Overview

• The film served as the Venice Competition closer, giving Cai Shangjun’s fourth feature a prominent festival platform.
• Critics from Variety and IONCINEMA single out Xin Zhilei and Zhang Songwen for compelling chemistry that grounds the drama.
• The narrative follows estranged former lovers confronting past sacrifice and guilt, with Cai emphasizing quiet, aftermath-focused moments.
• Reviewers find the two-hour-plus runtime absorbing yet overlong, noting stretches that feel drawn out.
• Variety flags a misjudged attempted-rape scene as out of place, while craft highlights include Kim Hyunseok’s cinematography, Han Nianjin’s co-writing, and Guo Sida’s spare piano motif.