Never Said Goodbye (film)
| Never Said Goodbye | |
|---|---|
_poster.jpeg) Poster | |
| Directed by | Lin Yu-Hsien |
| Starring | Lee Joon-gi Zhou Dongyu Ethan Juan |
| Cinematography | Kim Young-ho |
| Edited by | Wong Mo-hang |
| Music by | Jeffrey Cheng Dou Peng Europa Huang |
Release date |
|
Running time | 100 minutes |
| Countries | China South Korea |
| Language | Mandarin |
| Box office | CN¥18.4 million[1] |
Never Said Goodbye is a 2016 romance film directed by Lin Yu-Hsien and starring Lee Joon-gi, Zhou Dongyu and Ethan Juan.[1] The film is Korean-Chinese production. It was released in China on August 9, 2016.[1][2]
Plot
A heart-breaking romantic tale, which starts with Jun Ho, breaking up with his girlfriend Xiao You, since he wants to return to Italy to learn Opera, supposedly his childhood dream. The movie starts with a scene in which Jun Ho shows his tickets to all the friends gathered at a party. Xiao You tries to persuade him not to go. After a bitter fight, Jun Ho breaks up with her and flies back the same night.
The first half of the movie concentrates on Xiao You having to deal with the breakup as she struggles with both emotional and work pressure. She and Jun Ho had been working as interior designers at a firm in Shanghai. They met in the university and eventually fell in love with each other. Jun Ho, a Korean student who was raised by his elder sister in Italy, comes to study and work in Shanghai. After an incident, Jun Ho finds out that he has brain cancer and has only 6 months to live. He finally makes up his mind to break up with Xiao You, rather than let her see him die. After 3 months, when Xiao You still cannot forget him, he fakes his death in Italy with the help of his elder sister and arranges a funeral, so that Xiao You can finally move on in her life. But things only get worse for Xiao You, as she gets more emotionally attached to him after his death.
Her neighbour, Tian Bo, tries to save her from an accident, creating a friendship. However, Xiao You's memories of Jun Ho grow only stronger day by day. His unfinished work at a bar keeps her going. Every night, strangely though, her work seems to be completed by some goodwill stranger. She starts communicating with this stranger through smileys drawn on the wall . While Xiao You doesn't know the identity of the stranger, it is revealed that the person working on the bar at night is none other than Jun Ho, who, with the help of his ex-employer Mr. Ma, secretly tries to fulfill his promise of "never letting her go". Jun Ho's health condition worsens and he is admitted to the hospital for a major surgery, after which he realizes that he might die anytime soon. At his request for one last time, Jun Ho, in disguise as a bear, makes her smile again, with a hug.
The film ends with Xiao You visiting Jun Ho's elder sister in Italy after a year, paying her last respects at his grave and listening to all the daily logs he had made watching her every step and caring for her by staying in an apartment just above hers. Hence, the title "Never Said Goodbye".
Cast
Main cast
| Actors | Roles | Citations |
|---|---|---|
| Lee Joon-gi | Jun Ho | |
| Zhou Dongyu | Xiao You | |
| Ethan Juan | Tian Bo |
Supporting cast
| Actors | Roles | Citation(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Re Rayza | Ruby | |
| Xing Jiadong | Lao Ma | |
| Yoo Sun | Soo Jung | |
| Tang Wang | Yan Jing (Spectacle) | |
| Wang Zizi | ||
| Piao Shuo | Da Mao | |
| Ren Luo-min | Xiao You's father |
Production
The movie is filmed in Puglia, Polignano a Mare, Italy and Shanghai, China with many on-location scenes.[5]
This 100 minutes film is co-produced by the following companies:
- Phoenix Legend Films
- Beijing Chenming Media
- Yingyi Production
- Emperor Motion Pictures
- Dongyang Jiechengrui Jixiang Entertainment
- Shanghai Shangshu Investment
- Shaoxing Cuture Industry Investment
and distributed by Beijing Juhe Yinglian Media, Emperor Motion Pictures, and Yingyi Production.
Reception
The film has grossed CN¥18.4 million at the Chinese box office.
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 3rd China Australia International Film Festival | Best Producer | Phoenix Legend Films | Won | [6] |
References
- ^ a b c d "谎言西西里（2016）". cbooo.cn (in Chinese). Retrieved August 9, 2016.
- ^ "Lee Jun Ki Attends Movie Press Event in Beijing for Korean-Chinese Joint Production Never Said Goodbye | A Koala's Playground". koalasplayground.com. Retrieved 2016-11-06.
- ^ "Lee Joon-gi Aims to Thrill Chinese Viewers with Never Said Goodbye - Cinema & Films - Visitbeijing.com.cn_Beijing Municipal Commission of Tourism Development Official Website". english.visitbeijing.com.cn. Retrieved 2016-11-06.
- ^ a b "谎言西西里 (2016)". movie.douban.com (in Chinese). douban.com. Retrieved August 9, 2016.
- ^ "South Korean Actor Lee Joon-Gi to Make China Debut in 'Never Said Goodbye' With Zhou Dongyu". AsiaStarz. 2016-06-09. Retrieved 2016-11-06.
- ^ "第三届中澳国际电影节10月30日在澳大利亚落幕-中华文化- 东南网澳大利亚频道". au.fjsen.com. Retrieved 2016-11-06.