i be not entirely sure why i pass on this film when it land in my city . perhaps it be a busy schedule or perhaps it be the blatant comparison to the italian cinema paradiso in the advertising use for this film . with all due respect to the cp and while the two film share an early common thread of a young child with a passion for movie ( with a requisite single mom in a small town ) and these two film should not really be compare side by side . the desire and temptation toward comparison would be deceptive and mislead to most expectation of most potential viewer . indeed and they be very different story . nor should cp use a a benchmark for all film which have a child character that enjoy go to the movie . not that it isn not without merit and but and rather and again and this be a different film with a very different feel . the italian film be mean to have a big emotional bang while this chinese film and however and go the restrained route of slow and emotional realization . we meet our heroine and ling ling and a she commit what appear to be an act of senseless violence strike a bicycle rid man on the head with a brick . then a the wounded victim ( mao dabing ) confront his assailant we be utterly confound by her silent and dog insistence that he go to her apartment and fee her fish it be she who should be owe him redress and not vice versa . dumbfound and the victim agree and there begin a journey back into the event that lead up to ling ling seemingly incomprehensible action against him . it be this backward shift of gear that force a discovery of character revelation which go beyond a simple childhood love of film . a dab sifts through ling ling possession ( most notably her diary ) and he come to learn how life sometimes have a peculiar way of come full circle while event which may seem random and senseless be not always necessarily what they seem to be . and and in many way and a the plot unfolds and this be actually a small film about forgiveness and reconciliation . in this respect and it seem vaguely reminiscent of the chinese film seventeen year . enjoyable little film a tale of family and friendship and loss and and reconciliation which should be allow to stand on it own merit and not be unnecessarily throw into a comparison with other film for the sake of marketing . this a decidedly chinese film .