Inseparable (2012)

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

You can look at this as the ultimate redemption movie. Chuck saves Li while Li is literally at the end of his rope and hilarity ensues from there. The thing about this movie that some reviewers missed is that this movie isn't about comedy, that's a by product. Sure some of the plots have been reused, then again it's SOOO difficult to find a movie that isn't a rehash of other movies today that it's easy to forgive the light borrowing in this one. The movie is stitched together with a purpose, with meaning. THAT is the point of this movie.On the downside the movie has lulls which are a distraction rather than help move the story or tell the story. Some of the gags do not come off quite like the writer probably envisioned. Overall though this is a good movie and carries a strong message.

Daniel Wu plays a mild mannered, affluent, urban professional in Guangzhou who is faced with a few personal problems which the film generalizes as the consequence of modern China's capitalist system. He works at a seemingly unscrupulous corporation which is rushing to market with an unsafe prosthetic product despite his objections. He is 'asked' by a supervisor to lie about the product's safety at an upcoming public securities exchange hearing. Daniel is also bypassed for a promotion which is given to the son of the company's owner. At home, he struggles to maintain his marriage after his wife who had recently suffered the miscarriage of a deformed fetus. It is revealed later that the wife was taking folic supplements from a company that had been using fillers in their products. This part is based on a true story. Unable to cope with these pressures, Daniel's character attempts suicide but is foiled by a mysterious, nosy expat neighbor, Kevin Spacey who has some unconventional ideas for Daniel's catharsis. They include vandalism and costumed vigilantism. Daniel's bilingual character is unconvincing as is the washed up looking Spacey who appeared awkward and out of place. Perhaps that was intentional when we learn towards the end that Spacey's character and the version of the 'wife' who accompanied them on their escapades are not who they seem. This was an unoriginal, choppy genre blend of 'KickAss','Breaking Bad' and some sophomoric social commentary about China's post-marxist economic boom.

In the same depth as Inception and Shutter Island. A Tragedy and Recovery. Thoughtful journey and emotional struggle. Very Enjoyable, subtly comedic, well planned and insightful. Good Character Development, Wonderful Acting, and enjoyable soundtrack. Good Storytelling, and is deeply insightful. Certain scenes left me curious, and questioning, progressive content, and great locations. Defiantly Worth a Watch. I don't really want to talk to much more about the story, as you need to just see this movie. If you love getting lost in the story, and connecting with the main character, this gives you a chance to feel his thoughts and to think as he would, to really sympathize with the character, and question your own thought process and existence.

I'm afraid I can't agree with some of the other reviewers on here. I really liked this film - for a number of reasons.It was fast-paced, funny, while highlighting some of the issues facing an increasingly commercialising China. Mental illness, cultural erosion, love, loss, crime - this story has it all.Living in Asia, I watch a lot of movies of various ethnicities - it's nice to see some 'serious' film- making that doesn't have a cast of tens of thousands, a music score with 200 dancers, or based on a folk story from a thousand years ago, etc.The reviewers that derided this film as being derivative are missing the point - as well as being factually incorrect, IMHO - this is a modern, urban tale of an emerging China and as such is almost impossible to compare with something from the West. While the sub-plot of the buddy movie that allows Spacey his role, the more pervasive story line is the modernisation of China.I think a lot of Western audiences, given the opportunity to see this film, will be surprised at the way life is heading in Asia - the old stereotypes are falling daily.The impact this film has had around Asia is indicative of the scarcity of quality home-grown drama. While on a storytelling level this film was a little uneven, what it does is breaks ground for other directors and sets the stage for audiences to expect a level and content of Chinese film-making previously unseen.For years now China has been making technically superior films - beautiful scenery and cinematography, massive sets and casts of thousands along with stunning design and costuming, but nearly always the subject was historical stories or epic fiction.Seeing a new wave of Chinese directors making films for an increasingly cosmopolitan middle-class is heartening as this pushes further the maturation of China as a modern, democratic country. Once you start to see films such as this exposing some of the foibles in society, you know that acceptance is not far behind, and acceptance breeds an egalitarian society.I love visiting the new China and I look forward with relish to Mr Eng's next work.