Stolen Life

Abandoned by her parents and raised grudgingly by a collection of disinterested relatives, the pretty Yan'ni (Jun Wu), who hides her beauty under a black knit wool hat, grows up alone and miserable. It's a miracle when she's accepted at a university in Beijing, and away she goes, hoping for some kind of new life.

Upon arrival at the school, she meets a friendly and soft-spoken young man named Muyu (Xun Zhou) who doesn't attend the school but drives a delivery van in the area. He helps her move in, and Yan'ni, absolutely starved for affection, falls for him in an instant. Soon they're an item, even as Muyu explains that he's not much of a catch and never expects to become anyone of importance. Still, he promises to love Muyu and to always be good to her.

It isn't long before Yan'ni decides to leave campus and move in with Muyu. It's a fascinating slice of Chinese life to see where he lives: in a rented room deep in the basement of an anonymous building where seemingly hundreds of migrant workers live in an endless maze of hallways and alcoves complete with shops, restaurants, and barber shops. This is an entire underground society, both literally and figuratively. Blinded by love, Muyu finds it all rather romantic rather than appalling. Her college career is soon derailed by the need to make money (selling snacks on the street) and by pregnancy.

And then... disaster. It would be saying too much to reveal what Muyu really has in mind for Yan'ni, but let's just say that Lars Von Trier, famous for putting women through unspeakable horrors in his films, would applaud writer Yiao Limei's plot developments. Yan'ni spirals into a nightmare that will leave you shaking, and the true drama of the film is found in her attempt to overcome all that happens to her. Will she come out stronger? Will she even survive?

Stolen Life is far from fun to watch, but it's fascinating, and both actors turn in remarkably subtle and naturalistic performances. Despite all the drama, director Shaohong Li holds the reins tightly and tells the story calmly and with restraint, making us realize that what's happening here is probably happening every day all over China. And that's a hell of a thing to ponder. Powerful stuff.

Aka Shen si jie.

Hey I want my life back.