Theaters in China are set to show Chinese fantasy movie "The Door" and Hollywood's musical film "La La Land" on Feb. 14. Valentine's Day may see a competition between these local and international films.
A Fantasy and a Metaphor on Mid-life Crisis
According to lead actress Jiang Qinqin of "The Door," the story is metaphorical to a mid-life crisis.
The Chinese film features the story of a man, Cheng Tianle, who is living two different lives in two different worlds. It all started when Cheng, an ordinary auto mechanic, received a supernatural key from an old man. The key enabled him to switch to another world where he is a luxurious tycoon living with his dream woman.
Switching between two extremely diverse lives, Cheng starts to get lost.
Actor Jiang Wu portrayed the role of Cheng.
As reported by the Global Times, the film's director Liang Dong said in a press release that "The Door" has a more realistic approach to time travel. In the story, every decision by the protagonist will affect both worlds he is living in.
"I hope that through this film I have expressed my philosophy in life," Liang said.
Music, Dreams and Romance
Written and directed by Damien Chazelle, "La La Land" is a musical and romantic comedy-drama telling the story of a man and a woman who met, fell in love and helped each other reach their dreams.
Sebastian, played by Ryan Gosling, is a struggling jazz pianist; and Mia, played by Emma Stone, is an aspiring actress.
The title of the film denotes both Los Angeles where the story took place and the expression for being outside of reality.
According to Box Office Mojo, the film has already a worldwide gross of $294 million as of Feb. 12. The movie was released on Dec. 9, 2016.