Nonureva Really Surprised!

Skunkyrate Gripping story with well-crafted characters

Livestonth I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

Sameer Callahan It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

Gordon-11 When "Ocean Heaven" was released, it got great critical acclaim and positive word of mouth. I finally got to watch it, and it surpassed my expectations. There are a few films depicting autistic characters that I have watched, and this film has the most accurate and consistently convincing portrayal. Either the guy playing Dafu is really autistic, or he is a really good actor. The story tells how the father prepares his autistic soon to live independently. The father's unconditional love for his child, his unlimited patience and unrelenting care is very respectable. Anyone will be touched by him. The film also depicts the lives of ordinary citizens, with real problems, adding realism to the touching plot. I hope this great film will find a wider audience, because it deserves to be seen and appreciated.

redrummy CONTAINS MINOR PLOT OUTLINEIn recent years, Chinese cinema has fallen somewhat behind Japanese and korean cinema in showcasing the best Asian movies. While it won't be challenging for international awards, everyone involved leaves with their reputations raised. So can a Chinese film without a hint of violence, crime or political overtones can be any good? i'd like to think so, if jet li is a stereotype for all those genres, he can safely say he is capable of much more. Many eyes will be focused on Jet Li who is an out and out action star and any foray into western cinema only reifys his action star status. Like Chan before him, he's no longer 20 or even 30, and will be looking for dramatic roles before eventually being put behind a desk in some cop drama. Li excels as the caring father who's autistic son is soon to be left alone in the world as he discovers he has terminal cancer. However the real star is his son, i'm not sure who plays him since the IMDb page is painfully sparse on information. Either way Da Fu is played clinically and with all the mannerisms you'd expect but it all seems natural, he brings life into the character and there's never so much a hint of over acting or artificiality. The supporting cast do what they can in their limited roles and often breathe sympathy towards Da Fu, if only to bring peace of mind to those who wonder if he will actually make it himself. The journey itself moves along at it's own pace with segments of Da Fu being taught to survive on his own, while some areas do seem episodic as his progress is lumped into one section, accompanied by aspirational montage music which is really familiar to spirited away with haunting piano keys and melodic violins. As well as the Ling Ling love interest which removes Li from the equation somewhat. I'd like to think the love interest was in Da Fu's imagination or that of his father's to show people can really past his autism. One scene does seem out of place, and spoilers if you don't wan't to know, so skip the next paragraph.The scene in question is the scene where Li explodes at Da Fu for not being able to mop but even worse is when he calls him stupid. Up until that point he was caring and tolerant and him snapping seems out of place and against character, while he has good reason to, you would not expect this father to snap. His death was also handled quite off screen and you never really see how Da Fu really reacts, if he ever does.That said, the film brings out great acting and a film which may love itself in metaphor towards the end. However, the ending does bring justice to the character we've seen develop and even if he is essentially the same person the world around has changed.

teemeah-wikiposta I must admit, I am a huge Jet Li fan. I have seen most of his movies and am on the mission to get hold of those I haven't seen. So I was eager to watch the movie that had no kickass Jet Li in it.Though I have seen he Warlords, which already gives you a sense of what he is capable of as an actor (he won a Hong Kong Movie Award with that performance), it cannot rehearse you for Ocean Heaven.Amidst the excellent cinematographic work, the story is told in a very slow pace, and sometimes it all feels repetitive. However, it is needed for the audience to understand the depth of love Wang has for his son and the hardships he has to go through. Jet Li emerges as a good actor, and you forget he is the best Chinese martial artist ever filmed. He is credible in the role of the dying, shy, introverted yet strong man, who is willing to sacrifice everything for his only son. He is even willing to make fun of himself when he dresses up as a giant turtle to make Dafu, his son see he will always stay with him, in the form of Dafu's beloved sea creatures.I do admit, I did cry in the end of the movie, and I'm not ashamed of it. This is a moving story, and tells how misunderstood people with autism are and what such families in China have to go through because the government does not provide help with such children.A surprising Jet Li in a moving drama - anyone who only considers Jet Li as a typecast action hero, should watch this movie.

moviexclusive 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.