Ni Ping Movies
- 2003
Yang Yazhou's drama Pretty Big Feet is about a pair of very different women who become friends. Xia Yu (Yuan Quan) is a big city teacher who takes a job in a small-town school led by Zhang Meili (Ni Ping). While the two butt heads initially, Zhang soon realizes that everything Xia does is to help Zhang's students. Xia's marriage is going through a very rough patch, and Zhang attempts to strike up a romance with a local projectionist. The film concludes when the two women make a trip to Beijing. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
A grieving peasant still mourning the death of her husband and young son opens a school in the remote and barren landscape of northwest China in director Yang Yazhou's stark but affecting drama. When Zhang Meili lost her family, she also lost her purpose in life. Now determined not to fall victim to her sorrow, Zhang decides to leave her bad memories behind and start life anew by giving back to the community. Xia Yu is an unhappy housewife from Beijing who longs to make a difference, too. After abandoning her husband to assist Zhang Meili in her noble efforts, the pair soon form a close-knit bond and Xia Yu learns just how rewarding the life of a teacher can be. The situation grows complicated, however, when Xia Yu's husband arrives imploring his wife to return home, and Zhang Meili becomes involved in a clandestine relationship with a local projectionist. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
