Chinaman
Chinaman
| 01 April 2005 (USA)
Chinaman Trailers

Keld is in a rut. His wife of 25 years has left him. For sustenance, he eats his way through the menu at the local Chinese takeaway. The owner talks him into a marriage of convenience with his sister from China and the unplanned-for happens. A delicate romance blossoms between these two damaged, fragile individuals, but a secret gives their relationship a fateful twist. A subtle and touching story of life's diversity.

Reviews
CommentsXp Best movie ever!
Tyreece Hulme One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.
Portia Hilton Blistering performances.
Ezmae Chang This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.
Parker Lewis It's not often you see a Danish-Chinese movie production, and Kinamand is a gem. The acting is superb and the screen writing insightful. The ending was very heartbreaking, and I wish there was a different ending!Hopefully more Danish-Chinese co-productions can occur, perhaps a TV detective drama or something like that.
bandw In watching this it occurred to me how undeliberative I have become in accepting quality movie workmanship. This small movie illustrates the point--it is so well done that I came to appreciate its technical qualitiesonly when I tried to come up with any negative comments.The movie details an event in the life of a Keld, a Danish plumber. That event is set in motion when Keld's wife leaves him. Keld is more of a reactive person than an active one and that is probably a reason his wife left him, although we don't get too many details on that. Bjarne Henriksen plays Keld with grace and gentleness in a captivating and nuanced performance--he can say a lot with facial expressions. I imagine that it is harder to play everyday people like Keld than bigger-than-life characters having big, dramatic scenes. Keld reacts to his new bachelorhood by frequenting a Chinese restaurant on a daily basis where he gets to know Feng, the owner (Lin Kun Wu). There is subtle humor--after running through all of the 21 selections on the menu in numeric order, Feng asks Keld what should be done next and, after some hesitation, Keld decides to start over. Feng, sensing that Keld is a kindly soul, asks him for a big favor--to marry is younger sister Ling (Vivian Wu) so that she can get Danish citizenship. The marriage is to be "pro forma," but in a sequence of beautifully filmed scenes, what does start out as "pro forma" turns into a delicate love. Maybe this story line is a bit predictable, but the relationship between Ling and Keld is developed so believably that it's hard not to be taken up with it. However, the ending is not predictable.When Keld's wife wants to come back, she is led to understand the meaning of the idiom, "Be careful what you wish for, lest it come true." She got her wished-for divorce, but that led to her being cut off from Keld later when she wanted him.The relationships between Feng and his son, and Keld and his son, offer commentary on the changing cultural dynamics of such relationships as experienced in a Chinese family contrasted with a Danish family. It is interesting to see the difference between Feng's extended family and Keld's rather lonely life.The score, while engaging, often seemed more lighthearted than what the story-line would call for.There are no villains in this vary human tale.
MartinHafer "Chinaman" is a deceptive film. While it appears very simple and perhaps even a comedy on the surface, the film is much deeper, more sensitive and very engaging. I must warn you though, this is NOT a film everyone will like. It does not have a happy Hollywood style ending and the film is pretty unconventional. As for me, I liked that the film didn't try to fit a formula and didn't even mind the sad portions of the film. But I do recommend you have some Kleenex nearby--just in case.At the beginning of the film, Keld's wife tells him that she's leaving him for good. You have absolutely no idea why or what their marriage had been like--all you know is that she wants out as soon as possible. Not surprisingly, Keld is depressed and directionless--and Bjarne Henriksen makes this very apparent in his performance. Part of his depression and directionless is evident in his habits. He goes to the same Chinese restaurant every night and he sells off all his furniture. Sitting in an empty apartment, Keld is just drifting through life--waiting for his divorce to be final.One evening when he's at the Chinese restaurant, the place's plumbing goes crazy and Keld jumps into action. After all, he is a plumber. And through the course of this, Keld and the owner of the restaurant become friends--so much so that his new friend makes him a VERY unusual proposition. He wants Keld to marry his sister, Ling, in order to allow her to remain in the country. Naturally, it will be a marriage in name only. She'll move in with Keld but their relationship will be business. However, rather expectedly, a closeness develops between them and after a while, Keld realizes he's falling in love with his new wife. Now the rest of the film is NOT what you'd expect--it is a very unusual film to say the least. But, Henriksen's excellent performance and the film's nice direction and script really hooked me. A very unusual and bittersweet film--and one that left me very impressed.
Mike I thoroughly enjoyed this heartening and humorous movie. It tales the story of a plumber Keld who is tired of life after his wife has left him. His journey back to life begins when he starts to frequent a Chinese take-away shop. The owner of the take-away shop Feng proposes Keld to marry his sister proforma to acquire a residence permit. An offer Keld accepts.Kinamand is an untraditional movie that successfully succeeds in capturing boxed emotions, cultural gaps, and the essence of life.I gave this movie 9/10, and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good laugh, and an uplifting experience.