Better Days (2019)

Freedom at all costs necessary

I found this movie through my Youtube video recommendations and I couldn't wait to begin it. I don't usually like bully-related media, I feel like most times it's riddled with cliches and falls flat, but this movie is not like that. I feel like it tackles the serious subject of bullying extremely well.

Better Days examines the socio-political conditions that perpetuate bullying very thoroughly, showing the viewers that bullying is a complicated problem to solve. From the intense competition and pressure the students face due to exams, through the illegal & borderline dangerous work Chen Nian's mother puts herself through in order to provide a better future and escape poverty, to Xiao Bei's life on the fringe of society, many of the characters in this movie are trapped in conditions that become tighter and tighter shackles on them as tensions rise, thus prompting them to take extreme measures to ensure their freedom.

Additionally, Chen Nian & Xiao Bei's tender romance is beautifully written, depicting two people who have nobody else but each other to depend on. Instead of depending on skinship to depict their affection for one another, this movie choses to mostly omit that and instead show their love through the actions and sacrifices they make for one another. I really appreciated this choice and I think it made their chemistry even better.

Finally, I want to highlight the beautiful cinematography of this film. It is filmed in such a way that the scenes naturally flow together, every directing choice feels deliberate to move the plot forward. I loved it so much that I plan to paint a few scenes from this film, that's how beautiful and painterly it was.

In conclusion, this is a beautiful & raw movie that I recommend to anyone. Please watch it, you will not regret it!

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My heart can't take it again.

I am not a fan of watching movies since almost most of the time it just makes me feel unsatisfied. But this one one I am glad is just around more than 2hours, I don't think my heart can take anymore of it. Not because it is bad, but because it is beautiful and perfect.

I've known people that has experienced bullying so watching this makes it more real and painful for me.

Although the bullying scenes here is not as violent or gruesome compared to some scenes is kdramas/kmovies, it doesn't make it less realistic for me, I heard this kind of bullying is what's more common in our society.

This is the first time I have encountered both the ML and FL and what can I say, their acting is on point, the most realistic acting and scenes I've seen so far. Everytime I see their tears falling, it makes me wanna go there and comfort them. Again, it's painful to watch.

This is also the first time I saw a glimpse of the less privilege life of the majority of people living in China, it is something not shown in dramas, I don't know why. This is the reality for most of us, and I'm just glad the FL has the ML to give her silent support and love. No fluff in this movie but you can definitely feel the love shared between the main leads, I am just so glad the ending scenes indirectly tells us they do have their not perfect, but happy ending.

Although, I have given a 10 for the rewatch value, it will take me years before my heart can take it again. I don't even know if I will ever rewatch this since the scenes are so painfully etched in my memory.

This is all heartache, pure, and raw.

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Story: It was simple yet compelling & sad. It's about bullying and you can see how extreme it can get and it's fascinating how CN deals with the bullies and help others who were bullied. The bullies got on my nerve as they are so freaking annoying, especially when they pretend to be pitiful. CN and XB are both broken souls trying to become better and I enjoyed seeing how they help, understand, and love one another. The story is truly heartbreaking

Cast: I was shocked to find out that XB aka Jackson was so freaking young but he did WONDERFUL! Dong Yu looked so young in this role; perfect choice. Their chemistry is off the charts and they play their character so well. There was never a point in the story where I doubted their roles and countless tears were shed lol.

Cinematography: Freaking beautiful! I loved the suspense during the interrogation and I love how the director made us think that CN and XB were in the same room or talking to each other when in reality, they were apart and they just understand one another so well that they understand what each other were thinking.

Overall: I highly recommend and will definitely rewatch this movie in the future as it is and will always be one of the best movie I've ever seen. :)

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no words, only that this is a masterpiece

i went in worrying that the acting would be shitty because that was the case for all the chinese films i'd watched in the past. i was so wrong, this is some of the best acting i've ever seen, ESPECIALLY THE CRYING SCENES!! even from a technical standpoint, i can't think of a single thing the creators did wrong with this film. the camera work, the music, the acting, the plot, the development, the pacing, everything was so well done.

this is gonna be a really hard film to replace for me. it's one of those movies that take a piece of your heart when it finishes. there's so much to be interested in with this film, it's the perfect balance of so many elements i couldn't even name! this movie left me attached to not only the characters, but their actors as well. the next few movies i watch are solely going to be with Jackson Yee and Zhou Dong Yu. i'm lucky if i get to see them in a film together again because their chemistry was fking insane

it's hard to convince a lot of people to take the time out of their day simply to watch a movie, so do what you will with this! but i highly recommend this to literally everyone because even if you don't like romances or sad stories, this film is a whole lot more than just a couple tags and genres.

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What will you do...?

Watch this to help me with the challenge in MDL and the recommendation from kdoramalama. See Zhou Dong Yu who played this so I decided to watch this.

Actually never too like this kind of drama. The drama about bullying and very dark setting, that when we watch it we have to squint our eyes or light up our screen... :p. But after all Zhou Dong Yu not disappointed me with her acting.

We sometimes don't too like to watch this kind of story (bullying), because maybe it remind us about our past or it just very unpleasant story to be watched or heard. But really in the reality this is very important story to tell. So it can bring us awareness about bullying.

If you in the Chen Nian (CN) or Liu Bei Shan (BS) shoes, what will you do...? Will you do the same with them...? Is there really someone like the police said, that will do raping just to save his girl/friend...? If that's me... I don't know will I do the same with CN until the very end... At least before police find out the truth. Or after pushing Wei Lai will I just report to police to confess instead just use BS as replacement. Or I just run away from the crime scene and don't confess anything...???

