Rating: 
Summary: A Powerful Film
Review: Taking into consideration many of the critiques given earlier, I have to say that I disagree with much of the negative criticism surrounding the film. It's pacing was effective and helped add poignancy to the film, and quite frankly I cannot think of too many scenes that could have been dropped without losing a certain something in the film.My one big problem with this film is how many reviewers and critics seem to be commenting on its anthropological insights rather then plot devices itself. Yes, as a study of modern (and changing) china it is a fascinating. Yet, many sixth wave chinese films do the same, setting the scenes in an urban environment but looking at it through the eyes of those who cannot partake in all of its luxuries. Thus, looking at it from only this angle hardly does a film justice as it doesn't explain why the film could be well-received by chinese viewers, or anyone already familiar with the ongoing changes on mainland china. What I personally took out of the film was how thoroughly cruel humans could be to each other. Yet, this cruelty wasn't the sort found in state repression or religious persecution, rather, it was a cruelty that came about through ordinary people making what in many ways were ordinary decisions. Some spoilers ahead: To illustrate my point: it is not out of the ordinary for high school boys to try to look out for each other. In that one scene by the rail tracks where that one biker is showing off his skills to a crowd, the group of students do call each other brother and obviously think of themselves as having a strong bond. Thus, it is easy to believe that they could painfully beat Guo in trying to get their friends "stolen" bike back. Similarly, in the scene in the bathhouse where Guo quite accidentaly receives a shower and is horrified to see that he has to pay, the young woman working the register insists that he pays for the services rendered. In both these instances, the viewer knows just how thoroughly damaging these actions were on the pitiful Guo, yet the anatagonists remain largely ignorant. For the gang of boys they are merely protecting their friend, for the receptionist she is just doing her job. In both of these instances, and in many more like it spread throughout the film, the director and screen writer seem to be showing the audience the devastating consequences that seemingly normal decisions can have upon others, and how such wanton cruelty can be delivered quite unintentionally. All of this in my mind make this such a tragic and sorrowful film, challenging those who've watched it to re-examine many aspects of their own lives.
Rating: 
Summary: ah...
Review: The movie began tragic and ended, not an inch more so, tragic. Basically, it is two hours of bad things happening to good people, not through a series of mischance, but simply because their lives are terrible and there's no possible way to get around it. The film was downright depressing with nothing of a therapeutic or cathartic effect. I say that because the characters go through no emotional development, or physical development for that matter, so that at the closing of the movie, you feel as if nothing has happened. Also, none of the characters are really likeable, and you can hardly summon up enough feeling to call it compassion. [I should also note right now that all the characters are male, save two females we only see at the corners of the still story and the still camera-just hardly there, beautiful and unattainable.]
But unlike most movies I've been watching on my dear IFC (which has run out of real independent films and are resorting to old Jennifer Lopez movies), this one is memorable. I say this because I know I will remember the details of Beijing Bicycle at age 72, when I very well will have forgotten the names of my very own grandchildren.
Alright, I just read some reviews of this film, reviews by non-asiatic, non-thirdworld people, probably the same people who guffawed in the most un-funny (pardon, no SAT vocab seems to come to mind) parts of Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, an altogether very un-funny movie. Ah, here's one: The story is about the incredible struggle for human dignity in the face of inhumanizing poverty. Mmm. Right. I would say that poverty is what makes us most human, and the comfy cushions we're living on right now make us damn near godly. An eminent critic awarded this film with the words "emotionally satisfying"-I interpret this as his way of saying it is excruciatingly painful to watch, being that pain can too be an emotion, and in that case, I can't disagree. Next: "there is no needless dialogue" meaning there is basically no dialogue-a few monologues here a few grunts there, all the while the camera never moves... sounding a bit like Zhang Yi Mou's work, no? But ha! It's not! The producer's name is actually Wang Xiao Shuai, which translates to Wang Little Hottie.
The acting is glorious, by the way.
Watching this film was analogous to watching The Passion, refreshing in a way that continually dangling your heart on a thinning string can be-which is definitely an experience worth having. so, if you see it in blockbuster, by all means, go for it.
Rating: 
Summary: A true story of Chinese life
Review: There's only one saving grace to Beijing Bicycle: the actress who plays the teenage schoolgirl is extremely cute. Other than that, the movie seriously sucks. The biggest problem is in the two main characters--the country boy and the city boy. Both were incredibly unappealing characters. The city boy was spoiled and a complete cretin; the country boy was just plain dumb. You really wanted to root for the country boy, but you couldn't since you're shaking your head at how implausibly stupid his actions were. Think about it. Everything would've been solved simply by doing one of the following:
1. The country boy goes to the cops.
2. The country boy tells his boss at the delivery service about the bullying school kids.
3. The country boy goes and tells the cretin's dad again.
The possibilities are limitless. Instead, the filmmakers prevented the country boy from doing any of this. Instead, they pull off one sickeningly contrived scene after another. One typical example: when being chased by bullies, the country boy conveniently flees into an underground and very empty parking lot where he could get beat up. Along with Xiu Xiu, Beijing Bicycle is surely one of the worst Chinese movies I've seen.
