Hai yang tian tang (2010) Reviews

• ocean's heaven

  theultimatepololo2011-03-22

  I always been a great fan of jet Li and the martial arts cinema and this film just prove something that I knew for long time, how great actors some martial artists can be. but beyond the amazing performance of jet Li, this movie is a beautiful story about a terminally ill father and his autistic son, and how the real love is beyond everything even death...the performance of the rest of the cast is perfect,specially wen zhang, who plays jet Li's son, his performance is brilliant, this guy is going to be a star.All the cast shines on this beautiful tale.this is the kind of stories that make cinema so great and in my opinion this film is much better movie than any of the nominees to best picture movie of this year...

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• Jet Li's first non-action movie trades physical power for an emotionally powerful journey of a father's tireless love for his autistic son

  moviexclusive2010-07-30

  While this has been billed as Jet Li's detour from his martial arts filmography, "Ocean Heaven" should really be known for more than that. This is an intimate and deeply moving portrait of a terminally ill father's (Jet Li's Wang Xuechang) attempt to teach his autistic son the necessary life skills to survive on his own before he passes away. It is also a poignant tribute to the infinite love that parents have for their children and their unending desire to take care and look after them to their best abilities, no matter the struggle, no matter the effort. Beginning on a somewhat ominous note, Wang is first seen with his son, Da Fu (Wen Zhang), out at sea with the intention of drowning them both using a large weight tied to their legs. He doesn't succeed- his son the excellent swimmer unties them both and saves them from certain death. The deed may seem appalling but his motive is in fact humane- a single father since his wife's death 14 years ago, Wang thinks it may be better off for Da Fu to join him in death than for him suffer on his own when Wang dies. After the failed suicide attempt, Wang takes it as a sign that Da Fu is meant to live and so sets out to train Da Fu to be as independent as he can be, while looking for an institutional home willing to accept persons with autism. Both these missions turn out equally moving, for they bring to light certain truths that we are either ignorant of or choose to ignore. Though almost at the age of 21, Da Fu knows not simple tasks like taking off his clothes, boiling an egg or riding a bus that younger kids without disabilities would probably have mastered effortlessly. Watching Wang patiently teach Da Fu the steps of these daily tasks is in itself a testament to the perseverance and love that parents of children with special needs have for their kids, a love so pure and boundless it deserves to be celebrated. Just as you will be led to feel vicariously the patience and determination of these parents like Wang, you'll also experience an indescribable joy when Da Fu finally picks up these skills- think of these tasks like mini-Everests, and the completion of any one of them equivalent to the sweet triumph of conquering the summit. On the other hand, Wang's search for an institutional home for his son highlights a societal gap that deserves attention. As Wang sums up aptly, there is often support for the young and the old in special schools and aged homes respectively, but little services offered for adults with special needs between these ages. The responsibility falls on the shoulders of their parents to look after them, and it is a real concern when these parents ask who is to help them take care of their children when they are too old or frail to do so. Indeed, local viewers may draw a parallel with a recent article in the Straits Times that also similarly highlighted a gap in our special-needs welfare system in catering to adults with autism. Unlike lesser directors who would have tried explaining the workings of Da Fu's mind to their audiences, writer/director Xue Xiaolu instead wisely uses his affinity for the world underwater- swimming with the turtles and dolphins- as a motif of his state of mind, different and yet beautiful in its own way. These scenes of Da Fu's graceful diving in the aquarium, where both he and Wang works, are captured in a ravishingly lush blue palette by Christopher Doyle's cinematography, set evocatively against Joe Hisaishi's score and Yee Chung Man's production design. Perhaps the only missed opportunity here is Xue's subplot involving Kwai Lun-Mei's circus clown turned friend to Da Fu. Not enough time is spent delineating the friendship that develops between the two and the result lacks credibility, especially since Kwai's character seems too ready to accept Da Fu's quirks and idiosyncrasies. Nevertheless, the film's focus is really on the father-son duo of Wang and Da Fu- and in this regard, succeeds tremendously thanks in no small part to Jet Li and Zhang Wen's sublime yet powerfully convincing performances. Yes, you should know that even without his fists or kicks, Jet Li still proves to be a magnetic actor with his unassuming portrayal of an ordinary man looking out for his son while looking death in the eye. But really, this film is more important and more significant than just being Jet Li's first non-action role- it is an extremely moving story of a father's tireless love for his son, no matter the odds, no matter the challenge. Especially to the parents of children with special needs who have given themselves continuously to the care of their kids, this is a tribute to the depth of your love, the depth of your heart.

