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Are You Lonesome Tonight? (film)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Are You Lonesome Tonight?
Chinese热带往事
Directed byWen Shipei
Written by
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography
Edited by
Music byHank Lee
Production
company
Release date
  • June 21, 2021 (2021-June-21) (China)[1]
Running time
95 minutes
CountryChina
LanguageChinese
Box officeUS$6.9 million[2]

Are You Lonesome Tonight? (Chinese: 热带往事[3]) is a 2021 Chinese neo-noir[4][5] film directed by Wen Shipei and starring Eddie Peng and Sylvia Chang.[6][7][8]

Plot

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In 1997, an air conditioner repairman accidentally hits a man with his car late at night and decides to cover it up. He later meets the victim's widow and befriends her. A police detective investigates the case when the body is found riddled with bullets.

Cast

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Production

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This was director Wen Shipei's first feature-length film,[9] after having previously directed two short films in 2015 and 2016.[7] The basis for the film came from a pitch at the 2017 Shanghai International Film Festival.[1] Shipei has said that the story was inspired by his father, who was a petty criminal in the 1990s.[7][10] The film takes its English-language title from the song "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" which appears in the film,[11][12] whereas the Chinese-language title translates as "Tropical Memories".[1]

Release

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The film was released theatrically in China on June 21, 2021.[1] The film was shown at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival and the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival.[4][1]

Box office

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The film grossed US$6.9 million in theaters.[2]

Critical reception

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 12 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.90/10.[13] Several critics compared the film to the works of director Wong Kar-wai.[8][10][12][14][15] Bobby Lepire, writing for Film Threat, compared the visual style of the film to Blade Runner.[9]

Accolades

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The film was nominated for a Caméra d'Or at Cannes and received an audience award at the San Sebastián International Film Festival.[16]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Berra, John (2021-07-11). "Are You Lonesome Tonight?: Cannes Review". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on 2023-03-27. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  2. ^ a b "Are You Lonesome Tonight?". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  3. ^ "Are You Lonesome Tonight? (2021)". MUBI. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  4. ^ a b Fulvi, Giovanna. "Are You Lonesome Tonight?". Toronto International Film Festival. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  5. ^ Myers, Randy (2023-03-22). "What to watch: New Great Expectations lives up to its literary legend". The Mercury News. Archived from the original on 2023-03-29. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  6. ^ Considine, Austin (2023-03-16). "Are You Lonesome Tonight? Review: Hit and Run, Sleight of Hand". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 2023-03-25. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  7. ^ a b c Kurz, Joachim. "Are You Lonesome Tonight? (2021)". www.kino-zeit.de (in German). Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  8. ^ a b Cameron, Jack (2021-07-16). "Are You Lonesome Tonight? - Cannes 2021 Review". One Room With A View. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  9. ^ a b LePire, Bobby (2023-03-16). "Are You Lonesome Tonight?". Film Threat. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  10. ^ a b Freitas, Filipe (2023-03-21). "Are You Lonesome Tonight? (2023)". Always Good Movies. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  11. ^ Moore, Roger (2023-03-09). "Movie Review: A Chinese Inmate Remembers why he's in Prison — Are You Lonesome Tonight?". Movie Nation. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  12. ^ a b Bell, Nicholas (2021-07-11). "Are You Lonesome Tonight? | 2021 Cannes Film Festival Review". IONCINEMA.com. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  13. ^ "Are You Lonesome Tonight?". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  14. ^ Wagner, Robert (2022-01-27). "Are You Lonesome Tonight? – Kritik". critic.de (in German). Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  15. ^ Eger, Madeleine (2022-01-24). "Are You Lonesome Tonight?". Film-Rezensionen.de (in German). Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  16. ^ Kay, Jeremy (2022-09-10). "Wen Shipei's Cannes title 'Are You Lonesome Tonight?' secures US deal (exclusive)". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on 2023-03-17. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
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