Ai Qing Zhang Sheng Yi Qie
2006 / 90m - Malaysia
Romance, Drama
3.0*/5.0*
Love Conquers All poster

Watches

January 04, 2021

3.0*/5.0*

One of those films that exemplified the rise of DV and its impact on drama cinema. With no budget to speak of, Chui Mui Tan made a film that would've otherwise been impossible to make. Fifteen years later its impact may have been seriously diminished, but back then it won her a prestigious Tiger Award.

Ah Ping is a young girl who moved from the countryside to Kuala Lumpur. There she meets John, a city boy who takes a liking to her. Ping already has a boyfriend in Penang, but John is steadfast and keeps following her around. Ping finally caves, but she then finds out that there's a darker side to John.

The first scene shows Ping on the bus to Kuala Lumpur. She needs to switch seats with an old man who has an headache, which takes her about 5 minutes. Tan observes. That's pretty much what you're getting, 90 minutes long. The DV cinematography is voyeuristic, putting the audience very close to its protagonists, but the film itself is quite low on actual drama. Love Conquers all offers solid slice of life entertainment, but be prepared for a sluggish film.