ThiefHott Too much of everything

Cortechba Overrated

Beanbioca As Good As It Gets

ActuallyGlimmer The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

Reno Rangan An Argentinian dark comedy that has one of the most known faces, from that region, Ricardo Darin. Last time I saw him was in 'XXY' a couple of years ago. Given an impressive performance for that rare subject and here he has done it once again. As I believed most people won't appreciate this piece of art, but I loved it. It was one of the kind, but you will get similar themes which are more commercialised than realistic narration.The story follows when Roberto, a hardware shop owner accidentally meets a foreigner. After seeing the stranger's poor condition he offers the help, but it seems to never go to succeed which finally ends in his head. They both speak different languages and won't understand each other a single word. Miraculously, they manage to leave all the odds behind and try to find a way to solve it. Roberto is a man who wants to be left alone, so he makes a deadline for their quest. Whether it ends successfully or not is unfolds in the remains.''There are two things I notice very quickly in people: Integrity and suffering. And you have them both''I am not sure whether it was based on the real story. Definitely it would have happened some corner of the earth's surface that the film crew is not aware of it. I am not sure either I watched a Spanish movie or Mandarin because in the movie they both equally shared. It was truly an inspiring and meaningful characteristic drama of actuality. The struggle of either of the characters was demonstrated very practically. The presentation was so casual with the feel of intense events.Musics were excellent in most of the parts, especially in the end scene it excelled. The movie had many momentum that is left to the viewers to discover themselves in what they are seeing like why these two are brought together. For that, the final scene clearly described. Yeah that part alone uplifts as much what rest of the movie attempted to disclose. If you were not heard it then okay to miss, after reading my review, you should not miss. Remember, it is not for entertainment, more like a study material on characters and to face the unprepared circumstances.8.5/10

estebangonzalez10 ¨I've got a Chinese guy living in my house who doesn't speak a word of Spanish.¨Ricardo Darín has starred in two of my favorite Argentine films: El Secreto de Sus Ojos and Nueve Reinas. Darín is a great actor and he has proved he can do very different roles and manage them well. In this film he plays a quiet grumpy and lonely man whose life turns around when an unexpected visitor changes his every day routine. Un Cuento Chino was written and directed by Sebastian Borensztein, a director I wasn't familiar with until now. He has made a well crafted film by mixing the right amount of comedy with drama. The movie shines thanks to the original script and Darín's performance, along with two good supporting performances from unknown actors Muriel Santa Ana and Ignacio Huang. The film claims to be based on a true story, but actually it is just loosely based on an unexpected incident which had to do with a cow falling from the sky and sinking a Japanese ship. This story actually begins with a Chinese couple in a River who are interrupted when a cow falls from the sky. From that moment on you know that you are in for a very different movie, but there is a perfect explanation for the event. The cow falling from the sky is the only true event about this movie which is a fictionalization about a relationship between this lonely man played by Ricardo Darín and a Chinese immigrant in Argentina. Their failure to communicate is what makes this film so funny.Roberto (Ricardo Darin) is a hardware store owner who lives on his own in the city of Buenos Aires. He is very grumpy and always complaining, but also seems to live a very quiet and routine life. His house is behind the store so he spends most of his time indoors keeping to his self and collecting newspaper clips of bizarre and rare stories in order to prove that life is meaningless. He goes to bed exactly at 11pm and wakes up the next morning to the same breakfast: coffee and bread. He seems comfortable living on his own. He seems to have had a short relationship with the sister in law of the person who always brings him the international newspapers. Her name is Mari (Muriel Santa Ana) and she lives in the countryside far from Buenos Aires, but happens to be visiting again and is very much in love with Roberto. His life changes when he runs into a Chinese immigrant named Jun (Ignacio Huang) who is thrown out of a cab after being mugged. Jun has nowhere to go and doesn't speak Spanish so Roberto decides to help him. He takes Jun to the address he has tattooed on his arm, but the person living there claims that a Chinese man sold the house to him several years ago. Roberto takes Jun to the Chinese Embassy where Jun can finally communicate his intentions: He has come to Argentina to find his uncle since he is the only family he has left. Despite the inconvenience Roberto decides to take Jun in for a few days until his uncle shows up. This will change Roberto's routine and affect his life.Darin's character might be grumpy and mean, but he is also nice and has a big enough heart to accommodate a foreigner into his home. He will never expect how this relationship will dramatically change his life, but this relationship is exactly what makes the story work. There are other funny moments like some of the paper clips that Roberto finds and how he recreates those bizarre events in his mind, but the center of the story revolves around him, Jun, and Mari. The story moves slow at times, but it works really well because it shows us exactly how Roberto lived before Jun shows up. Once Jun is with Roberto everything changes and that is what makes for the funniest moments. Un Cuento Chino is a very rare film, but a good one with memorable characters and an unlikely pairing between Darin and Huang that works really well. The film has a feel good feeling to it and once the credits begin to role it's impossible not to leave with a smile in your face. I absolutely recommend this movie which won Best Argentine Film and the Goya for Best Iberoamerican Film in 2011. http://estebueno10.blogspot.com

shelhis If it were not written at the beginning of the film - based on a true story - the film lover might think: This is the Argentian version of "Amelie"- a film used by so many to seduce a beloved one. Poetic movie about life which tells the most incredible stories. Human and optimistic in its tone we follow the transformation of a pedantic, closed, lonesome hardware dealer back into society by the by chance encounter with an Chinese immigrant. As hard as the hardware dealer tries to be a lonesome wolf - he has the heart on the right place and continues to help his stranded Chinese. This encounter with the young Chinese helps him to unlock his daily routines.

dmarjos I've seen this movie just a few minutes ago. And it seems that Jotix100 was watching another movie. Jun doesn't arrive to Roberto' store. Roberto was watching planes landing at Buenos Aires metropolitan airport when Jun is kicked off a taxi-cab. I haven't read jotix100's whole review, just because if he/her missed it by that much, that whole review is worthless to read. If you haven't see the movie, take your time, sit at your nicest sofa, and prepare to have your head blown off. You won't see any shooting, or kicks, or fist fighting. But you'll have an adorable 1.5 hours of an amusing story. Anyway, I'll try to write an excerpt of the movie: After Jun and Roberto meeting, Roberto tries to have Jun out of his life. Roberto is a lonely man. His whole life is his hardware store, and his death wife. He even "gives to her" a present on her birthday (or her death anniversary, that's not clear) Suddenly, a Chinese young man is in his life. Jun (the young Chinese man) doesn't speak Spanish, and Roberto doesn't know how to communicate with him. Roberto tries to make Chinesse Embassy to take Jun as a refugee, but they refuse to do that. So Roberto has no options but take Jun with him. The subplot is a girl who Roberto knows barely, but she is in love with him. And she tries to get Roberto's attention. She make fond with Jun, despite the language barrier, and tries to help Robertop to find Jun's family. She even find a Chinese food delivery boy, who helps Roberto to talk with Jun. That's when Roberto finds the tragic and bizarre story in Jun's life. Everything else, you have to watch the movie to find out. I don't want to spoil you too much ;)