Rating: 
Summary: slight but appealing film
Review: "Together" is a Chinese film about a 13-year-old violin prodigy and his father, who travel to Beijing to find the boy the best mentor their money can buy. While there, they meet a number of colorful characters, including a dissolute music teacher who's nursing a broken heart, and a hooker-with-a-heart-of-gold who befriends the youngster.Although in broad outline "Together" reads a bit like a soap opera, the superb actors and the director's sly way with a plot device and a characterization make the film feel less clichéd and stereotypical than it might otherwise have been. Thanks to some adroit filmmaking, there's more a sense of life than of plot devices being played out here. The filial relationship between father and son is warmly and fully developed, with much of what passes between them being implied and unspoken. The teacher and the prostitute also feel more fully rounded than they otherwise might in lesser hands. Part of the fun lies, also, in all the little details we get to see of daily life in Beijing. "Together" is, ultimately, a rather slight film, but it has feeling and heart and isn't ashamed to wear those qualities on its sleeve.
Rating:
Summary: slight but appealing film
Review: "Together" is a Chinese film about a 13-year-old violin prodigy and his father, who travel to Beijing to find the boy the best mentor their money can buy. While there, they meet a number of colorful characters, including a dissolute music teacher who's nursing a broken heart, and a hooker-with-a-heart-of-gold who befriends the youngster. Although in broad outline "Together" reads a bit like a soap opera, the superb actors and the director's sly way with a plot device and a characterization make the film feel less clichéd and stereotypical than it might otherwise have been. Thanks to some adroit filmmaking, there's more a sense of life than of plot devices being played out here. The filial relationship between father and son is warmly and fully developed, with much of what passes between them being implied and unspoken. The teacher and the prostitute also feel more fully rounded than they otherwise might in lesser hands. Part of the fun lies, also, in all the little details we get to see of daily life in Beijing. "Together" is, ultimately, a rather slight film, but it has feeling and heart and isn't ashamed to wear those qualities on its sleeve.
Rating: 
Summary: How fate could prefered!!!
Review: A childhood memory resounded my lost youth,music,love,unfairness,passion.......even more purity that I hopefully reserved not quite well in my heart.The story of this talented boy,Xiaochun,was a miracle because of several kindness among the social warmness.He firstly had take home by a farmer,therefore he didn't became an orphan;Then this man treated him with the deepest love not any parents could gave;Later they went to Beijing,met Miss Lili,Mr.Jiang,and Professor Yu,in a brand new big city;Later,Xiaochun got professional training under a strict teacher,in the same time,earned an oppurtunity to stand on the world class stage of the art;Lastly,he made a choice to quit the performing,back to hometown with his father,inspite of his teacher had a little bit pities on this final decission that might never comes twice in a boy's life.I think those people's tolerance stimulated
Xiaochun's ardom in both violin playing and courage of life,no matter he decided to have a such challenging path instead of success approach.How fate could prefered,when you didn't want lost either happiness between family and career,this kid truely gave us a satisfied answer.
Rating:
Summary: out-of-this-world
Review: A master piece comes across only once in 10 years! Highly recommanded to all viewers and thumbs up for the producer!
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic
Review: After reading some of these other reviews, I'm just not convinced we're all reviewing the same film. This is a fantastic film. The characters are wonderful, the music is outstanding and the story will have you laughing and crying. It's a touching story of the love between a poor father and son in a class conscious society. The father loves the son and is willing to sacrifice everything in order for his son to become a famous violin player. It's a wholesome film (and no the girl is not a prostitute, she's a night club worker that juggles rich boyfriends) and one that I'm so very glad I didn't miss! It's probably one of the best movies I've seen.
Rating:
Summary: great movie !
Review: Best movie come out of China in recent years, great acting job by all characters and very moving story line. Highly recommand it, share it with your kids
Rating: 
Summary: Kaige sails to new horizons
Review: Chen Kaige's latest film together is his most accesible work for the western audiences. It is a far cry from movies like farewell my concubine and life on a string but nevertheless a good director is a good director and kaige is ready to prove himself to the wider audiences with this excellent movie.
