Cry Me a River (2008) - full transcript
An ancestral city; through its delicious botanical garden and its branched canals, we observe the clues and traces of its ancient culture. Two couples of men and women, former lovers, meet again one year later. The yesterday's breath of youth is still perceptible in their conversations. Is it still possible for us to love? Does youth really have an end? Like the networks linking the old city, what type of ecological existence does their culture require?
What? Are you losing your sight?
Three points!
Go on, Tang, get the ball.
There.
There.
"Down".
- Nobody could make that out!
- There.
"Down".
- It's all right, only 5.0.
- Really?
Ma Qiang... come on.
- What is it?
- Check your eyesight.
You really think I'm losing my sight?
What's that one?
"Up".
- Bloody hell.
- What about this one?
"Right".
"Right". And this one?
- "Down".
- You should wear glasses!
I said you were losing your sight.
I'm fine.
It's your talk that's the problem.
- Help yourself to drinks.
- Why don't you fix this shabby floor?
I would if I had the money.
Lend me some.
- Sure I will.
- I'll give you my card number.
Help yourselves to drinks.
How's Shenzhen these days?
House prices down yet?
Still high, but they can't sell them.
- Really?
- I should be going.
- How did you get here?
- High-speed train.
Your driver didn't bring you?
It only takes two hours.
Two hours? From Nanjing to here?
Yeah.
Not four hours?
You still remember that.
I have a good memory.
- I've taken some heavy losses.
- How about you?
- I bought some equity funds.
- Slow returns...
Safe, though.
Professor Ma? You're going
to reimburse their air tickets?
Oh, right.
This is our Mr. Wang.
Hand in your air tickets
and you'll be reimbursed.
You don't have to do that. We're here
to celebrate our teacher's birthday.
It's all arranged.
There are funds to cover it.
- Come on, air tickets.
- You're welcome.
Well, if it's covered...
My bag, just there.
- This is hers.
- Thanks a lot.
Don't mention it.
Hefei? Quite a way!
- Thank you.
- From Shenzhen.
- And you, sir?
- From Nanjing, not far.
He's rich, he doesn't need
one hundred-odd RMB from you!
Professor Ji...
That's your seat.
Good, everyone's here.
Wang, take a seat.
Now that we're together again,
I want to introduce you all
to my friend, Mr. Chen.
His company has just been listed.
He's sponsoring me.
And he's the one
who's arranged this gathering.
- Thank you.
- My pleasure.
Mr. Chen, they were my students
in the 1990s.
Back then, they wrote a lot of poetry.
But not anymore.
This is Tang Xiaonian.
This is Bai Yu.
This is Zhou Qi.
This is Ma Qiang.
Their poems were really good.
They put out a magazine
called This Generation.
I know all about it.
You are Mr. Tang of This Generation!
An honour to meet you.
I've read your magazine.
I know the first issue
was also the last.
But I still remember clearly the sentence
you printed on the back cover.
"The end of This Generation does not
mean the fall of our generation."
I remember it so well.
- You really do.
- Yes.
I was in college in Wuhan back then.
A hot-blooded young man!
Later, I went into business.
No more hot blood,
but I still have a good heart.
Today is Professor Ji's birthday.
We've come together here today
to celebrate it.
So let's raise our glasses
to wish Professor Ji a happy birthday.
- Happy birthday!
- Happy birthday, Professor Ji!
Bottoms up, okay?
This way.
The second floor is for offices.
- She's the one I mentioned to you.
- Who?
Our campus queen.
- Unbelievable!
- Why?
- What's her name?
- Liu Jiaqi.
- Where's she from?
- Guangzhou.
You didn't have a crush on her?
Come on, are we playing or not?
Your girls all look like Zhou Qi.
Come on, enough gawping.
I don't know, these kids born
in the 1980s... It's scary!
The 1980s?
You mean the 1990s!
How can someone that young
look so old?
Are you talking about yourself?
My son came home from school
the other day.
You know what he said?
He said the monitor and
the PE leader in his class are gay.
Seven years old!
It figures.
My daughter was asked out
on a date in kindergarten.
Funny. So I need a...?
- You need some of these, right?
- Yes, right.
- So your husband got angry?
- What could he do?
Your tile.
Which one?
Zhou Qi, who takes care
of your kid when you go to work?
Her dad does.
As I said,
you'll have to cover my losses.
Nobody's going to take your money.
You're so mean.
You like my hair short?
You look like a boy.
It's too hot in Shenzhen.
I should buy you some face packs.
Do I need them? I look that old?
With all those worry lines,
what girl would fall for you?
You really like that Liu Jiaqi?
What?
The age gap's too big.
So you really are losing your sight.
You can't make eye contact with her!
You should take care of your health.
I sometimes wonder
how you spend your evenings.
You don't even have an internet link.
And you?
Do you miss me
when you lie beside Lao Meng?
Yes.
There are times when I'm with him
that I suddenly feel he's a stranger.
I wonder how I can sleep with him.
You know...
I'm with you every day.
In the ten years since we graduated,
you're the only one I dream of.
The only woman.
Leaving me behind?
Come on.
You should take more exercise.
Age catches up with us.
Rules of nature.
- How are you doing?
- Fine.
Why don't you ask me?
How are you doing?
Not fine.
Why not?
We sleep in separate beds now.
What happened?
He might be ill.
Is he?
We last had sex a year ago.
I really don't know
if he doesn't want to or he can't?
Well, which is it?
I checked his cellphone.
I think he may have someone else.
