Movie Digest
A Chinese film directed by Guo Tingbo, the movie revolves around three young couples of different eras, provinces, and different occupations. The three couples have to undergo a “Premarital examination” to get married. The three stories are interdependent yet independent. The first story is about a young, happy-go-lucky man from a small town in the mid-1980s. The second love story is about a college student and her American fiancé. The third story is about a widow and a stubborn village farmer. Can the couples surpass the test?
The Feel-Good Part
The premarital examination is a light and charming comedy film. It brings together three cute short stories with the marriages based on a medical check-up. The cast has played the characters with a lot of allure, and Guo has directed the movie with a lot of visual precision. This film is a theatrical film and has alluring landscape photography when combined with memorable music making it easy on the eye and ears. In the final story, there is quirky yet equally good chemistry between the characters. In a subtle sense, the direction and the costuming are on point.
The Disappointing Factor
This movie is rapidly let down by a dull central story. The chemistry between the characters makes the film insubstantial. The chemistry in the second story between the characters seems forced. In the same segment, the film makes a lot of jokes about the foreigner adjusting to the mosquitoes and squat toilets. In the third segment, the entire courtship between the farmer and the widow is squeezed into a single day. The premarital examination did not play a big part in the movie, although it is its theme. However, the parts are played with a lot of charm but unfortunately not enough to save it from a weedy box office.
In-Depth Analysis
The movie is based on the premarital assessment to be undergone by the couple to be married. It’s a delightful collection of three endearing short stories of three adorable couples of distinct eras, regions, and jobs wanting to enter into holy matrimony but challenged to take up a premarital examination. The first story, set in the mid-1980s, is about Chen Wei, a carefree man whose father wants to move to a city. To do so, the local officials tell him that Chen Wei has to get married. One fine day Chen Wei meets a lady who is slightly older than him and works in a canteen and is saving money to move back home. The second story, set in the late 1990s, is about a native Chinese student who is in love with an American citizen and brings her fiancé to meet her extended family. The third story is about a widow and a farmer in the early 20th century. They are set up by a matchmaker and go to the nearest village for premarital assessment.
Star Power
In the main roles, we have Han Xue as Hua Er, Wei Da Xun as Chen Wei, Robert Gilabert as Dennis, Yu-Wen Xia as Ye Na, Elena Tong as Fang, Han Wenliang as Niu.
Overall Opinion
It’s a light-hearted, charming comedy movie with stunning landscape photography and exhilarating music.
