Mr. Tree (2011)

Genres - Comedy Drama  |   Sub-Genres - Rural Drama, Satire, Slice of Life  |   Run Time - 88 min.  |   Countries - China  |   MPAA Rating - NR
  • AllMovie Rating
  • User Ratings (0)
  • Your Rating

Share on

Synopsis by Mark Deming

A boozy layabout may know more than he or others suspect in this drama from director Han Jie. Shu (Wang Baoqiang) lives in Jilin, a mining town in Northwest China, and while he makes a living fixing cars, he's best known as a slacker with a drinking problem whose clumsiness causes trouble for him and those around him. Shu is working with a torch when he has an accident that leaves him without sight for a few weeks, and he struggles with his temporary blindness as well as the news that his brother has died. Once he can see again, Shu heads off to celebrate in a nearby town where he falls for Xiaomei (Tan Zhuo), a pretty girl who works at a massage parlor and lacks the power of speech. Shu plans to marry Xiaomei, but their relationship falls apart, and as Shu begins to sink into alcoholism, he begins spinning curious tales of an imagined future. To the surprise of his neighbors, one of Shu's predictions comes to pass, and the townsfolk wonder if he's a drunken sot or someone who really can see into the future. Hello! Shu Xian Sheng (aka Mr. Tree) was an official selection at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival.

Characteristics

Keywords

blindness [physical], loser, mute, psychic, psychic-phenomena, slacker