Liu cheng is a poor uneducated but a big hearted northerner cook who lives in the southern part of China. His life means one thing: to give his son a better life. Liu xiaochun, his son is a natural talent for playing violin. They both head for Beijing in order to attend a competition. Liu does well but fails to be qualified as no 1 due to jury games. But his father is conditioned to give him what he deserves manages to convince Prof Jiang, a talented but gave up on life character. Due to Jiang's easy going attitude, Liu chneg finds another Prof and brings his son to him. Liu xiaochun starts to make progress to have a great career in future but there are many ghosts in the past to be awaken suddenly and other issues which turn xiaochun's world upside down.
As I mentioned earlier, movie is accessible and targets western audiences directly. Here is a very very touching father-son drama with many bitter sweet moments and strange characters. cat lover Prof Jiang, spoiled but good hearted call girl mimi and liu cheng with his unnervingly funny neverending shame of being a poor villager .Kaige portrays the emergence of new china with shopping malls, peoples struggles to adapt the new lifestyles which are mostly western oriented and confusion over the transformation from old school socialism to market economy.
Movie raises an eyebrow on issues like success and career and the price that has to be paid on them. Also family ties, people's dependence on each other and family ties that can never be broken are all here, making the young talents story richer and down to earth as it can be.
Together is a very good introduction of Kaige to wider audiences.
Movie is very touching but as well as funny and interesting. So sensitive viewers are advised to be prepared before watching.
Only problem with this movie is for the appreciators of his early work and serious cinema critics, no matter how successful this movie is, it will always stay under the shadow of Kaige's earlier work like farewell my concubine and will raise an undeniable feeling of dissapointment among these people, fans of his early works of art cinema. Also do not be so surprised If Kaige starts to shoot movies in Hollywood like Ang Lee.
Rating:
Summary: A Successful Marriage of Music and Film
Review: Director and writer Kaige Chen ("Farewell, My Concubine", "The Emperor and the Assassin" among others)has again successfully created a film uniquely uniting the visual with the spoken word with music. TOGETHER is a tender story that can be viewed from many vantages - the contemporary social climate in China, the profound impact of selfless love, the quantum difference between music that is technically perfect vs music that is from the heart and soul of the performer, the struggle for existance in the big city for the poor citizens visiting from the provinces, the awakening rattle of puberty in a guileless child. Liu Cheng (in a beautifully realize performance by Peiqi Liu ) is the 'father' of a gifted young violinist Liu Xiaochun (realistically acted by young violinist Yun Tang ) and when it becomes apparent that the child has won all the local prizes for his musicianship that his little town in Southern China affords, the father saves money and moves to Beijing for advanced studies. One professor (Zhiwen Wang ) lives the life of the bohemian, as interested in his home for feral cats as he is in hearing his pupil learn. The gift he provides is to emphasize that Liu Xiaochun always play from the heart. The next professor (played with great tenderness by director Kaige Chen ) guides him up to the point of winning a National Competition, a goal which obviously will satisfy everyone concerned - except Lin Xiaochun, who has gently fallen in love with the waif Lili (the gorgeous Hong Chen, wife of the film's Director). When it is discovered that Lin Xiaochun's father is returning to his home in the provinces - his work and dream accomplished - the son slowly discovers that his 'father' was simply a man who saved the unwanted child from a bench near a violin, and that knowledge that one man could love him that much to make a life for him changes the course of the action and...See the film. Throughout this visually stunning production (the southern province looks like an Asian Venice)the background music is all violin solos and concerti and while the actors actually play on the screen (the best I've ever seen), the score was recorded with the gifted Chinese violinist Li Chuan Yun providing exquisite technique and passion after the filming was completed.
The technique of using black and white flashback sequences to tell the real relationship between father and son is subtle and in keeping with the tone of the film. In all, a simple tale that may be unlike the epics of this Director, but with all the warmth and honesty his other major films also contained. A very well made, fine little film.
