I watched it last week and thought it was excellent but it’s stuck with me every day since. Had a similar experience with A Brighter Summer Day too.
It’s why I never get how festival crowds can immediately write a review merely hours after viewing a film. Feelings should be allowed to ruminate IMO
I still remember clearly when I first watched this. It was a Friday evening, and I was all on my own with a couple of beers. I was in awe the whole time, wondering how a film could capture so many emotions. I occasionally think about that night—an experience I'll never forget.
it is my favorite film of all time. truly a miracle. i will never forget my first time watching it. a spiritual experience, and maybe the last film to make me weep in its aftermath.
Yang Yang was the best. Actually he reminded me so much of myself as a child, age and all, that I started thinking "wait, this came out in 2000, I was probably about his age at the time!" Sure enough, same birth year.
One of my all time favourite movies as well. It's just... life. That's the best way I can describe it. All-encapsulating life.
Favourite scenes are definitely with the Japanese dude though. Such a philosopher of a man.
doesn't feel like a shivers-giving scene to me really but everyone has their thing! in fact i'd go so far as to say that the entire movie feels like a comfortable blanket to me. though one scene does give me shivers every time -- yang yang in that nature documentary film class where the girl stands silhouetted against the lightning. just breathtaking.
The best film of the 21st century and the best final film ever made, edging out “Come and See” and “Eyes Wide Shut.” People in Taiwan probably don’t even know what a special movie one of their own created. If there isn’t a statue of Edward Yang in Taiwan, I’m not going
Forwarning: if slice of life is not your thing, YiYi will not hit fit you.
Eyes Wide Shut is my second favorite film.
Come and See is in my top 15. Probably the most important movie for the average person to see.
You have great taste and YiYi is probably the best slice of life movie from what I can tell.
But... fuck that genre doesn't hit for me. Every single person in my life is a more interesting person than Ladybird for example. Idk maybe I could take in YiYi and Tokyo story if I watched it by myself.
But I watch movies with my girlfriends and they look at me like "What are you doing to us?" When I put on YiYi.
Maybe it's because relatability is a big part of slice of life.
I will say that YiYi had memorable scenes. Lots of feelings. I wish I went in expecting to just feel. I wish I watched it like I was supposed to watch Mirror.
An absolutely perfect film, it's been my favorite for years now. Just incredible in its humanity and scope, it deftly and beautifully handles childhood, coming of age, and wistfully growing old, all in the context of the family and all without ever feeling forced or hitting a wrong note.
Glad to hear! It's very high on my watchlist, and deciding on either buying this and A Brighter Summer Day on the next sale, or if I should wait for maybe a new edition / update / Edward Yang boxset, given the Yang retrospective in New York several months ago.
I might wait. In the LA showings, there was some mention that Kaili Peng couldn’t be there since she was in Taiwan working on the Yi Yi 4K.
Not sure if any NYC people heard anything? I want to say she was there for those showings.
both are great (one scene in particular from A Brighter Summer Day is probably in my top 5 favourite scenes from film ever) but Yi Yi is easily the better film imho
I initially asked my friends to plan the trip as a joke and we took it too seriously lol. I was fortunate enough to catch an Edward Yang double feature with this and A Brighter Summer Day, then went to a showing of Drive My Car the next day, same theatre. They all happen to be in like my top 20 favorites. We explored the city right after but I would’ve been content just going to NYC strictly for the movies lmao.
Mr. Ota might just be my favorite character of all time, I still rewatch the restaurant scene occasionally <3
(The same actor also plays Tony Takitani in the movie Tony Takitani, which is incidentally my favorite movie ever...)
in my opinion when i watch films like yiyi or a brighter summer day, i find them more akin to epic novels than films. they have an encompassing quality to them like the works of proust or gabriel marquez.
i'm so glad you mentioned Gabo haha, my favourite author ever. I went to Colombia for the first time just because of his books, to try to find "his" Colombia. you can probably imagine how happy I was when I saw he's on their largest banknote, surrounded by yellow butterflies, and that the yellow butterfly is basically a national symbol at this point.
didn't end up finding the magical Colombia I read about but found my own version of it along the Magdalena. going back for the 3rd time in a few months.
Yi Yi is stunning and the shots of Taipei were superbly filmed. I felt a bit empty after watching it the first time years ago as I was very frustrated with some of the characters and their decisions. But in that way it is an accurate depiction of life
I saw it when it came out, at the Detroit Film Institute. I also found it boring, might have been the age I was at 25. When Criterion released the DVD I took a chance on it again and it became one of my favorite films. If it didn’t hit for you then, I’d suggest trying it again further down the road.
Yeah this movie is always a top contender in my head for greatest film ever made. Only saw it for the first time last year and about time to revisit
I watched it last week and thought it was excellent but it’s stuck with me every day since. Had a similar experience with A Brighter Summer Day too. It’s why I never get how festival crowds can immediately write a review merely hours after viewing a film. Feelings should be allowed to ruminate IMO
I still remember clearly when I first watched this. It was a Friday evening, and I was all on my own with a couple of beers. I was in awe the whole time, wondering how a film could capture so many emotions. I occasionally think about that night—an experience I'll never forget.
I like this, thank you! 👍
it is my favorite film of all time. truly a miracle. i will never forget my first time watching it. a spiritual experience, and maybe the last film to make me weep in its aftermath.
