The real got so intertwined with the imagined until a point you cannot
tell which is true. Portman is a great contender for the Oscar this year
with her stellar performance this time. Somehow I just love the psycho-
pathological twist that went through the heroin.
The only minus is the photographer. Somehow the hand holding the camera
never rests still to give a stable shooting. Maybe the director planned
this effect to give an uncertain and tense feeling to the movie.
The story of the film just reminded me of the real one that happened to
the youth version of Peony Pavillion. One of the candidates (or the
alternate) later ended up moving from Suzhou to Beijing due to her
heartbreaking experience.