Four Stars

Let's hear it for the immortal foxes in collaboration. Both have been cast as leaders of the fox tribe before. Coincidence? I think... Well, ok. Probably. What it has going for it:1. Dilraba. She has grown tremendously as an actress. Gone are the vapid expressions and cheese (Sweet Dreams) or dull lifelessness (Flame's Daughter). Now she comes across as mature elegance and grace personified. Well done lady, I was hoping you had it in you. 2. Occasional funny moments. Like the secondary FL calling her SML a misogynist. Ok admit it, how many times have we really wanted to just hear them say it??? (To clarify, there's not really anything more than a token love triangle in this, so the SML in my head is matched up with the SFL. Which is nice. They really didn't need a love triangle at all, but if they can interject a cliche at all, well goddammit you just know they will. )The woebegone look on Johnny's face as they exclude him from dinner. There are a few. Those are my favorites. 3. It's just.. watchable. Mostly. So far I've only had one "ok I really can't look at the screen right now." Which brings me to....What it doesn't have going for it.4. The choices. Like the same ringtone on everyone's phone, and it get monotonous to the point of me wanting to break all their cellphones in a stomping fit of agony. The cinematography and script for the first kiss. It was so. Horrible. It took me from being avidly curious to see how this relation would hit flashpoint, to desperately wanting a do-over. 5. Now I realize I have to take culture into account. But I keep getting the feeling Chinese women are still actively being programmed to think mostly about clothes and jewelry and their love lives, while leaving real business decisions to the big strong men. Which is strange, because other times I feel like the characters want to break out of that, and then it changes. Like there is a committee of writers making this and they can't really agree on a tone. Or there is one frustrated, determined woman desperately trying to interject feminine independence into the male-led script whenever she can. ( I had this visual in my head as I watched it, I won't lie.)Still watching, I'll add more later if I feel the need.

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