The Garden of Evening Mists (2019)

The Garden of Evening Mists: Directed by Tom Lin. With Angelica Lee, Hiroshi Abe, Sylvia Chang, David Oakes. A woman seeking a quiet life in post-World War II British Malaya finds love and a common interest in gardening with a mysterious Japanese man.

“u0026quot;The catch is, not enough scenery of crisp verdure, or an artificial brook of dainty Japanese lanterns, nor a doughty, noble, deeply-felt performance from Lee Sinje, can save this plodding vehicle from swanning along to its finish line, and Linu0026#39;s partisan leanings gets blatantly offensive in his outrageous depiction of the acquisitive and savage Malayan communist rebels. Also Yun Lingu0026#39;s over-intimate relationships with both British colony, and Aritomo, the man might or might not be a Japanese spy, from a country that wantonly brings inexpressible suffering and bereavement to her, are problematic, to say the least. As an intimate, personal story, THE GARDEN… is poetic, touching, if overwrought in its final application, but if one tries to obtain a critical take on Malayau0026#39;s WWII turbulence and its colonial days, the outcome is cripplingly jaundiced and romanticized.u0026quot;u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eread the full review on my blog: cinema omnivore, thanks”