This Is Sanlitun

2013 "China is like a beer, if you don't like the taste you can just keep drinking"
6.7| 1h35m| NA| en| More Info
Released: 10 September 2013 Released
Producted By: Film Douglas & Li
Country: Iceland
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/thisissanlitun/96572558
Info

British sad sack Gary is a failed entrepreneur who has just arrived in Beijing's stylish Sanlitun district, allegedly to start a business. There are other reasons why he has uprooted himself — he's followed his ex-wife and young son, for one — but he soon finds out that China isn't the easiest place to succeed. Blissfully untouched by self-awareness, and only fitfully in tune with reality, Gary sallies forth to make money, armed with faith in himself and little to no knowledge of Chinese culture. He soon hooks up with Frank, a trust-fund kid from Australia who offers to mentor Gary in Eastern ways, although Frank's pedagogical method is restricted to yelling at Gary for being a Westerner and not being as "Chinese" as him.

Genre

Drama, Comedy, Romance

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This Is Sanlitun (2013) is currently not available on any services.

Cast

Ai Wan

Director

Róbert I. Douglas

Production Companies

Film Douglas & Li

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This Is Sanlitun Audience Reviews

Ehirerapp Waste of time
Gutsycurene Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.
FirstWitch A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.
Hayden Kane There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes
JMFord I lived in Sanlitun for two years and so I was intrigued by this movie from the first moment I heard about it. I was just now finally able to locate a copy on a Chinese web site and I eagerly anticipated clicking play, if only to count the places I recognized.And the disappointment began almost immediately.Life in Beijing for an expat is an amazing journey that is almost impossible to convey to anyone who hasn't experienced it. I hoped that this movie would help me explain some of the strange realities of everyday life. The opportunity to create a story that is really interesting and real is so rich and fertile.But the producers of this movie did not take that route. In quick succession we are introduced to a series unsympathetic characters. Actually, this story does not have characters, only caricatures. The protagonist, Gary, is a sad sack of epic proportions. I have met some assholes like Frank, but none so obvious. Still together these two provide the expat version of Dumb and Dumber.The sequence with the school and the restaurant are more interesting, but while the principal is the best drawn of the stereotypes she is still not realistic enough and the fawning Momo is over the top.While the basic situations are all too common in China, the reality of how they play out is never so simple.While I can recommend this movie to other foreigners who have lived in China, it runs more like an inside joke that would not be near as interesting to general audiences.