Synopsis
British sad sack Gary is a failed entrepreneur who has just arrived in Beijing's stylish Sanlitun district, allegedly to start a business. There are other reasons why he has uprooted himself — he's followed his ex-wife and young son, for one — but he soon finds out that China isn't the easiest place to succeed. Blissfully untouched by self-awareness, and only fitfully in tune with reality, Gary sallies forth to make money, armed with faith in himself and little to no knowledge of Chinese culture. He soon hooks up with Frank, a trust-fund kid from Australia who offers to mentor Gary in Eastern ways, although Frank's pedagogical method is restricted to yelling at Gary for being a Westerner and not being as "Chinese" as him.
Ratings
IMDb6.7/10
7 audience votes
Key crew
- Carlos OtteryScreenplay
- Róbert I. DouglasDirector
- Róbert I. DouglasScreenplay
- Christopher LotonScreenplay
Cast
- Carlos OtteryGary
- Christopher LotonFrank
- Ai WanLin
- Cromwell CheungWang Ke
Themes
city portraitdelusionmale friendshiplove lettermockumentaryslice of lifebeijing, chinamodern chinaexpatriategreat wall of chinacultural conflictmodern life