There are many pieces that should have been done better, but overall, the presentation is quite refreshing (interpersing footages and interviews with the main part of the movie)) and a story well-told.
SPOILERS THROUGHOUT THE REST
A few things worth clarifying -- Ruan was not married to Chang Ta-Min and she was not concerned about his accusation. It was her affair with Tang Chi-Shan (who refused to get a divorce) that bothered Ruan. Furthermore it was unclear to me if Ruan's union with Tang was voluntary or not. He's the boss of the studio afterall, and the scene with blowing the cigarette at him was taken from a movie in which a prostitute was forced to bed with a gangster.
She clearly liked Tsai Chu-sheng, but this person only "talked." He flirted with her and used her for his movies but never stood up to protect his movie or Ruan (even when the immediate trigger to Ruan by the press was her role in his movie).
Ruan rarely demonstrated her emotions but one can see them clearly during the filming of her movies.
In the end, it seems that part of her depression came from thinking out loud with the characters she was acting and empathizing with their predicaments. Then, these were amplified by the many unfairness tossed at her in real life, leading to her suicide. Pretty devastating!
PS. I actually liked a lot of the earlier slow scene between Ruan and her mother and adopted daughter. Much was reveal in those seemingly casual daily conversations (like the soup her mother prepared for Chang). Later on she was hiding almost everything to herself, and one can only get hints from subtle facial expressions etc.
SPOILERS THROUGHOUT THE REST
A few things worth clarifying -- Ruan was not married to Chang Ta-Min and she was not concerned about his accusation. It was her affair with Tang Chi-Shan (who refused to get a divorce) that bothered Ruan. Furthermore it was unclear to me if Ruan's union with Tang was voluntary or not. He's the boss of the studio afterall, and the scene with blowing the cigarette at him was taken from a movie in which a prostitute was forced to bed with a gangster.
She clearly liked Tsai Chu-sheng, but this person only "talked." He flirted with her and used her for his movies but never stood up to protect his movie or Ruan (even when the immediate trigger to Ruan by the press was her role in his movie).
Ruan rarely demonstrated her emotions but one can see them clearly during the filming of her movies.
In the end, it seems that part of her depression came from thinking out loud with the characters she was acting and empathizing with their predicaments. Then, these were amplified by the many unfairness tossed at her in real life, leading to her suicide. Pretty devastating!
PS. I actually liked a lot of the earlier slow scene between Ruan and her mother and adopted daughter. Much was reveal in those seemingly casual daily conversations (like the soup her mother prepared for Chang). Later on she was hiding almost everything to herself, and one can only get hints from subtle facial expressions etc.