Revisiting the film again, I got the impression that it should have ended with her knowing about the last two years. She has amnesia & doesn’t remember that she has divorced. It is a painful memory for her. The mind automatically tries to erase it.
Bai Baihe is an excellent actress.She is among the highest paid actresses in China. She is a natural. Her pain becomes ours in no time. But when she develops dementia, it becomes too hard for us.
The hospital & the pathos is just too much. It should have ended timely. The right moment is when there is the right end. He could have married by then or they could’ve just ended their marriage.
He is at the receiving end all the time. His efforts come to a knot. Why show so much pain? Being realistic is good ,but going overboard with is losing the audience. When will it end? If the audience is thinking about the finish, it is finished! Remember people being unsatisfied with a lot of English films because they end unexpectedly. But that is better. At least they have this feeling of wanting more!
Losing her in the end is too sad & more than her our focus then shifts to him. What has he done to deserve so much pain in his life? How will he move forward? Here, the Japanese or the Koreans are better. They make the cut smooth & tidy. The Indians & the Chinese need to learn, I believe. From the dramas I have watched I have this conclusion. I may change if I see the future dramas with better ends.
The ‘Stolen Time’ did steal my time. It has flawless performances & it was a delight to watch them on screen. But a tighter plot could have helped.
Asian Entertainment 