Young man who is studying martial arts begins to study the lion dance. Hooking up with the son of a rich restaurant owner they struggle to find a common ground and become friends.
Forgive my much too brief explanation of the plot line. There is simply too much in this film to explain simply. Know that this is the story of people trying to find their place in life. It isn’t just the story of the two young man who do the lion dance but of their parents and their teacher, who begins to feel that the kids struggle reflects on his ability to teach. There is also an exploration of fathers and sons.
I was moved.
I need to point out that while there is some martial arts this film isn’t about fighting. The Kungfu of the title is about becoming the best at something. It’s about the struggle to be as good as you can. It’s the path not the end.
I’m selling this film wildly short, and I’m sorry about that, but this is a film with a lot of great things going on and it’s not easy to explain it all without doing a real deep dive.
What makes the film work is that even though it hits numerous expected points, the film doesn’t do what we think it will. Talking to Mr C after the film he said he loved that the film told the “typical” martial arts story and did it in a completely different way. The focus wasn’t on kicking ass or winning a tournament but just being a better person. This is a film about how the process of doing something we love makes us better.
This film is an absolute joy. It’s the sort of thing that makes you care so much that by the time the credits roll you have a tear in your eye. Recommended.
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