Although the screenplay is pure melodrama, "Ma Soeur Chinoise" is a pretentious intellectual bore .
Thirty years ago, Robert Chantegris was a missionary in China.After the death of Chairman Mao ,he comes back with his eleven-year-old daughter;the story ,which is a long flashback, is told by the girl's voice over :it's infuriating in the long run .
Robert will work as a schoolteacher for the children of French people who work in a petrochemical complex .A schoolteacher who cannot sing -which is laughable when you know he is played by a pop singer- ,but can declaim a poem his pupils cannot understand,being much too young and write integral calculus on the board .The connection with the plot escapes me,I fear...
The late Alain Bashung was certainly a gifted pop singer ,but his playing leaves a lot to be desired :his face is inexpressive and his portrayal monotonous ;on the other hand ,the generally reliable Jean-François Balmer overplays ,seemingly wondering why he has got involved in that business.
The French are not allowed to communicate or to strike up relationships with the natives .Speakers spread propaganda everywhere . However ,a strange Chinese woman, an acrobat , wants to meet Robert . In spite of the unfavorable context,she effortlessly succeeds ;it forces the teacher to come to terms with his past .His secret is an open one anyway.(check the title)
This is melodrama which is given a treatment a la Marguerite Duras : strictly reserved for highbrows .
Thirty years ago, Robert Chantegris was a missionary in China.After the death of Chairman Mao ,he comes back with his eleven-year-old daughter;the story ,which is a long flashback, is told by the girl's voice over :it's infuriating in the long run .
Robert will work as a schoolteacher for the children of French people who work in a petrochemical complex .A schoolteacher who cannot sing -which is laughable when you know he is played by a pop singer- ,but can declaim a poem his pupils cannot understand,being much too young and write integral calculus on the board .The connection with the plot escapes me,I fear...
The late Alain Bashung was certainly a gifted pop singer ,but his playing leaves a lot to be desired :his face is inexpressive and his portrayal monotonous ;on the other hand ,the generally reliable Jean-François Balmer overplays ,seemingly wondering why he has got involved in that business.
The French are not allowed to communicate or to strike up relationships with the natives .Speakers spread propaganda everywhere . However ,a strange Chinese woman, an acrobat , wants to meet Robert . In spite of the unfavorable context,she effortlessly succeeds ;it forces the teacher to come to terms with his past .His secret is an open one anyway.(check the title)
This is melodrama which is given a treatment a la Marguerite Duras : strictly reserved for highbrows .
