NYAFF Review: Zhang Wei’s THE RIB Invokes A Beautiful Tale About Acceptance And Revealing What Is Already There
Transgendered Huanyu (Yuan Weijie) seeks to get reassignment surgery to physically become a woman; however, before the operation can take place, Huanyu must convince his father Jianguo (Huang Jingyi) to sign off on the procedure as parental consent is needed. Being a devout Christian, Jianguo is adamantly opposed to such a thing and the revelation about the secret life of his only son rattles him and his faith to its core. As father and son try to reconcile their dreams and needs as a family, Huanyu must also come to terms with how the society in China will react when he becomes fully outed and a woman. A powerful examination on the modern state of LGBT politics and social order in China, Director Zhang’s intimate and beautifully shot film features stellar acting and direction but fares less well when compared with similar efforts from Western countries considering the plethora of […]