Linbeymusol
Wonderful character development!
BootDigest
Such a frustrating disappointment
Nonureva
Really Surprised!
Rio Hayward
All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.
Robert Stanievich (rsstanievich)
"Buddha Mountain" is a well-acted, well-directed film executed in a "cinema verite" style, that should find a common audience with young people the world over. It deals with the trials and tribulations of three young friends as they make their way through the modern-day Chinese youth culture. Night-clubs, fights, drinking, and sexual tensions ensure there is never a dull moment...at least until the morning after. The story takes an unexpected turn when the trio seek to rent rooms from a middle-aged widow who has sorrows of her own. What ensues is a story of pain, acceptance, healing, and ultimately...enlightenment? While this is a portrait of modern-day Chinese life, it is certainly not a new story.It's a re-telling of "Journey to The West". The Fat Kid is Piggie. The Girl is The Monkey King. The Dude is Sandy. The Widow is The Monk. The white car is like a white horse. In the end, the trio receives enlightenment...but what does that mean for this generation? That's the question the viewer is left to answer for themselves. This is a fine movie, more layered and hopeful than an average "teen-angst" film. It is worth seeking out.
Kenji Chan
Buddha Mountain is a gripping drama with a gritty description of the bleak lower-class city life, lifelike characters the audience cares about and convincing performances from the ensemble cast (Sylvia Chang, Fan Bingbing, Bolin Chen and Fei Long). The film talks about the bewilderment of youth, family breakdown, generational conflict, respect for teachers, bereavement, loneliness, the unpredictability of life, etc. The developing city and the mountainous terrain of post-earthquake sizzling Sichuan are rawly shot, which provides a perfect backdrop for this coming-of-age story. The documentary-like style and the insertion of real footage also add to realism.
sitenoise
I didn't believe any of the actors made contact with the feelings the characters were supposed to be feeling because everything comes off as an impression, rather than being anything of substance. I don't believe the director had a story to tell, as much as simply having a desire to make a film in this style. The hand-held camera-work didn't bother me, but the framing and composition of shots did. They seemed forced and almost precious, and the actors merely vogued their way through scenes. The story is uninspired. Three young drifters meet a single mom who is still mourning the death of her only son, and they all have an angst competition. That ought to be indie grill. But it's not in this case. It's just shots of people pensively staring off into space, and scenes of people pensively walking around aimlessly while the fog rolls by and the music meanders. Indie film school 101. It was very hard to finish this film because I didn't care about any of the characters. Caring about characters may not be necessary, although the director clearly hoped for it, so I'm going to make up a word to describe my experience and to differentiate it from simply not caring. I discared for the characters.
gooiinn
for some reason you can not watch the film having any stable scene. The camera is always moving like it is filmed with bare hands at all times. Even the scene with a woman smoking inside a broken car, shot from back mirror, you cannot see a second still there.eyes can be exhausted when watch this movie. a extra-normal story in a normal life. a story surrounded with youngsters running into a single mother who lost her only son in a car accident. unbearable of sadness, she kills herself on the birthday of past child. such event assures the changes three young minds. However, as viewer i am deeply moved. i am not aroused to expect anything despite of a boring end.