Overall this good movie, but the genre and story simply just not for everyone...

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A very thorough plot that explores some serious themes while actually being entertaining

PROS:
+ The character and plot development is handled expertly and connects the viewer with a strong, empathetic bond
+ None of the emotions conveyed ever feel cheap or ingenuine
+ The visual presentation is strong with impressive camera shots in the dilapidated urban setting

CONS:
- Some of the decisions made by the main character are frustrating, but simulate circumstances well enough
- The incredible, in-depth tale comes at a price: a very long movie with slower pacing [good luck if you're sleepy]

I enjoyed Better Days as much as I'd hope I would.

It's hard to find great development and strong writing in a lot of modern dramas. This fills that void perfectly.

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Believe Me

I don't write reviews. But I will write one as I want mdl viewers to know if you are planning to watch this movie go ahead and don't think twice. Watch it till the very end, you won't regret it. And thank me later ;)
The acting is the best I ever watched. I couldn't even tell Jackson is a rookie actor.
The message this movie gives is another cherry why you need to watch this movie. "Either you bully or you get bullied."

And if you already watched this movie then congrats you watched a masterpiece that got an Oscar nomination for 2021. And I hope it wins as well :)

TMI- I watched this movie like 10 times and I still feel the same emotions as I did when I watched it for the first time.

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Throughout the years since its release, this film periodically comes up in my recommendations. I tend to avoid films that look like they have an indie feel to them, because they’re usually too slow paced for my liking, and I’m not a fan of dull and subdued color palettes that are typical of such films. So I put off watching Better Days until now, because I thought it would be like those films.

On the third year of this movie, yet again being recommended to me, I finally gave in.

Thank you to all those who keep pushing this movie, and the AIs that serve it up lol. I honestly would have missed out on a gem. It definitely deserved all the awards it got.

I was totally hooked on the FL within the very first few minutes, and then the ML when he was introduced. How they’re both basically just kids, who are forced to grow up way too soon, with no adults or safety nets to help them. But luckily, they find each other and do their best to one day reach “Better Days”.

The emotional rollercoaster I went through watching this. The slow and steady rise in the first half, and then the twist and reveal in the second half of the film that broke my heart for both them, and had me dreading over what would happen next.

The ending is a marvelous work of art in storytelling. It’s after the credits. Don’t miss it, because I almost did.

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Wordlessness Is Not Silence

A show-stopping movie I have kept in the closet for later perusal for a long time now. We rarely see such profound acting anymore in popular cinema, and I am grateful for this website especially for the movies it recommends me and which I would never get to know about or to see in theaters in my country.

I don't know where to start praising: the cast, the music, the filming, the deceptive play of plain colors, the themes of abandonment. The fact that rather than having the two lead characters have open conversations, the dialogue is spoken over them, instead of by them, by other characters. It doesn't matter if these characters are the nice cop or the mean one, the bullies or the acquaintances, family itself. Decisions are taken over their lives in discussions they will not join, and their true feelings and wishes remain wordless—but not silent.

Facial expressions, isolated words, the ways of physical contact: those are the dialogue that the main characters engage in. And nothing is as breath-taking about it than the entirely silent exchange they have through the glass window, looking at each other with the other's reflection superposed to their face, the slightly off-tempo of the smiles and tears and begging they give.

The flash-forward at the start which becomes the time-skip of the ending is all the more poetic. This was, used to be, is, their playground: their relationship has not vanished despite the years of separation, and the revolute time can always be brought back. And here comes the play of colors: the little girl's yellow clothes and Chen Nian's yellow prison uniform, and how Chen Nian takes the shackles of those clothes off the girl as she walks her home...

In fact I would say this story is not so much preventive toward school bullying as it is a tender testimony of loneliness, although its public interest did cause significant changes in order to help victims. It is abandonment by family, friends—Chen Nian refusing to answer the dead girl's plea at the beginning,—the school system, the justice system. But it is also about bringing the lonely together and how lifestyle does not indicate the humanity in one's heart.

Dialogue crushes and avoids the scarcely-speaking main characters, but they are certainly not silent.

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Destroyed

Warning: watch this movie if you are ready to cry for at least two hours .
Jokes aside this is probably the best movie I've ever watched. Its literally just so good, there isn't a single thing I don't like about this movie.
The story : fucking amazing , captivating , interesting, hella sad but so good.
The characters : wow just wow , Chen Nian is such a pure , innocent girl that got tainted by life. She deserves all the love in this world. Xiao Bei.. well I fell in love with him. He's such a gentle soul , caring and brave so so brave
I cried for 2/3 of the movie, maybe even more, I was completely crushed buy the story. I swear I've never cried so hard for a movie. Please watch it, this movie deserves way more.

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▯▷ Better Days Movie (2019)

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A bullied teenage girl forms an unlikely friendship with a mysterious young man who protects her from her assailants, while she copes with the pressures of her final examinations.

Genre: Drama
Directed by: Zhou Dongyu Shooting Pictures
Production Company by: Shooting Pictures
Starring: Zhou Dongyu, Jackson Yee, Yin Fang, Huang Jue, Wu Yue, Zhou Ye
Language: 普通话
Country: China, Hong Kong
Release Date: 2019-10-25
Running time: 135 minutes
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