Perfect Life – Wan mei sheng huo (2008)

Directed by: Emily Tang | 97 minutes | drama | Actors: Yao Qianyu, Chen Taisheng, Jenny Tse, Yu Zhilong

In ‘Perfect Life’ we follow two young women in the chaotic China of the nineties. Both women are stranded, one in her career, the other in her marriage. Both women do not thrive in the increasingly free Chinese society, where the average Chinese now seems just as confused as the average Westerner.

The view of modern China is not the main subject of ‘Perfect Life’. The film is mainly about fact and fiction, and the role of art in uncovering the truth. You will encounter this theme on several levels. In the form (half feature film, half documentary), in the profession of the character Li Yueying (maker of artificial limbs) and in the behavior of the characters. Already in the first scene we catch Li in a lie. She tells a sentimental concoction about her father, to get to play Auld Lang Syne on her harmonica during an audition, erm.

What ‘Perfect Life’ shows is how difficult it is to distinguish truth from falsehood in an individualized society. Without social control or shared ideological values, one individual will have to rely on the word of another. That such a thing can lead to big chunks, Li Yueying learns to her own chagrin.

What you can rely on is the art. Whether it is a feature film, a fable or a piece of music: there is more truth in the inventions of art than in social interaction. Whether you hear the old version of a fable or a new one, the universal moral remains the same and the story offers the same comfort.

All in all, tough issues in a film that doesn’t make it easy for the viewer anyway. Just as the women suddenly end up in the bustle of the city, the viewer ends up in the lives of the ladies. He has to figure out for himself who they are and what the exact proportions are. Like the characters, the viewer doesn’t know who to trust and who not. Nor does he know whether the documentary part is real or fictional.

It makes ‘Perfect Life’ a tiring and fascinating viewing experience. Not everything is equally captivating, but the few boring scenes are quickly interspersed with much more interesting pieces. In addition, the film in the person of Yao Qianyu has a best lead actress and we get an initiated look at the incomprehensible Chinese society. In short, plenty to do for the curious arthouse lover.