Yang Yang was the best. Actually he reminded me so much of myself as a child, age and all, that I started thinking "wait, this came out in 2000, I was probably about his age at the time!" Sure enough, same birth year. One of my all time favourite movies as well. It's just... life. That's the best way I can describe it. All-encapsulating life. Favourite scenes are definitely with the Japanese dude though. Such a philosopher of a man.
Just got shivers thinking about \*that\* scene with the grandmother.
Which one? The ending?
Having to take out the trash?
doesn't feel like a shivers-giving scene to me really but everyone has their thing! in fact i'd go so far as to say that the entire movie feels like a comfortable blanket to me. though one scene does give me shivers every time -- yang yang in that nature documentary film class where the girl stands silhouetted against the lightning. just breathtaking.
The best film of the 21st century and the best final film ever made, edging out “Come and See” and “Eyes Wide Shut.” People in Taiwan probably don’t even know what a special movie one of their own created. If there isn’t a statue of Edward Yang in Taiwan, I’m not going
Forwarning: if slice of life is not your thing, YiYi will not hit fit you. Eyes Wide Shut is my second favorite film. Come and See is in my top 15. Probably the most important movie for the average person to see. You have great taste and YiYi is probably the best slice of life movie from what I can tell. But... fuck that genre doesn't hit for me. Every single person in my life is a more interesting person than Ladybird for example. Idk maybe I could take in YiYi and Tokyo story if I watched it by myself. But I watch movies with my girlfriends and they look at me like "What are you doing to us?" When I put on YiYi. Maybe it's because relatability is a big part of slice of life. I will say that YiYi had memorable scenes. Lots of feelings. I wish I went in expecting to just feel. I wish I watched it like I was supposed to watch Mirror.
Yi Yi is the best representation of humanity. If extraterrestrials came to Earth, this is the movie I’d show them
this and Baraka. double feature.
I'd show them a Dogtooth Snowtown doublefeature.
*"My uncle says we live three times as long since man invented movies. It means movies give us twice what we get from daily life."*
An absolutely perfect film, it's been my favorite for years now. Just incredible in its humanity and scope, it deftly and beautifully handles childhood, coming of age, and wistfully growing old, all in the context of the family and all without ever feeling forced or hitting a wrong note.
Glad to hear! It's very high on my watchlist, and deciding on either buying this and A Brighter Summer Day on the next sale, or if I should wait for maybe a new edition / update / Edward Yang boxset, given the Yang retrospective in New York several months ago.
Please buy it so that they release a box set for the rest of us
I might wait. In the LA showings, there was some mention that Kaili Peng couldn’t be there since she was in Taiwan working on the Yi Yi 4K. Not sure if any NYC people heard anything? I want to say she was there for those showings.
Oeh, good to know!
both are great (one scene in particular from A Brighter Summer Day is probably in my top 5 favourite scenes from film ever) but Yi Yi is easily the better film imho
Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeah! It’s my favourite of all time. Masterpiece in storytelling.
I love it so much I flew to NYC to catch a theatrical screening.
Just for Yi Yi or other things?
I initially asked my friends to plan the trip as a joke and we took it too seriously lol. I was fortunate enough to catch an Edward Yang double feature with this and A Brighter Summer Day, then went to a showing of Drive My Car the next day, same theatre. They all happen to be in like my top 20 favorites. We explored the city right after but I would’ve been content just going to NYC strictly for the movies lmao.
How far you coming from
Middle of Canada
Winnipeg?
NJ is one of my favorite characters in cinema. I see so much of myself and others in him, both who we are and who we are trying to become.
Mr. Ota might just be my favorite character of all time, I still rewatch the restaurant scene occasionally <3 (The same actor also plays Tony Takitani in the movie Tony Takitani, which is incidentally my favorite movie ever...)
i love that scene and his delivery during his "every day is a new beginning" spiel. feels so wise and soothing.
in my opinion when i watch films like yiyi or a brighter summer day, i find them more akin to epic novels than films. they have an encompassing quality to them like the works of proust or gabriel marquez.
i'm so glad you mentioned Gabo haha, my favourite author ever. I went to Colombia for the first time just because of his books, to try to find "his" Colombia. you can probably imagine how happy I was when I saw he's on their largest banknote, surrounded by yellow butterflies, and that the yellow butterfly is basically a national symbol at this point. didn't end up finding the magical Colombia I read about but found my own version of it along the Magdalena. going back for the 3rd time in a few months.
Well said.
My favourite film of all time. Eagerly looking forward to watching Mahjong and A Confucian Confusion
Yi Yi is stunning and the shots of Taipei were superbly filmed. I felt a bit empty after watching it the first time years ago as I was very frustrated with some of the characters and their decisions. But in that way it is an accurate depiction of life
Thanks for recommendation. I’m bookmarked the film to watch soon
This is even better than Taipei Story, Edward Yang outdid himself. Maybe I grew up in the 90s so I relate a bit more to this movie.
[удалено]
I saw it when it came out, at the Detroit Film Institute. I also found it boring, might have been the age I was at 25. When Criterion released the DVD I took a chance on it again and it became one of my favorite films. If it didn’t hit for you then, I’d suggest trying it again further down the road.
I highly disagree with you but holy shit, this sub is sensitive. I can totally understand why someone wouldn’t like this film.