of Ansheng's mind. Once upon a time, they were the best of friends. Yet despite their painful separation, in their hearts, the other was the only one who truly loved them.

I cried for most of the movie, and it felt earned. The relationship between Ansheng and Qiyue was so complicated and emotional, and both actresses were incredible. The movie did some good foreshadowing and repeated and reflected themes and imagery too. Using bras to represent freedom and womanhood, a bit of an easy reference perhaps, but done well.

I don't know how to say anything more without spoilers; I usually am quite lax with spoilers and reading spoilers, but I think this is worth watching unspoiled! Some ROT13 spoilers:

GUR ERIRNY BS GUR NHGUBE!!! V guvax guebhtu gur jubyr zbivr, V jnf n yvggyr pbashfrq / xrcg cbvagvat bhg gb gur jngpu cnegl ubj vg frrzrq gb xabj nyy gurfr guvatf Dvlhr pbhyqa'g unir xabja, lrg V ernyyl qvq abg fhfcrpg gur gehgu! Naq sebz gur ortvaavat, gurer jnf n fgebat srryvat gung guvf jnf na haeryvnoyr aneengbe, lrg JUVPU aneengbe jnf fbzrubj orlbaq zl qrqhpgvir pncnovyvgvrf yby, V gehfgrq gbb zhpu.

Bs pbhefr, bapr gur erirny unccrarq, V jnf yvxr, fb nyy gubfr zragvbaf bs qlvat ol 27... Dvlhr vf qrnq, vfa'g fur. V sryg yvxr vg jnf sberfunqbjrq rabhtu gung V jnfa'g znq nobhg vg? Bs pbhefr, V'yy arrq fbzr svp nobhg gurz envfvat gurve qnhtugre gbtrgure unccvyl, juvpu V nffhzr QAR, ohg V'yy yvir va ubcr.

V guvax gur zbivr vf nyfb fnlvat vagrerfgvat guvatf nobhg univat gb frggyr qbja if qevsgvat, naq gur rkgrag bs gur vasyhrapr bs rnpu bs gur jbzra ba gur bgure'f crefbanyvgl naq vagrerfgf. Naq ubj Nafurat vf cebwrpgvat bagb jung Dvlhr sryg juvyr fur jnf va gur ivyyntr!

V qba'g ybir ubj vafhyne gurve eryngvbafuvc tbg, V thrff? Yvxr, znlor vg vf haeryvnoyr aneengbe be xrrcvat vg n frperg, ohg gung Dvlhr'f ybivat cneragf pbhyqa'g pbzr gb gur ovegu naq gurve yvirf aneebjrq qbja gb rnpu bgure va gur raq? Naq ubj Wvnzvat jrag sebz n cbgragvnyyl vagrerfgvat punenpgre gb onfvpnyyl frg qerffvat gb vyyhfgengr gurve eryngvbafuvc.

ANYWAY it was so good and I'd highly rec it!

Comments

[halfcactus]

I think the best part of the movie is the stories it tells by omission. There’s so much it tells through the gaps! And so much that is told in pieces with a trust in the audience that only comes with tight storyboarding. Aa satisfying it is to have an explanation for the biased narrative, I can’t not think of why we know so little of Qiyue and that makes it all the more sad. :(

I did love the movie’s conclusion that their friendship isn’t as improbable as it seems! That they each have a bit of the other inside them, and that’s what resonates. Soul Mate really is an apt title for what is portrayed. 😭♥️

ROT13:
Er: cneragf - LRNU GUNG ERNYYL FGHPX BHG, ohg V nffhzrq gung Dvlhr’f ubzr yvsr jnf abg nf fzbbgu naq fhccbegvir nf Nafurat creprvirf. Gurer zhfg unir orra guvatf tbvat ba—jr xabj abguvat bs ubj Dvlhr fcrag gur lrnef ncneg bgure guna ure pnerre naq ure oblsevraq.

Birenyy V whfg qvqa’g yvxr gur certanapl fgbelyvar orpnhfr:
1) V qba’g yvxr xvqf yby
2) V svaq gur cerpbpvbhfarff bs gur xvq gbb pbagevirq (gubhtu V fhccbfr bar pbhyq nethr gung fur trgf gung sebz ure zbguref!)
3) V guvax Dvlhr vf gbb fzneg naq frafvoyr gb yrg vg trg gung sne!

Ohg V’z dhvgr hapyrne ba jurgure be abg fur jnagrq n xvq—lbh’er pbzcyrgryl evtug gung Nafurat cebwrpgf n ybg, obgu va ure CbI naq gur fgbel fur pubbfrf gb gryy bs Dvlhr’f shgher! V qba’g xabj jung Dvlhr jnagf, bayl gung fur qvqa’g trg vg, naq gung fur qvrq orsber fur unq n punapr gb svther vg bhg naq gung uvg zr irel uneq.

[halfcactus]

askdfpdjdkddos I was so complacent on knowing how to do this ROT13 and then I copy/pasted from the de-coded field 😂

[marginalia]

One of my favorite films! I saw it in the theater and loved it so much I was a little afraid to watch it again (though I did finally, in lockdown, and still loved it.) Have you seen Another Me? It's in my Viki queue, but I feel like I need to have some distance from the film before I can watch another adaptation.

[superborb]

Yeah, it's hard to think of how we could have learned more about Qiyue directly in the confines of this story. I guess ultimately this was really Ansheng's story, and we're just seeing the effects of Qiyue on that!

Jr ernyyl arire qb svaq bhg rknpgyl jul Dvlhr pubfr gb xrrc gur xvq! Orpnhfr fur'f vzcyvrq gb or fznegre guna Nafurat, fb vg frrzf yvxr vg jbhyq sbyybj gung vg jnf n /pubvpr/ gb unir ure vafgrnq bs n qrsnhyg pubvpr?

Ohg lrf, 100% gung jr arire trg gb xabj jung Dvlhr jnagrq bhg bs yvsr, naq gung Nafurat jnf cebwrpgvat uneq jura ubcvat fur unq n jbaqreshy gvzr geniryvat qhevat gurve ynfg frcnengvba, fubjvat ure qbvat bayl gur cbfvgvirf bs gur yvsr Nafurat unq jura fur urefrys jnf geniryvat!

Nyfb gur xvq qvq frrz whfg n aneengvir pbairavrapr, gubhtu V thrff lbh pna nyfb vagrecerg vg va n ybg bs jnlf, fur whfg frrzrq gb abg pneel rabhtu aneengvir jrvtug gb or zrnavatshy?

[superborb]

I have not!! I haven't heard if it's good, and I'm a bit wary that it can't possibly live up to the movie...

[marginalia]

Oh, for sure. I'd have to think of it as its own thing.

[geckoholic]

May I ask where you watched this? I'm interested due to your rec, but despite searching twice, I have not found a stream. /o\

[superborb]

I'm going to DM you

[geckoholic]

Got it, thanks!!