And there's big flaw that bothered us a lot:
The younger Madam Lin seemed to be too tall when compared her height to the present her. I simply couldn't persuade myself that the present old Lin lost her height due to serious Osteoporosis that had turned her old self into a midget like short woman. There were so many flashbacks with her younger images, but they just failed to link her as the 70yr old present self. So the young Lin was definitely a huge miscast. Also, the mistress of the dead husband was also a bit too young and too tall. Maybe it's an arrangement to purposefully put contrast to these two women?
Also, the youngest sister gave us a very negative impression, quite unlikable from the very beginning. If she took over her mother's restaurant business, why she didn't go to the fish market early in the morning and still forced her mother to do the regular daily purchase? She's a bit like spoiled brat who usually be the youngest. The dialog between and among the sisters just felt awkward, raw and no sisterhood feelings at all.
But other than what I've mentioned and pointed out as the above, this movie is such a decent and matured one that rarely came out of Taiwanese movie producers. It has transcended in every section that only a great movie could have achieved. The montage of the camera operated, the sounds and the subtle soundtrack in and out so appropriately, the acting of most of the actors involved, especially the great performance of Ms. Shu-Fang Chen, an absolutely Oscar worthy actress who's like a vintage wine matured so perfectly in a bottle. There were stories for everyone involved and well balanced throughout the whole story line structure. The directing was absolutely superb! But of course, all the achievements should be sincerely counted on a fantastic screenplay. This movie has convinced me that Taiwan movie industries still got hope to jump to the higher international standard level.
Also, the youngest sister gave us a very negative impression, quite unlikable from the very beginning. If she took over her mother's restaurant business, why she didn't go to the fish market early in the morning and still forced her mother to do the regular daily purchase? She's a bit like spoiled brat who usually be the youngest. The dialog between and among the sisters just felt awkward, raw and no sisterhood feelings at all.
But other than what I've mentioned and pointed out as the above, this movie is such a decent and matured one that rarely came out of Taiwanese movie producers. It has transcended in every section that only a great movie could have achieved. The montage of the camera operated, the sounds and the subtle soundtrack in and out so appropriately, the acting of most of the actors involved, especially the great performance of Ms. Shu-Fang Chen, an absolutely Oscar worthy actress who's like a vintage wine matured so perfectly in a bottle. There were stories for everyone involved and well balanced throughout the whole story line structure. The directing was absolutely superb! But of course, all the achievements should be sincerely counted on a fantastic screenplay. This movie has convinced me that Taiwan movie industries still got hope to jump to the higher international standard level.