Synopsis
They were looking for love... but they found each other.
A woman in her 20s, another in her 30s and a third in her 40s must each find a way to navigate the challenges they face in life and love.
20 30 40
2004 Directed by Sylvia Chang
Cast
Director
Writers
Editor
Cinematography
Composer
Sound
Studios
Film Guidance Fund Columbia Pictures Film Production Asia Tang Moon International Production Company Red on Red Productions
Countries
Primary Language
Spoken Languages
Alternative Titles
20 30 40 Liebe hin Liebe her, 20.30.40 Liebe hin Liebe her (2004), 20.30.40 Liebe hin Liebe her, 20, 30, 40, Двайсет, трийсет, четирийсет
Releases by Date
Theatrical
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Taiwan
10 Nov 2004
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Germany
Physical
27 Jan 2005
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Netherlands6
Releases by Country
Germany
10 Nov 2004
- Theatrical
Netherlands
27 Jan 2005
- Physical6 DVD
Taiwan
05 Mar 2004
- Theatrical
Popular reviews
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Wonder if this is a structural inspiration for Kelly Reichardt's Certain Women. The three women don't all connect directly, some face to face, some borrow life plans from one another, but they long for the same three things: a positive fresh start to a weary marriage, being able to settle down and diffuse a potentially violent romantic interest, and the love of a female friend.
The choice of becoming a flight attend for a woman fraught with love isn't a single coincidence; the transient lifestyle and detachment appeal to 30, and later 20, of the title. Semi-related, but the denial that distinct love between women in Chinese cinema is present while viewing by Western audiences is so strange. There is…
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Anthony Wong’s best look, as a member of Matt Dillon’s band in Singles.
Reviewed as part of my coverage of the Metrograph's Sylvia Chang retrospective.
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Romantic comedy set in Taipei where three women at different stages of their lives are dealing with romance and loneliness.
I found Xiang's story to be the most powerful and initially more time is spent with her, the "30" of the title, than the others. She work's as an air hostess which she uses to keep her lovers at a distance with "I'm just about to board" being an excuse to get off the phone. There's the usual, dreadful, rom-com cliche of male stalkers being seen as romantic but here it's given a pleasant twist. After going to bed with the boyfriend she told to leave her alone and who broke her windshield to force her attention we see Xiang…
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One of the most beautiful and sensitive films I've seen about loneliness, with Sylvia Chang (directing herself here) especially great as the 40-something trying to restart her life after a divorce—her character's turmoil only slightly undermined by the fact that she's undeniably the most attractive person in the bunch. Chang's triple-narrative device serves not only as a way to comment on what love means for different generations (the youngest flirting with an interracial queer romance) but also as a means to occasionally converge these narratives in chance encounters, which provides a Demyesque optimism to storylines that would be depressing on their own. This unifying structural texture is visually aided by Chang's poetic use of pianos, flowers, earthquakes, and a long-haired Anthony Wong, whose appearance kind of creeped me out having just seen him the other day in The Untold Story; fortunately he doesn't make any pork buns in this one.
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this movie is great for when you want to experience a diluted form of devastation. it depicts loneliness/a fear of loneliness so earnestly through these 3 characters but still manages maintain a lighthearted tone. perfect rom com qualities. truly a delight to watch!
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Women's emotional tribulations around Taipei, just trying to find something that isn't heartbreak. The three separate stories beautifully emphasize the beginnings and endings of things; with different ages come different levels of freedom, regret, loneliness. Sylvia Chang gently sets up all these chance encounters – also being very selective with actually connecting the main characters which gets the most out of every moment. The fact that even Anthony Wong's hack musician gets the space to be sad at the end... movie has all the tenderness in the world. Not without comedy either, the best bit is one of the girls remarking that she'll marry Tony Leung once she becomes a star, only for The Other Tony Leung to appear in the movie later on.
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I suspect this might be the film Nicole Holofcener's been failing to make for the last 20 years. But that's probably underrating it.
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love this very much. so funny and poignant and full of heart & hope. a movie where its ending truly feels like a beginning. i've been watching a few sylvia chang movies (this is a first of her work as a director) and seeing her roles progress from this ethereal ingenue in a king hu film to a rom-com lead in eight taels of gold and now a radiant divorcee of the same vein as jill clayburgh in an unmarried woman is something beautiful. the range!
also um i can't get over anthony wong's look in this
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I used to cut my daughter's nails, but one year, when she was twelve, she learned to do it herself. She hasn't needed me much since then. It's a good thing everyone leaves, otherwise I wouldn't have the time to take care of you.
also anthony wong speaking mandarin sounds just like my dad :)
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Ser mulher é sobre aprender desde cedo a perdoar tudo, esquecendo-se de que de vez em quando é preciso perdoar a si mesma.