Rating:
Summary: A Successful Marriage of Music and Film
Review: Director and writer Kaige Chen ("Farewell, My Concubine", "The Emperor and the Assassin" among others)has again successfully created a film uniquely uniting the visual with the spoken word with music. TOGETHER is a tender story that can be viewed from many vantages - the contemporary social climate in China, the profound impact of selfless love, the quantum difference between music that is technically perfect vs music that is from the heart and soul of the performer, the struggle for existance in the big city for the poor citizens visiting from the provinces, the awakening rattle of puberty in a guileless child. Liu Cheng (in a beautifully realize performance by Peiqi Liu ) is the 'father' of a gifted young violinist Liu Xiaochun (realistically acted by young violinist Yun Tang ) and when it becomes apparent that the child has won all the local prizes for his musicianship that his little town in Southern China affords, the father saves money and moves to Beijing for advanced studies. One professor (Zhiwen Wang ) lives the life of the bohemian, as interested in his home for feral cats as he is in hearing his pupil learn. The gift he provides is to emphasize that Liu Xiaochun always play from the heart. The next professor (played with great tenderness by director Kaige Chen ) guides him up to the point of winning a National Competition, a goal which obviously will satisfy everyone concerned - except Lin Xiaochun, who has gently fallen in love with the waif Lili (the gorgeous Hong Chen, wife of the film's Director). When it is discovered that Lin Xiaochun's father is returning to his home in the provinces - his work and dream accomplished - the son slowly discovers that his 'father' was simply a man who saved the unwanted child from a bench near a violin, and that knowledge that one man could love him that much to make a life for him changes the course of the action and...See the film. Throughout this visually stunning production (the southern province looks like an Asian Venice)the background music is all violin solos and concerti and while the actors actually play on the screen (the best I've ever seen), the score was recorded with the gifted Chinese violinist Li Chuan Yun providing exquisite technique and passion after the filming was completed.
The technique of using black and white flashback sequences to tell the real relationship between father and son is subtle and in keeping with the tone of the film. In all, a simple tale that may be unlike the epics of this Director, but with all the warmth and honesty his other major films also contained. A very well made, fine little film.
Rating:
Summary: Some good roles, but lacking in heart
Review: Don't get me wrong, this isn't a bad film, it's even a good one -- I am just not as wildly enthusiastic about it as so many are. I rented it with great anticipation, but for the most part was left somewhat cold. I vacillated between 4* and 3* on this one, but figure it this way: not as good as the same director's "Farewell, My Concubine" or "Temptress Moon", which in turn I find a step, or even two, down from many other Asian films such as those of Wong Kar Wai and Tran Anh Hung or "Song of the Exile", "To Live", or "A Mongolian Tale". In brief, this is the story of young 'Chun', Liu Xiaochun [Tang Yun], a country-mouse violin prodigy who comes with his father from the provinces to Beijing to pursue a career. Without money or connections, he has no chance in the official contest, and studies with an eccentric teacher, Prof. Jiang. He also develops a crush on thoroughly modern neighbor Lili [Chen Hong], who lives comfortably through the kindness of male 'friends'. When Prof. Jiang has taught him how to play from the heart, he transfers to another teacher, the rich Prof. Yu [played by director Chen Kaige] who can help him not only with technique but connection and influence. There were several excellent roles, in particular Chun's father Liu Cheng [Liu Peiqi]whose devotion to his son's career is wholly authentic(perhaps too much to "career" per se -- given a choice between Chun's learning to play the best possible, or achieving fame and fortune, he unhesitatingly chooses the latter). Lili turns out to be a surprisingly well-played and essential character when at a crisis point she transforms from a shallow, self-involved floozy into an earnest, generous and supportive big sister and friend of Cheng's. Prof. Jiang also begins to come out of his slovenly, emotionally lost despond. Even the normally wooden rival in Prof. Yu's tutelage, Lin Yu [uncredited on my DVD], turns in an excellent scene in which she exposes Prof. Yu's machinations and realizes she truly does love the music, not just the idea of career. {Unlike a previous reviewer, who recommends editing out or cutting down the roles of Lili and Prof. Jiang, I feel they are much of what makes the film watchable at all.} However, I found the main character, Chun, rather unconvincing. I only saw flashes of either the love of music or the dedication needed to achieve his goals (whether of fame or skill). Yes, the theme of devotion to music or other performing arts such as dance is a powerful one -- this exposition of that theme just doesn't do it for me. His actions often seemed poorly motivated, random, or at least as self-involved as Lili. Likewise, his occasional considerate or generous moments seemed random, not a sign of growing up or transforming. There were several cases of choppy editing (or maybe unclear story flow), from the very start when he wanders away at the train station and we're all of a sudden in the tryouts. The late revelation of secrets from Chun's early childhood is contrived and unnecessary. And in the ultimate schmaltzy scene -- play it through in your head without the soundtracked orchestral accompaniment. A clever cinematic concept, but imagine the reality.
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