The Way We Are (2008)

Truly Dreadful Film

Charming and brutal

I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

If you want to watch movies about special effects, explosives here & there or whatever, go rent Ironman or Transformers, this is Ann Hui's The Way We Are, some of you may complain of boredom, with the lack of pace in the story flow, I didn't, I wept.What amazes me the most is it's simplicity, their daily lives, activities, family problems, those things that you might encounter everyday, & how to cherish them. You don't need to be an alien to become interested in this movie, if you feel bored, then this movie is definitely not for you.I praise Ann's bravery in doing a film about our problems in life, especially in families, & she made me realize there is so much things in life than just fancy, branded goods & not to become enslaved by them.

My vote might be deceiving because this movie is pretty boring unless you actually watch the whole movie you will probably get bore after the first 20 minutes no wait after 10 minutes. However after watching it with tear flowing out of your eye because you're bore to death will you started to like the main character. The strong point of this movie is about characterization, making you feel for the main character and with it show you the good side of humanity. Even though this isn't base on real life story after you watch the movie it will feel like one which is another strong point. While I was watching it I was pretty much bore to death so I can tell why some people give this movie a 1 but if you actually finish it you will enjoy it like I did. In a sense this is like Twilight saga, in which only some people like it while other cry from how worthless it is(my description), The Way We Are will make some people feel emotional about it while other will just turn it off after 10 or so minutes. So if you really want a good movie base on characterization enjoy this one but if you want something surprising or out of place then don't bother with this one. It is just too simple for it to be anything....except a slice of life :).

Definitely 1 of of 10 for this movie. I'd rather watch an Indian all dancing and singing movie than to waste my time on this one. I completely agree with some comments made here, nothing ever happened. Is his a diary or blog of some ordinary citizens on Hong Kong?The movie just didn't make any point or statement, it did not make the spark for me to saying this is worth watching.Definitely a one off bad movie coming out of Hong Kong, I will never miss a good old king fu movie or a good comedy from the likes of Stephen chow, what a good job it was never translated to English for the British here in UK, or the whole nation will die of boredom.

What do movies tell us about what kind of people we are? Imagine the following: you are an alien from outer space, who is about to get into the space ship to visit planet Earth. Before you leave, you are instructed to learn as much as possible about the people and their culture who live on this planet. Your homework: to watch all the movies produced in the last year.Think about what kind of image you would get from looking at what kind of movies we produce and watch as people. There is an abundance of Hollywood movies. You might think we are all American. Or that we imagine to be super heroes. So much special effects. How would our lives look like if they were like Hollywood movies? But of course, our lives are most of the time nothing like Hollywood movies.Showing a movie that just portrays how we are would be boring. Would it not? Ann Hui doesn't think so. She provocatively titled her latest movie The Way We Are. Ann Hui is perhaps the most gifted story teller in Hong Kong, at least when it comes to film making. The same way Ozu chronicled the lives of Japanese society, Hou Hsiao-hsien and Edward Yang documented the day-and-nights of Taiwanese people growing up, Ann Hui is the cultural biographer of Hong Kong.When it comes to Hong Kong movies, most people might think of kung-fu stars, like Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan or Jet Li, or perhaps triad movies, made famous by John Woo, and more recently Johnnie To. Some might even think of Wong Kar Wai. But the films of Ann Hui are those who directly go to the core of what Hong Kong is about - but this core is as most of our lives perhaps unspectacular, mundane, and banal.Ann Hui nevertheless manages to weave an incredibly rich story detailing the mundane lives of people in a part of Hong Kong that is often sensationalized: Tin Shui Wai. It's a part of town that is considered desolate, characterized by social problems, unemployment, with high buildings (some might think of them as Hong Kong's version of "the projects").What is worth telling here is a story from a part of society that you otherwise would never see or hear. But that they don't exist in our popular imagination doesn't mean they exist, and it doesn't mean that we shouldn't know about. Most movies have spoiled the way we "consume" them: often slick, highly visualized, with something to grab our attention every three seconds (if not less). This movie by Ann Hui needs to be slowly taken in, with patience.That is to say, our starting assumption should be that there are really no boring people. That every person has a story to tell, and that when they try to tell you their story, the least you could do is listen to them, with the patience and respect every human being deserves. Because, that's the way we are. Ann Hui, thank you for reminding us of this important lesson.