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• The story of a dying father making the impossible to give his autistic son independence before cancer take his life

  andres-1482011-06-07

  I'm a father of an autistic child, and I Can see my self and my son in this movie all the time. This is a great history that don't use stereotypes as genius children that can break complex codes or make complex mathematics operations in seconds for impress the audience, it is the story of a dying father making the impossible to give his son the possibility of independence before the cancer take his life. The performance of Jet Li as the father is remarkable, he lost him self in the character, and show us that he is an incredible actor. Wen Zhang makes an incredible job as the autistic son of Li, in some moments he makes my believe that he really was autistic. An incredible peace of art that must be running to an Oscar.

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• A Nutshell Review: Ocean Heaven

  DICK STEEL2010-08-14

  The marketing for this film went into overdrive with its touting of this being action star Jet Li's first dramatic role. Unless you count his appearance in a non combative role in Founding of a Republic and the various attempts to balance his action status with more dramatic acting chops such as Danny the Dog, then Ocean Heaven will be that maiden effort. Written and directed by Xue Xiao Lu, this modest effort is by no means small in ambition, having the likes of Jay Chou and Kwai Lun Mei lend their vocals to separate title tracks (with Kwai also starring in the film), as well as being lensed by the renowned Christopher Doyle. Jet Li stars as Wang, a middle aged technician at Qingdao's Ocean World who discovers that his liver cancer is at its 4th stage, and a medical death sentence has been passed, giving him 3 to 4 months to live. His prime concern will be that of his autistic son Da Fu (Wen Zhang) because this means as the main caregiver, he has to find an able, trusted replacement, most likely an institution, but as any single parent can attest to, this effort is none too easy in the absence of direct family support, with places like mental institutions being totally out of place, and Da Fu being too old for an orphanage, and too young for a senior citizens' home. The film opens with a father-son suicide, only for the latter to inexplicably save the both of them, and bringing them back to the drawing board. It's interesting to note (at least for me) that the Chinese language term for Autism is "Gu Du Zheng" which directly translates to a condition of loneliness. Through the film, Wang cannot shake off the fact that this figuratively applies to him, being alone in his care of his teenage son for many years since the passing of his wife, and not wanting to impose his troubles and issues on others, such as his neighbour and provision shop owner (Zhu Yuanyuan) who undoubtedly has affections for Wang himself. Wang is the classical stoic Chinese man who bottles up his troubles, seeking instead to source for solutions himself than to rely on the graces of others, although help does come from an understanding boss, as well as Da Fu's school principal. Xue spends considerable screen time in outlining the father-son relationship, albeit that it's not quite the norm because communication almost always seem like a one way street. Wang, with his limited, time, wants to train Da Fu in performing simple tasks in looking after himself, from cooking to taking the public bus, and through many of these scenes, Xue has allowed for an awareness of autism to ring through without resorting to over-reliance on melodrama to do so. Tasks are to be explained with extreme patience, and knowledge imparted through constant rote learning and praising. It's not easy, but as any parent, this unconditional love is something that's quite innate. Both Jet Li and Wen Zhang share great chemistry, which helps make their individual performance credible. You'll for once feel as exasperated as Li since this time he cannot kung-fu kick his way out of challenges and troubles, and have to rely on perseverance and love to educate his son. You'll feel his pain, and share his pessimism and slim hopes that he'll be able to impart, delegate and leave behind enough for his son not only material wealth, but emotional stability as well, which comes in the form of a sea turtle motif, known for its longevity, Wen Zhang too has this child like quality in his portrayal of autism which endears, and is able to bring out the confusion, fear and anger when he is not understood by others. The only peculiar performance here will be that of Kwai Lun Mei's Ling Ling, whose role is that of a clown who juggles. I can't place her role anywhere other than to solely beef up the star attraction to this film, because her role and the subplots involving her character all seem a little out of place and useless, and can be done without. Perhaps it is just there to balance that sense of bleak from Wang's point of view, since scenes between Ling Ling and Da Fu mostly hinges on play and friendship, providing that lift to the audience, unbeknownst to Wang, that his son is capable of making new, genuine friends, and that he need not worry that Da Fu will eventually be alone in this world after Wang's own passing. I won't say this is a tearjerker, but there will be those who will inevitably be touched by Father's love, going by the amount of sniffles in the cinema hall. I suppose Jet Li's foray into a purely dramatic role is quite successful, although personally I can't wait to see him kick serious ass in The Expendables with an ensemble cast of action heroes where he belongs. But of course one can't go on forever in such a role. Maybe he too can adopt the Jackie Chan direction (I'm pretty sure they would have exchanged notes during their pairing in The Forbidden Kingdom) where a film role balancing drama and action is possible ala Chan's Little Big Soldier, or even following what Clint Eastwood is doing in going behind the camera to tell heartfelt stories.

