A Thousand Years of Good Prayers goes to prove that you don’t need lots of car chases and explosions for a film to be any good. This is subtle and gentle filmmaking and another example of why more people need to watch foreign cinema.
An elderly Chinese man decides to visit his daughter in America after twelve years of not seeing her. But as his daughter feels alienated from him, having not seen him in so long, she keeps herself to herself and repeatedly leaves him on his own as she goes out to parties and works late. Her father then tries to adapt to the alien surroundings he’s found himself in.
Although simple in what is technically shown on screen — locations, characters, and the like — it’s anything but simple when it comes to what it’s about. There are so many true-to-life things that it tackles, such as the clashing of different cultures, aging, family pride, the pursuit of happiness (and the desire for other people’s happiness), and struggling to find your place in life. It’s got so many complex layers that don’t become apparent from the outset but rather unfold as the film goes on.
The film has great performances, with a particularly fantastic one by Henry O. Much like the nature of the movie in general, his performance is so subtle and nuanced, a type of performance that is not often seen. You can really feel for the lead character in particular as he tries to find his way in a land that is very different to his own. He is only there for his daughter and since she seems to not have the time of day for him he then has to try and adapt to the strange surroundings.
But it’s not all serious all the time – there are moments of humour throughout as the main character tries to talk to people in minimal, broken English and finding the ways of the United States very peculiar. Even things like an answering machine or the more casual way the language of English is spoken compared to Chinese seems strange to him. I just love films that deal with serious issues but still have a layer of humour laced through them.
Article comments