The film opens in a small town in China in the 80s. Yun (Yi Liu), a young beautiful girl in her teens, finds herself pregnant. Her moral decadance is announced on the school's speakers, much to chagrin of her mother who is a teacher at the school. So in spite of everyone knowing, the baby is spirited away for the family to save face. Yun is in fact told that her baby's spirit now floats in heaven.As the film drifts into the 90s, Yun finds herself stuck as a singer in a pop troupe catering to the masses. It is at this time that a young boy, Xiao-yong (Xingrao Huang), befriends her and is infatuated by her. The film floats around the realtionship between the two unlikely characters.
Through the life of Yun, directory Yu Li also looks at Chinese society that seems to be stuck in between the Mao era and modernisation. A singing troupe with dancing girls but any hint of promiscuity from the women causes them to be labeled as sluts. The scenery and sorroundings are grim and gritty with some brilliant scenes from every day life. Like that of a couple of men trying to throw half alive fish back into their overturned truck. Yet another fascinating look at changing China.
Rating: * * *
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