Review: ‘Dear You’
‘Dear You’ is a drama without excesses that celebrates a tale of intergenerational displacement, surrogate kinship, enduring devotion, love in all its many forms and memories that are precious and few.
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‘Dear You’ is a drama without excesses that celebrates a tale of intergenerational displacement, surrogate kinship, enduring devotion, love in all its many forms and memories that are precious and few.
Currently showing in cinemas, Dear You is a drama that offers a moving take on the distances that separate, the letters that bring both delight and despair and the yearning that consumes and takes so much. As I watched it during the premiere sponsored by the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, it resonated deeply with me, as well as with everyone inside the SM MOA IMAX Cinema.
Lang Hongchun’s film, through its themes of distance, letters and yearning, depicts with remarkable accuracy and sincerity Asian family realities and the values they hold dear, such as devotion to elders, commitment to family, the burning desire to give them better lives and the heartaches and sacrifices of those who work overseas and how these affect the loved ones they leave behind. No wonder this independent Chinese film became a major box-office draw in its country of origin and in other countries where it was screened, making a tremendous emotional connection with many.
Distance
The movie starts with Iap Sogriu, an aging matriarch living a quiet existence in the coastal municipality of Shantou, China. Melancholy and recollections of her past fill her days, and the memory of her husband and what truly happened to him still cuts deep.
The story is set in the late 1940s. Bhagseng hastily leaves Sogriu and their three children to escape forced conscription during the Chinese Civil War. He moves to Thailand, joining a marginalized community of Chinese immigrants working menial jobs while navigating the constraints imposed by a restrictive foreign government.
Working as a rickshaw driver, Bhagseng painstakingly saves his meager earnings to remit to his beloved Sogriu, driven by the hope that he could one day return to his homeland. That promised homecoming never materializes, leaving the matriarch perpetually wondering, with so many questions unanswered.
Sogriu and Bhagseng’s grandson, Hiou-ui, becomes consumed by the mystery surrounding his long-lost grandfather. He embarks on a journey to Bangkok to find answers and uncover the truth. When he finally reaches his destination, the reality that unfolds staggers him, as it becomes a deeply moving testament to how love can remain committed to a promise, ensuring that all is well for a beloved and the people who matter most.
Love letters
Director Hongchun’s decision to deeply explore the Chinese immigrant experience elevates his film into a truly moving experience. Through sequences showing how letters are written and remittances are earned and sent, as well as the circumstances and conditions surrounding the writing of each letter, what unfolds on the silver screen allows viewers not just to grasp but to fully understand the enduring phenomenon of mass migration, a long-lasting love sustained across many societal changes and shifts, and the importance of remittances as a lifeline for families back home — what they truly mean to both the recipients and the ones who send them.
Another impressive and relatable aspect of the film is how it captures the strength of familial bonds, how families endure disappointments and struggles, and how triumphs are made up of both small and big victories that become even more heartfelt and stirring because of shared sacrifices and resilient kinship.
Yearning
The film, with its on-point production design and top-notch cinematography that transport audiences to a seemingly more innocent era, along with its casting of non-professional actors, makes the yearning and emotional aspects of the story not just palpable but potent.
Seeing 1940s Bangkok and China — their alleys, streets, roads, houses and the look and outfits of everyone — makes one yearn for a simpler life, where dreams are within reach, friendships endure for the long haul, and loyalty and love for family become unbreakable bonds that defy time and separation.
The casting of non-actors gives the film even greater authenticity. There are no over-the-top melodramatic moments, no cringeworthy confrontation scenes and no unnecessary noise or dialogue. The longing, loss, pain, hope and acceptance are all reflected through the actors’ eyes, facial expressions and body language. The entire cast delivers performances with subtlety, grace and truth, which is why the film hits so deeply.
Dear You is a drama without excesses that celebrates a tale of intergenerational displacement, surrogate kinship, enduring devotion, love in all its many forms, and memories that, as the song says, are “precious and few are the moments we two can share.”
