Michael's Movie Grade: B
A delightful comedy-drama from China.
This movie has a very far-fetched and somewhat ludicrous premise. Two wealthy parents decide to see if their son is worthy to be a successor to their vast wealth by putting him through an incredible elaborate test through his whole childhood. This involves him believing that his family is extremely poor and being placed in a fake world. He must work and study constantly as this whole project revolves around him getting into a very prestigious college on his own merits.
This story is obviously completely ridiculous, but it is also very well told. Much of this is because of the characters themselves. Our young protagonist is incredibly likable and easy to connect to. Though he doesn't do everything right, his heart is usually in the right place, and he truly cares about those around him. The film also puts us into his position, and we often see the world through his eyes. Because of this the emotional moments are especially effective. I also loved the way this film portrayed the parents. The movie never plays down how cruel what they are doing to this boy is. In fact, there are many scenes that make us downright hate these characters. Yet there are also moments that humanize them and make us realize that they do truly care about their son and can feel bad about their actions. The humor in this movie may not be consistently hilarious but there are some laugh out loud funny moments here.
With the far-fetched nature of the plot, there are naturally some big plot holes and moments that make you wonder, how such a smart kid can't catch on that his life is fake.
All in all, this is a delightful movie, even if sometimes you have to leave logic at the door.
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