Wang Xuebing Movies

Zhang Yang directed this $200,000 Chinese anthology film, opening on a yin-yang-decorated soup-pot shared by a Beijing couple. A soupcon of scenes with this couple serves to link several stories on the theme of love and marriage: a kid creates problems with parents and teachers by faking a recording; an elderly widow has her choice of men after she appears on a television dating show; a bored couple share a childish fascination for amusing toys; a boy discovers his parents have just divorced; and a romance is described via voiceovers. Cameo by Tiawanese singer-composer Li Tsung-sheng. Shown at the 1998 East West Film Festival (London). ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

Directed by Wu Tiange, Nuandong (Warm Winter) centers around Gou Qiang (Wang Xuebing), a workaholic detective who lives by himself in an apartment littered with enlarged photographs of his current suspects. At the heart of his projects is Lu Hanqing (Wang Ji), a woman put under surveillance in the hopes that her former lover (and professional con-artist) would return. While her middle-aged ex does, indeed, come back, an unforeseen attack leads him back into obscurity. Lu, now aware that she is being followed, initially thinks Gou is a stalker, and threatens to alert the police. Once she realizes he is the police, a mutual attraction between the two slowly develops. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi

A romance born of a tragedy follows a tragic path of its own in this drama from Chinese auteur Zhang Yuan. Wang Yi (Tong Dawei) is a young man whose best friend is soon to marry a beautiful woman, Du Xiaoju (Xu Jinglei), to whom Yi finds himself attracted. When Yi's friend tragically dies shortly before the wedding, Yi becomes friendly with Xiaoju, and in time he confesses his love for her. Yi and Xiaoju soon marry, but while they're quite happy together at first, clouds soon appear on the horizon; she enjoys teasing him about his past lovers, while he becomes angry when she wears makeup or shows physical affection toward him in public. Yi and Xiaoju begin quarreling often, and he becomes moody and distant. One night, she confronts him while he's drinking with friends, and he responds with violence. Yi asks Xiaoju for a trial separation, which upsets her greatly; he decides to give their relationship another try, and all seems well on the surface. However, in time Xiaoju becomes convinced Yi no longer loves her, while she has become more emotionally dependent on him than ever, and her desperation begins to manifest itself in dangerous emotional instability. Wo Ai Ni received its American premiere at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi