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| Name | Discs | |
|---|---|---|
Be With Me |
12 Feature |
DVD Information
| Run time: | 1 hour 31 minutes |
|---|---|
| Rental release: | Not currently released |
| Main languages: | English, English Audio Description |
Write your own review
Most helpful review
4 in 1
By Bill Johnson from Leamington Spa , 05 May 2007[Highly rated reviewer]
An aged shopkeeper lovingly tends his dying wife, a schoolgirl falls hopelessly in love with another schoolgirl, a lonely, middle-aged, overweight security guard is infatuated with a smart young businesswoman who works in the same building but is unable to find the confidence to speak to her so he resorts to stalking her first electronically through his security monitors and then physically. Three fictional tales of unrequited love concerning people from three different age groups all interwoven with the true story of Theresa Chan, a deaf and blind woman who patiently teaches disabled children, a Helen Keller of Singapore.
This is a slow and gentle film which uses very little spoken dialogue to tell its four interwoven strands instead the fine soundtrack music is well able to express the moods required by the director. There is more written communication than verbal in some segments. Theresa Chan uses a manual typewriter with a broken shift key, the two girls communicate via email and mobile phone texts while the security guard attempts to write a love letter on beautifully decorated paper.
The movie uses long takes with static compositions and subdued colours Each story is kept quite distinct although each touches at least one other even if only tangentially. The director resists the temptation to play it for sobs so that despite the potentially depressing subject matter it is surprisingly upbeat possibly because of the uplifting nature of Ms. Chan’s achievements and because the director chose to end the movie on a note of hope..
As with all movies which follow disparate characters there are points of connection. Unfortunately that between the schoolgirl and the guard seems rather forced whilst although the director claims that it was Ms. Chan’s story that inspired him her section is more a documentary and is so different in tone that it sits uneasily amongst the other stories and sometimes interrupts the flow of the movie.
Finally the film suffers on comparison with Hsiao-hsien Hou’s triptych ‘Three Times’ yet despite its faults it is still a movie worth seeing.
The extras include what is called a ‘director’s commentary’ but is more like an extended interview with the whole cast and crew. I did not find it particularly helpful but some will find it interesting. There is also an interview with Eric Khoo in which he talks about the gap between his last film and this one and his meeting with Theresa Chan. Then there are the usual trailers etc. Interestingly but not perhaps surprisingly there is an audio subtitling track for the visually impaired.- Was this review helpful to you?
- (8) Yes |
- No (1)
All reviews
(6)Beautiful
By Randomfilmbuff (327 reviews) from London , 10 Jan 2010When i got this i was not expecting much especially as there was so little dialog and it did take a while to get into. however it ended up a beautiful interwoven tale with many different layers. shot beautifully and the story of the deaf blind woman was moving.
the slight let down was as she was the inspiration behind the film her bits was a different type of story telling (biographical) while the rest were more natural and fitted together better.
it is a shame it got disqualified from being singapore's nomination due to the language issue as it may have even had an outside chance of making the long list. not for the average film fan but if you are into foreign films in a big way this one could be for you- Was this review helpful to you?
- (1) Yes |
- No (1)
Lovely...ahhhh
By lizturner (49 reviews) from Milton Keynes , 09 Apr 2009Beautiful and thought provoking. I enjoyed this film and came away felling quietly serene.
I know some people have found it confusing but i really found it easy to watch and the stories were all tales that we know well.
It's true that there is probably no more than 20 word throughout the film but the acting and the stunning sets say everything you need to know.- Was this review helpful to you?
- (1) Yes |
- No (0)
very painful to watch
By a customer from Southall/London , 08 Jul 2008THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS Show review anywayHide
- Was this review helpful to you?
- (2) Yes |
- No (1)
Customer Review
By a customer from UK , 23 Jun 2008Be With Me is a slow paced but never dull film. There is very little dialogue which gives it a meditative feel. It focuses on the experience of love in the three ages of life - teenage, middle age and old age.
It's a touching study of our need to communicate with each other and the different ways we try to do that. And it shows how even if we don't always succeed in getting what we want we continue to try and reach out to each other because that drive to connect is in all of us no matter how old we are.- Was this review helpful to you?
- (2) Yes |
- No (0)
4 in 1
By Bill Johnson from Leamington Spa , 05 May 2007An aged shopkeeper lovingly tends his dying wife, a schoolgirl falls hopelessly in love with another schoolgirl, a lonely, middle-aged, overweight security guard is infatuated with a smart young businesswoman who works in the same building but is unable to find the confidence to speak to her so he resorts to stalking her first electronically through his security monitors and then physically. Three fictional tales of unrequited love concerning people from three different age groups all interwoven with the true story of Theresa Chan, a deaf and blind woman who patiently teaches disabled children, a Helen Keller of Singapore.
This is a slow and gentle film which uses very little spoken dialogue to tell its four interwoven strands instead the fine soundtrack music is well able to express the moods required by the director. There is more written communication than verbal in some segments. Theresa Chan uses a manual typewriter with a broken shift key, the two girls communicate via email and mobile phone texts while the security guard attempts to write a love letter on beautifully decorated paper.
The movie uses long takes with static compositions and subdued colours Each story is kept quite distinct although each touches at least one other even if only tangentially. The director resists the temptation to play it for sobs so that despite the potentially depressing subject matter it is surprisingly upbeat possibly because of the uplifting nature of Ms. Chan’s achievements and because the director chose to end the movie on a note of hope..
As with all movies which follow disparate characters there are points of connection. Unfortunately that between the schoolgirl and the guard seems rather forced whilst although the director claims that it was Ms. Chan’s story that inspired him her section is more a documentary and is so different in tone that it sits uneasily amongst the other stories and sometimes interrupts the flow of the movie.
Finally the film suffers on comparison with Hsiao-hsien Hou’s triptych ‘Three Times’ yet despite its faults it is still a movie worth seeing.
The extras include what is called a ‘director’s commentary’ but is more like an extended interview with the whole cast and crew. I did not find it particularly helpful but some will find it interesting. There is also an interview with Eric Khoo in which he talks about the gap between his last film and this one and his meeting with Theresa Chan. Then there are the usual trailers etc. Interestingly but not perhaps surprisingly there is an audio subtitling track for the visually impaired.- Was this review helpful to you?
- (8) Yes |
- No (1)