Rating: 
Summary: Biggest piece of garbage
Review: There's only one saving grace to Beijing Bicycle: the actress who plays the teenage schoolgirl is extremely cute. Other than that, the movie seriously sucks. The biggest problem is in the two main characters--the country boy and the city boy. Both were incredibly unappealing characters. The city boy was spoiled and a complete cretin; the country boy was just plain dumb. You really wanted to root for the country boy, but you couldn't since you're shaking your head at how implausibly stupid his actions were. Think about it. Everything would've been solved simply by doing one of the following:
1. The country boy goes to the cops.
2. The country boy tells his boss at the delivery service about the bullying school kids.
3. The country boy goes and tells the cretin's dad again.
The possibilities are limitless. Instead, the filmmakers prevented the country boy from doing any of this. Instead, they pull off one sickeningly contrived scene after another. One typical example: when being chased by bullies, the country boy conveniently flees into an underground and very empty parking lot where he could get beat up. Along with Xiu Xiu, Beijing Bicycle is surely one of the worst Chinese movies I've seen.
Rating:
Summary: If you really want something different see this film!
Review: This film is amazing ... Panaramic shots of hundreds of bicycles parked in Beijing. Shots of brand new *huge* high rise apartment buildings.
Much larger than anything you've ever seen in the US.
Amazing. Bicycle chase sceens in the old streets of Beijing. Oh, so the sceenery is so beautiful. It's a pleasure to see something
different from the cookie cutter world we know in the US.
No Starbucks, McDonalds, or Walmarts. ... One thing I really enjoyed was the director's use of
symbolism. There's a clip where every time a certain
young woman walks by you hear her clop-clop high heals.
I can't say too much with out giving away some of the
fun but it is really suprising how such a subtle
effect can turn out to be so powerful! The casting was great. The acting was so good that a
during the beginning of the film I thought I was
watching a documentary. Anyone whose spent a period of his life where $10 is a lot
of money can relate to the events and charactors in the film. The story is about the incredible struggle for
human dignity in the face of inhumanizing poverty. I loved it!
Rating:
Summary: Plagiarist?????
Review: This film is well done but I cannot bring myself to give it higher marks for one reason...it is quite obviously plagiarizing
the Italian classic by De Sica, "Ladro da Bicicletta". Had the director made some admission of this fact on the DVD cover, I would have felt better about the film (maybe he has done so elsewhere). If he has, I would then be quite happy to withdraw my criticism. Thomas Seay
Rating:
Summary: Emotionally Charged
Review: This film was about a boy from the country coming to the city and landing a really good job as a bicycle messenger. He gets a really cool bike to use and finds out they will take money out of his earnings to pay the bike off and make it his. This bike symbolizes so much to this youth, it is his ticket out, his chance to make something of himself. The bike is a status symbol, not just to him, but to all kids his age, therefore making it valuable and worth taking. Thats exactly what happens, the bike gets stolen. Because the owner marked it with a personalized scratch, he feels he can find it somehow in this large city of bikes. His boss doubts him and fires him with the promise that he will hire him back if he finds it, this is done in a real sarcastic way without any compassion. The story continues on with his search, retrieval, combative takeover and negotiation, all in that order. It sounds somewhat boring but the emotional scenes add a punch to this movie. There is not alot of needless dialog and we experience the film more with the visual images and the good acting of the two main characters, both boys. I really liked this film. I would like to go to this city and experience it fully. The rhythm of the film moves along just like a bike moving down a meandering road. Worthwhile viewing. Lisa Nary
Rating:
Summary: Makes you appreciate what you've got!
Review: This is a very entertaining movie that makes you realize how lucky we are to have what we have because so many people don't have much and have to work so hard for something that most in the west would buy and perhaps not even use! and not even care! Take the case of the bicycle in this movie-- one country-boy works his 'dream job' of a bicycle-courier for a month in order to pay for his flashy new bike-- only for it to be stolen (think of someone stealing your new laptop). A poor student then steals his family's savings to buy a "used" bike (which his family has been promising him for years; think of all your friends who have flashy laptops and think how you'd feel if you didn't even have an old desktop; also, think how poor a family must be that all their savings equal the cost of one used bike...) so he can spend time riding next to a girl from high-school whom he desperately likes (think being able to chat all night on internet/icq/email with a girl you like). This movie takes you to a simpler time and place, somewhere that we should reflect upon in our own lives more often, especially in the west where we have so much and are still not content!
Rating:
Summary: very good
Review: This is an excelent movie.I loved the soundtrack and thought it was well directed.Warning: people who cant appreicate depth may not like this flick.
Rating:
Summary: What took me so long to watch this
Review: To be totally honest,on cable I kept by passing this movie. In the back of my mind, I said to myself you wanted to bulid upon your Asian cinema collection here is a movie to do so. I was not disappointed at all. It reminds me how close yet so far. The determination of this guy to recover his bicycle was funny and truly amazing. The student was a selfish guy who purchased the bike from the black market. He stole money from his parents because of a promise, sometimes parents can not always follow up on good intentions. The scene where the student and his(school boy thugs) er I mean classmates. These young boys had the moxies to try and negotiate someone else's property cracked me up. Neither one was willing for the other to have the bike. An agreement to share the bike was made. Near the end the alley scene is worth a few << on the dvd or vcr. Let's say it's jaw dropping, what desperation will make you do. Let's just say the brother had no choice. Experience this one, a keeper indeed.
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