ACF 596: Sophie's Revenge - a NYAFF 2010 Preview Review

Sophie's Revenge
Directed by: Eva Jin
Starring: Zhang Ziyi, Fan Bingbing, So Ji-Sub
China, 2009, 108 minutes
In Mandarin with English subtitles
New York Premiere

At the Film Society of Lincoln Center's Walter Reade Theater:
- Tuesday, June 29th at 4:00 PM
- Saturday, July 3rd at 9:45 PM

Sophie's Revenge is a delightful romantic comedy that stars Zhang Ziyi as Sophie, a cartoonist who was engaged to marry Jeff (Korean actor So Ji-Sub) an absurdly handsome young doctor. Trouble is Jeff abandons Sophie shortly before the nuptials because he's fallen for Joanna (Fan Bingbing) a ravishing actress .

Pressured by her mother, who's already made extensive preparations for the marriage ceremony, and assisted by two female friends and a male photographer she meets, Sophie embarks on o series of attempts to win Jeff back. Not surprisingly, these tend to backfire regardless of the tactic employed.

I found Zhang Ziyi almost unrecognizable throughout most of the film. Partially it's because her face is a bit fuller than in the past. (Did she put on a few pounds for the role, or is it just that she's not the super slender young ingenue she used to be?) But I think the most credit must go to those involved with her hair, make-up and costumes. I paused my screener DVD a number of times and almost always saw little of the Z.Z. I'm used to seeing.

Th's is also the first comic role I can recall seeing her in, and I've got to say she really pulls it off well for the most part, both emotionally and physically. My only slight problem was with her somewhat excessively repeated tendency to fall down. That ploy tended to get a bit old after awhile.

Still, Sophie's Revenge turned out to be a wonderfully funny surprise. Zhang Ziyi is a great comedienne. Who knew?! I highly recommend that you check this film out.