Set in the small Chinese region of Yanji, the storyline focuses on Nana, a woman with a troubled past. Currently, she works as a tour guide and appears warm and inviting for her customers. However, she struggles to connect with society as she has been previously involved in an accident that led her to self-isolate. Unlike her, there exists a romantic relationship between Xiao, and the owner of a restaurant, and Nana, although the relationship seems unreciprocated.
On one of her travels, she encounters Haofeng, who is a recluse and is said to have some mental problems (something as simple as munching on ice cubes is just the beginning pun intended). When he reports losing his mobile phone and then in order to prevent him from telling the incident to her supervisor, and also because she finds his looks appealing, she takes him for a walk in the nearby area together with Xiao and the three quickly becomes inseparable even after the last one finds out that the other two are in bed together. They now begin to walk around the neighborhood, claiming it’s to orient the newcomer, but in reality all three are trying to cure their isolation by just being around each other.
Anthony Chen has made a significant contribution to understanding this phenomenon of solitude and loneliness. He sees that by interacting with others who have similar experiences or are in the same cognitive state one can get rid of acute feelings of isolation. He also zealously sees to it that these individuals are left sidelined and muted and so this idea resonates even more when he captures, through a couple of different scenes, those moments that can mark meaningful relations. The scene where marriage is taking place with Haofeng subsequently addresses the point where it narrows down to who else but a mental support center gets in touch with him, Xiao being a child and who’s a little more like an attachment, and Nanna who’s always pretending to be pegged on to the liquor to down every time she’s alone and opened the shop in reality.
The manner in which the three locate each other as well as the manner in which a triangle that is devoid of jealousy is constructed is equally impressive, with Chen concentrating on how each one influences the other in a sense that is most favorable, especially as they succeed in being able to open up quite strongly as time goes by. That is especially the case with regard to how Haofeng is actually able to request assistance and how the other two view that is a delight to see, an even more positive remark that the filmmaker makes that exists in real life, yet is slightly poignant ending.
In this respect, the film serves as a guide of the local area, as Chen not only focuses on the beautiful snow clad wilderness in and around the town even so he includes night clubs, bars and other forms of recreation thus avoiding making another Chinese movie that depicts only the harsh reality of the life of the destitute. The evocative long takes of Yu Jing-Pin’s brilliant camera work further enhance all that was mentioned above within the context of realism that is to be meaningful. However, the cinematography combined with the manner that Chen deals with his content is the single most aiding element in the paving of the Nouvelle Vague, and the sequence set in the bookshop has to be the most striking, along with the rest of the film visually, and perhaps the most visceral and comedic. Also, the marking out of music adds an element of realism to the movie, flowing with the warmth during the moments of the film when the characters are together and brings an amusing contrast to the snowy cold outdoors.
As far as the scholar can tell, no other actor in the industry has been able to compare Zhou Dongyu’s rapport with Liu Haoran and Qu Chuxiao in this narrative, which has all three of them be mesmerizingly effortless in their naivety and unperturbed nature. And not just that, their performance perfectly ties in with the overall theme and aesthetics of the movie ,especially the scene where Qu Chuxiao’s scar is revealed. The other two moments paired with this one where really good too: the scene where Xiao understands the situation as well as where Liu manifests the feeling of helplessness.
Anthony Chen does a great job placing the memories of bear in their respective places, even if there is a disconnect in the context. But generally, this movie is riveting, sentiment driven and artistic as a piece of fiction, together with all of its sub-components
For More Movies Like The Breaking Ice (2023) Visit solarmovie.
