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Together

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Together (2003)

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Reviews Counted:77

Fresh:56

Rotten:21

Average Rating:6.7/10

Consensus: Though melodramatic at times, Together is heartwarming and well-acted.

Rated: PG [See Full Rating] for mild language and thematic elements

Runtime: 1 hr 59 mins

Genre: Dramas

Theatrical Release:May 30, 2003 Limited

Box Office: $1,018,149

Synopsis: Xiaochun is a 13-year-old violin prodigy who lives with his father, Liu Cheng, in a provincial Chinese city. Shy and sensitive, Xiaochun doesn’t say much – music is his way of expressing his... Xiaochun is a 13-year-old violin prodigy who lives with his father, Liu Cheng, in a provincial Chinese city. Shy and sensitive, Xiaochun doesn’t say much – music is his way of expressing his feelings – but his entire life changes when his father, wanting the best for him, takes him to live in immense Beijing. Liu Cheng is willing to sacrifice everything so Xiaochun can audition for a prestigious music school and take lessons that befit his talent. In this exciting new world, Xiaochun studies with demanding teachers and is introduced to the cutthroat world of professional music. Through the people he meets – and seeing the consequences they’ve had to face – he also learns how painful life’s choices can be. Liu Cheng wants Xiaochun to grow up as a world-class violinist and live the successful life he himself couldn’t dream of, but as his training intensifies, Xiaochun has to figure out what he wants for himself – and how much he’s willing to give up for it. Ultimately, Xiaochun realizes how he truly feels about music and comes to understand the strength of his father’s love. Featuring an extraordinary classical soundtrack and woven together with the harmony and intensity of a complex musical orchestration, Chen Kaige’s Together is a stirring drama about the power of music and the importance of family. But for all the film’s warmth and humor, Chen also provides a subtle critique of contemporary China and its pursuit of all things modern. In the face of society’s pressures to achieve and have more and better of everything, Chen explores what it truly means to come Together. Together won three Golden Roosters in its native country, China’s equivalent of the Academy Awards®. Chen Kaige was awarded Best Director, Zhou Ying won Best Editing, and Wang Zhiwen received Best Supporting Actor for his role as Professor Jiang. United Artists and Moonstone Entertainment present Together, a Fourth Production Company of China Film Group Corporation, Century Hero Film Investment Co. Ltd, China Movie Channel, and 21st Century Shengkai Film Company production. Directed by Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker Chen Kaige (Farewell, My Concubine), Together was written by Chen and Xue Xiaolu and stars Liu Peiqi, Chen Hong, Wang Zhiwen, Chen Kaige, and Tang Yun. Produced by Ton Gang and Chen Hong, the film was executive produced by Yang Buting, Yan Xiaoming, Li Bolun, and Chen Kaige, with co-producers Han Sanping and Huang Jianxin. The talented roster of filmmakers includes Kim Kyljngkoo as director of photography, Zhou Ying as editor, Cao Jiuping Liu Luyi as production designer, costume designer Hah Yongsoo, and music by Zhao Lin. [More]

Starring: Tang Yun, Lui Peiqi, Chen Hong, Wang Zhiwen

Starring: Tang Yun, Lui Peiqi, Chen Hong, Wang Zhiwen, Chen Kaige

Director: Chen Kaige

Director: Chen Kaige
Screenwriter: Chen Kaige, Xue Xiao Lu
Producer: Yang Buting, Yan Xiaoming, Li Bolun, Chen Kaige
Studio: MGM/UA

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Release:

Nov 18, 2003

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for Together

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Geoff Andrew
Geoff Andrew
Time Out

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
04/01/06
Empire Magazine

Never wavers from its serviceably warm and fuzzy path.

Full Review Source: Lessons of Darkness | comment Comment
03/19/06
Nick Schager
Nick Schager
Lessons of Darkness

...a small-scale movie set in modern Beijing that comes right up to the brink of mawkishness and is saved only by some residual inscrutability in the narrative.

Full Review Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette | comment Comment
01/29/05
Philip Martin
Philip Martin
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

This film has wonderful music in it, and a pretty good story. The acting is solid and the cinematography is excellent.

Full Review Source: Laramie Movie Scope | comment Comment
01/18/04
Robert Roten
Robert Roten
Laramie Movie Scope
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
01/15/04
Guardian [UK]

Reeks of sentimentality and mawkish characterizations.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
12/30/03
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
11/25/03
Jamie Russell
Jamie Russell
BBC

A powerful film that should have been much better.

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
11/21/03
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

Together is a drama of exceptional, elegant beauty... it’s the kind of movie that makes you smile, that breaks your heart, that keeps you watching for more.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
11/19/03
David Cornelius
David Cornelius
eFilmCritic.com

a story of old China versus new, of the transforming power of music, and of the love between a father and his son

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
11/17/03
Don Willmott
Don Willmott
Filmcritic.com

So scattered, so full of pointless digressions, that it never really comes together.

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
08/08/03
Jeff Vice
Jeff Vice
Deseret News, Salt Lake City

With gorgeous images by cinematographer Kim Hyungkoo and with Chen Kaige's observation of telling details, Together becomes a sweet story with a tart kick.

Full Review Source: Salt Lake Tribune | comment Comment
08/08/03
Sean Means
Sean Means
Salt Lake Tribune
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: eye WEEKLY | comment Comment
07/08/03
Adam Nayman
Adam Nayman
eye WEEKLY

The performances are all terrific, but Together never jells as a compelling narrative.

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
06/29/03
Marjorie Baumgarten
Marjorie Baumgarten
Austin Chronicle

It's a touching film in which the actors, including director Chen Kaige in the role of Prof. Yu, deliver heart-touching performances.

Full Review Source: Toronto Star | comment Comment
06/27/03
Susan Walker
Susan Walker
Toronto Star
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

[Film-goers] are treated to lots of lovely music, both Western and Asian, as well as a vibrant look at the arts in modern China.

Full Review Source: Rochester Democrat and Chronicle | comment Comment
06/27/03
Jack Garner
Jack Garner
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

Together is a pretty good film, but is a story you've seen a thousand times at the movies.

Full Review Source: Jam! Movies | comment Comment
06/27/03
Derek Tse
Derek Tse
Jam! Movies

If you're in the mood for tears and triumph, with a dash of exoticism, Together may well be the film for you.

Full Review Source: Globe and Mail | comment Comment
06/27/03
Ray Conlogue
Ray Conlogue
Globe and Mail
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Like Shine minus the child abuse.

Full Review Source: Planet Sick-Boy | comment Comment
06/26/03
Jon Popick
Jon Popick
Planet Sick-Boy
 
 
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