Trailer Link

Release Date:

May 16, 2014

Synopsis:

From IMDb: “A documentary that chronicles artist and activist Ai Weiwei as he prepares for a series of exhibitions and gets into an increasing number of clashes with the Chinese government.”

Poster: C / C+

Review: The first poster has central figure Ai Weiwei walking between two fake dummies that resemble police officers. That has a modest metaphoric quality, but the design isn’t otherwise compelling. The second is interesting not because it’s evocative, but because the design which is intended to showcase the prudishness of the Chinese government in their desire to “protect” the public from questionable material, but it’s also an interesting commentary on the United States where such images and provocative acts would be met with hostility and repudiation from the “moral” “majority.”

Trailer: B

Review: If you’re familiar with Ai Weiwei and his protests against the Chinese government’s oppressive Communist state, the trailer has added meaning. For those unfamiliar, there’s just enough information to make this feel like a compelling portrait of a simple Chinese man trying to make the world a better place for his family. That has resonance.

Oscar Prospects:

None.

Revisions:

(May 11, 2014) Original