You think so?
Does he or doesn't he?
I don't want to know.
So that's it.
How's Nana?
Fine. She's Chief Editor now,
out entertaining clients every day.
Things okay between you?
Just so-so.
Three points!
Go on, Tang, get the ball.
There.
There.
"Down".
- Nobody could make that out!
- There.
"Down".
- It's all right, only 5.0.
- Really?
Ma Qiang... come on.
- What is it?
- Check your eyesight.
You really think I'm losing my sight?
What's that one?
"Up".
- Bloody hell.
- What about this one?
"Right".
"Right". And this one?
- "Down".
- You should wear glasses!
I said you were losing your sight.
I'm fine.
It's your talk that's the problem.
- Help yourself to drinks.
- Why don't you fix this shabby floor?
I would if I had the money.
Lend me some.
- Sure I will.
- I'll give you my card number.
Help yourselves to drinks.
How's Shenzhen these days?
House prices down yet?
Still high, but they can't sell them.
- Really?
- I should be going.
- How did you get here?
- High-speed train.
Your driver didn't bring you?
It only takes two hours.
Two hours? From Nanjing to here?
Yeah.
Not four hours?
You still remember that.
I have a good memory.
- I've taken some heavy losses.
- How about you?
- I bought some equity funds.
- Slow returns...
Safe, though.
Professor Ma? You're going
to reimburse their air tickets?
Oh, right.
This is our Mr. Wang.
Hand in your air tickets
and you'll be reimbursed.
You don't have to do that. We're here
to celebrate our teacher's birthday.
It's all arranged.
There are funds to cover it.
- Come on, air tickets.
- You're welcome.
Well, if it's covered...
My bag, just there.
- This is hers.
- Thanks a lot.
Don't mention it.
Hefei? Quite a way!
- Thank you.
- From Shenzhen.
- And you, sir?
- From Nanjing, not far.
He's rich, he doesn't need
one hundred-odd RMB from you!
Professor Ji...
That's your seat.
Good, everyone's here.
Wang, take a seat.
Now that we're together again,
I want to introduce you all
to my friend, Mr. Chen.
His company has just been listed.
He's sponsoring me.
And he's the one
who's arranged this gathering.
- Thank you.
- My pleasure.
Mr. Chen, they were my students
in the 1990s.
Back then, they wrote a lot of poetry.
But not anymore.
This is Tang Xiaonian.
This is Bai Yu.
This is Zhou Qi.
This is Ma Qiang.
Their poems were really good.
They put out a magazine
called This Generation.
I know all about it.
You are Mr. Tang of This Generation!
An honour to meet you.
I've read your magazine.
I know the first issue
was also the last.
But I still remember clearly the sentence
you printed on the back cover.
"The end of This Generation does not
mean the fall of our generation."
I remember it so well.
- You really do.
- Yes.
I was in college in Wuhan back then.
A hot-blooded young man!
Later, I went into business.
No more hot blood,
but I still have a good heart.
Today is Professor Ji's birthday.
We've come together here today
to celebrate it.
So let's raise our glasses
to wish Professor Ji a happy birthday.
- Happy birthday!
- Happy birthday, Professor Ji!
Bottoms up, okay?
This way.
The second floor is for offices.
- She's the one I mentioned to you.
- Who?
Our campus queen.
- Unbelievable!
- Why?
- What's her name?
- Liu Jiaqi.
- Where's she from?
- Guangzhou.
You didn't have a crush on her?
Come on, are we playing or not?
Your girls all look like Zhou Qi.
Come on, enough gawping.
I don't know, these kids born
in the 1980s... It's scary!
The 1980s?
You mean the 1990s!
How can someone that young
look so old?
Are you talking about yourself?
My son came home from school
the other day.
You know what he said?
He said the monitor and
the PE leader in his class are gay.
Seven years old!
It figures.
My daughter was asked out
on a date in kindergarten.
Funny. So I need a...?
- You need some of these, right?
- Yes, right.
- So your husband got angry?
- What could he do?
Your tile.
Which one?
Zhou Qi, who takes care
of your kid when you go to work?
Her dad does.
As I said,
you'll have to cover my losses.
Nobody's going to take your money.
You're so mean.
You like my hair short?
You look like a boy.
It's too hot in Shenzhen.
I should buy you some face packs.
Do I need them? I look that old?
With all those worry lines,
what girl would fall for you?
You really like that Liu Jiaqi?
What?
The age gap's too big.
So you really are losing your sight.
You can't make eye contact with her!
You should take care of your health.
I sometimes wonder
how you spend your evenings.
You don't even have an internet link.
And you?
Do you miss me
when you lie beside Lao Meng?
Yes.
There are times when I'm with him
that I suddenly feel he's a stranger.
I wonder how I can sleep with him.
You know...
I'm with you every day.
In the ten years since we graduated,
you're the only one I dream of.
The only woman.
Leaving me behind?
Come on.
You should take more exercise.
Age catches up with us.
Rules of nature.
- How are you doing?
- Fine.
Why don't you ask me?
How are you doing?
Not fine.
Why not?
We sleep in separate beds now.
What happened?
He might be ill.
Is he?
We last had sex a year ago.
I really don't know
if he doesn't want to or he can't?
Well, which is it?
I checked his cellphone.
I think he may have someone else.
You think so?
Does he or doesn't he?
I don't want to know.
So that's it.
How's Nana?
Fine. She's Chief Editor now,
out entertaining clients every day.
Things okay between you?
Just so-so.