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Someone to Talk To is a 2016 movie directed by Liu Yulin, based on the book One Sentence Is Ten Thousand Sentences by Liu Zhenyun (2009). The movie vividly portrays struggles and conflicts between a Chinese couple and shows how the marriage deteriorates and eventually leads to separation. In this review, Monica Vorchheimer and Huan Wang provide their perspectives commenting on four important phases of the marital crisis as presented in the movie. In their following conversation they underline different aspects of this topic.
The four phases that were chosen for the discussion are as follows:
First, the new couple go to the marriage registration office. The film shows their intimacy and happiness in being together.
Second, the husband discovers that his wife is having a love affair, and attempts to save their marriage. The wife denies the affair, and their communication fails.
Third, after the husband catches the wife sleeping with her lover and humiliates her, the wife begs the husband to file for divorce, but the husband rejects her proposal and claims revenge.
Fourth, the wife elopes with her lover. She and the husband meet by accident at the train station, and they eventually forgive each other and have a peaceful farewell.
I will centre my comments on different aspects of the scenes that were chosen to discuss about couple dynamics.
Aiguo and Lina are enthusiastically filling out their application for a marriage licence. The scene occurs in an office, where an employee only fills out paperwork and forms. But this young couple does not experience this act as bureaucratic; they are happy for their marriage, and we see cooperation between them. We note the contrast between the public office bureaucratic atmosphere and their joyfulness. Soon, we will see another contrast. A sour couple rudely interrupts them; they are applying for a divorce. When asked why, the answer is short: “We don't talk.” “Be more specific,” the employee asks