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• Is this really autism?

  duncanj-386-7664682012-06-02

  Ocean Heaven is an intriguing movie for several reasons: 1. It portrays a young man with autism, who also shows emotion; 2. We see a sanitized view of modern day China and how disability is supposedly supported by average citizens and the state; and, 3. A terminally ill father struggles with finding support for his son. Each theme is a separate review I'm sure. I really did not want to like this film, and as a previous reviewer suggested, I was also prepared to turn my nose up after the opening dramatic scene. But I kept going with it. I'm glad I did. The actor who portrays the young man with autism is actually quite believable. He gets the gestures just right, the mannerisms, the vocalizations,and the expressions. Having known people with autism--all across the spectrum--for thirty years now, I was amazed at how nuanced this performance was, and it did not fall into the mistakes of stereotypical portrayals, such as Rain Man. It worked. His emotional side, based on fear of the unknown, was handled well, as was his father's reactions to him. The setting for the movie was another aspect of the film that captivated my interest. It is no secret that having a disability in Chinese society is complicated; there is stigma attached to the family, not much support in terms of formal schooling, and even less for social services in the community. It is not discussed, and rarely revealed. Most newborns with obvious disabilities (such as Down syndrome) are routinely abandoned in the hospital and left to die. So why this sudden sympathetic portrayal? Did China undergo a transformation after hosting the Special Olympics in 2008? They did, after all, implement a national policy of "be nice to people with disabilities" in preparation for those games. The natural supports for Dafu (son) were all around him, if his father would only look. The character of "auntie Chai" totally got Dafu. She could have enlisted his work ethic in her store. He already had a "job" swimming with the fish and sea mammals at the aquarium. We saw scenes of him being one with the water and marine life. And so on. But the film takes us on a trip to see Chinese institutional care, segregated schools, and missed opportunities for true inclusion in his community. There are side stories that don't advance the film, such as the circus troupe and the film star clown who juggles. The metaphor of the circus outsiders (some would also equate them to freak shows) accepting Dafu is an old cliché that wasn't necessary. Another side story that is not developed deals with his deceased Mother, who apparently could not handle the truth of her son's autism. There are veiled references to her untimely death as a suicide. Now the story has legs. The real issue that is presented is that it is understandable, and even acceptable for a parent to intentionally kill their child with a disability. Pity the poor parents, who have to endure the shame and burden of a child with a disability. This is how most people really feel. In fact, there is societal support for parents who murder their child out of pity. In Canada there is a famous case of Robert Latimer, a father from Saskatchewan, who murdered his daughter Tracy because she had cerebral palsy. Most Canadians thought Mr. Latimer a sympathetic figure, not deserving jail time for his crime. There are numerous instances of children and adults with autism who end up dead at the hands of a caregiver or family member. Check out the website notdeadyet for further reporting on this subject. So the opening scene, where Dafu chooses life for himself and his father is quite dramatic, and likely the best evidence of Dafu's intellect, emotion, and will to live. It is also a tribute to all those other people with disabilities who do not get to choose how their life unfolds, whether in China, or anywhere else.

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