When I read the premise of this film, and some of the other enthusiastic reviews, I was quite excited about it. I really enjoy Guy Pearce, and this sounded like a winner. Unfortunately, this movie is flawed in so many ways.
Spoilers
First, we see Mei Mei growing up in an orphanage, and we learn she has a sponsor, Dean Randall, who has been providing for her, and writing to her. But this is glossed over so quickly, and it would have been nice to see how that relationship developed, even though he was making up his life story. We get snippets, but there is no depth to that story line.
Mei Mei never really develops much as a character. She seems very one- dimensional and lacking complexity. And overall, the characters are a collection of caricatures that are largely clichéd and melodramatic.
There are so many story lines that are just unnecessary and pointless. It seems that the writers didn't have the courage to let the two main characters interact and develop. Instead, we are served up a silly plot line where she is put in danger, and Dean has to rescue her.
Pearce does a good job with what he has been given, but he wasn't really give much of a script to work with, and we are left at the end with no real insight into what motivated him to sponsor this girl he never knew.
This could have been a terrific little film, and they just plain missed the opportunity.
Spoilers
First, we see Mei Mei growing up in an orphanage, and we learn she has a sponsor, Dean Randall, who has been providing for her, and writing to her. But this is glossed over so quickly, and it would have been nice to see how that relationship developed, even though he was making up his life story. We get snippets, but there is no depth to that story line.
Mei Mei never really develops much as a character. She seems very one- dimensional and lacking complexity. And overall, the characters are a collection of caricatures that are largely clichéd and melodramatic.
There are so many story lines that are just unnecessary and pointless. It seems that the writers didn't have the courage to let the two main characters interact and develop. Instead, we are served up a silly plot line where she is put in danger, and Dean has to rescue her.
Pearce does a good job with what he has been given, but he wasn't really give much of a script to work with, and we are left at the end with no real insight into what motivated him to sponsor this girl he never knew.
This could have been a terrific little film, and they just plain missed the opportunity.