I must admit, I am a huge Jet Li fan. I have seen most of his movies and am on the mission to get hold of those I haven't seen. So I was eager to watch the movie that had no kickass Jet Li in it.
Though I have seen he Warlords, which already gives you a sense of what he is capable of as an actor (he won a Hong Kong Movie Award with that performance), it cannot rehearse you for Ocean Heaven.
Amidst the excellent cinematographic work, the story is told in a very slow pace, and sometimes it all feels repetitive. However, it is needed for the audience to understand the depth of love Wang has for his son and the hardships he has to go through. Jet Li emerges as a good actor, and you forget he is the best Chinese martial artist ever filmed. He is credible in the role of the dying, shy, introverted yet strong man, who is willing to sacrifice everything for his only son. He is even willing to make fun of himself when he dresses up as a giant turtle to make Dafu, his son see he will always stay with him, in the form of Dafu's beloved sea creatures.
I do admit, I did cry in the end of the movie, and I'm not ashamed of it. This is a moving story, and tells how misunderstood people with autism are and what such families in China have to go through because the government does not provide help with such children.
A surprising Jet Li in a moving drama - anyone who only considers Jet Li as a typecast action hero, should watch this movie.
Though I have seen he Warlords, which already gives you a sense of what he is capable of as an actor (he won a Hong Kong Movie Award with that performance), it cannot rehearse you for Ocean Heaven.
Amidst the excellent cinematographic work, the story is told in a very slow pace, and sometimes it all feels repetitive. However, it is needed for the audience to understand the depth of love Wang has for his son and the hardships he has to go through. Jet Li emerges as a good actor, and you forget he is the best Chinese martial artist ever filmed. He is credible in the role of the dying, shy, introverted yet strong man, who is willing to sacrifice everything for his only son. He is even willing to make fun of himself when he dresses up as a giant turtle to make Dafu, his son see he will always stay with him, in the form of Dafu's beloved sea creatures.
I do admit, I did cry in the end of the movie, and I'm not ashamed of it. This is a moving story, and tells how misunderstood people with autism are and what such families in China have to go through because the government does not provide help with such children.
A surprising Jet Li in a moving drama - anyone who only considers Jet Li as a typecast action hero, should watch this movie.