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Beijing Bicycle
Sony Pictures Classics

Beijing Bicycle reviews
Critic Score
Metascore: 61 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
8.0 out of 10
based on 20 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 24 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie

MPAA RATING: PG-13 for some violence and brief nudity

Starring Cui Lin, Li Bin, Zhou Xun, and Gao Yuanyuan

The story of two teenagers who endeavor to share a highly valued bicycle after a dispute over its ownership.


GENRE(S): Foreign  
WRITTEN BY: Wang Xiaoshuai
Peggy Chiao
Tang Danian
Hsu Hsiao-ming
 
DIRECTED BY: Wang Xiaoshuai  
RELEASE DATE: DVD: July 9, 2002 
Video: July 9, 2002 
Theatrical: January 25, 2002 
RUNNING TIME: 113 minutes, Color 
ORIGIN: China / Taiwan / France 
LANGUAGE(S): Mandarin (with English subtitles) 

Original title "Shiqi sui de dan che"; Winner, Silver Bear, 2001 Berlin International Film Festival

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100
Los Angeles Times Kevin Thomas
With this masterful, flawless film, Xiaoshuai emerges in the front ranks of China's now numerous, world-renowned filmmakers.
Read Full Review
83
Seattle Post-Intelligencer William Arnold
An absorbing slice of the New China and a fascinating duel between two magnificently stubborn antagonists.
Read Full Review
80
The Onion (A.V. Club) Scott Tobias
Even without its bleak and affecting story, Beijing Bicycle would work beautifully as a travelogue alone.
Read Full Review
80
The New York Times Dana Stevens
At once somber and mysterious, comical and sad. It shows just how lonely a crowded city can be.
Read Full Review
75
Philadelphia Inquirer Steven Rea
Wang's young actors are impressively natural, and his documentary-style camerawork captures the rhythms and cacophony of the big city, all its crazy-quilt comings and goings.
Read Full Review
75
Christian Science Monitor David Sterritt
At times, the film meanders from its course and loses dramatic focus. But it's vividly acted and creatively directed.
Read Full Review
75
New York Daily News Jack Mathews
The movie is filled with sweetly funny moments, but its exposure of class, income and cultural differences makes it an uneasy charmer right up to its violent denouement.
Read Full Review
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Rick Groen
Beijing Bicycle is a good film that owes a huge debt to a better film. And that, of course, is Vittorio De Sica's "The Bicycle Thief."
Read Full Review
70
New Times (L.A.) Bill Gallo
Shot in the mean streets of a great and compelling city, here's a fascinating vision of societal upheaval that would likely awe De Sica himself.
Read Full Review
63
Miami Herald Marta Barber
Though beautiful at times, it doesn't reach the level of poetry of either de Sica's "Thief" or Lou's "River."
Read Full Review
60
Washington Post Desson Thomson
Beautifully filmed and very atmospheric in terms of evoking the sights and sounds of modern-day Beijing, this Chinese movie suffers a flat tire about halfway through.
Read Full Review
60
LA Weekly Ernest Hardy
Had Xiaoshuai trusted audience sympathies to stay with a slightly more forceful character, he'd likely have crafted the heart tugger that the film aims to be.
Read Full Review
60
TV Guide Ken Fox
Wang's film offers an interesting look at the rapidly changing face of Beijing.
Read Full Review
60
Film Threat Rich Cline
There's a natural authenticity to the film that makes it intensely watchable, even though it's repetitive and slightly underwritten.
Read Full Review
50
Austin Chronicle Marrit Ingman
The film is often quietly humorous.
Read Full Review
50
Washington Post Stephen Hunter
Too simple for its own good.
Read Full Review
50
San Francisco Chronicle Jesse Hamlin
Moderately engaging tale.
Read Full Review
50
Boston Globe Chris Fujiwara
Hard, gleaming images and an oblique storytelling style come to Wang the way the bike comes to Jian -- secondhand.
Read Full Review
40
Village Voice Michael Atkinson
Wang mistakes affectless storytelling and character conception for rigor, and as a result huge portions of Beijing Bicycle are dull and repetitive.
Read Full Review
40
Variety Derek Elley
Overplays its slim hand by a good two reels.
Read Full Review

What Our Users Said

Vote Now!The average user rating for this movie is 8.0 (out of 10) based on 24 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Charlie C. gave it a0:
Lordy, lordy..... it was like watching a really bad soap opera. In all movies the viewer is required at some point to simply "believe" and enjoy. A this clunker progressed there was less and less to believe. Bad beyond bad. Watch it only if you think you are going to live forever and therefore feel you can afford to waste over 90 minutes of your time on earth.

Michael gave it a9:
First, this is a film, not a movie. Second, it is very well done and provides far more than worthy entertainment, it is informative, intelligent and thought provoking. Third, for me, it helps me get closer to my home away from home. I spend 3 to 4 months each year in Beijing for business over the course of about 4 trips. I have done so for several years. This is by far my favorite film about Chinese life in the major cities. However, it does require intelligence to understand the film. It also requires experience in China to recognize some subtleties. My only dissappointment is that I wish it had developed more the story of class difference - I think it missd some great opportunities that would have provided real insight for westerners who are interested in China as it goes through its current transition into capitalism, but have not had real opportunity to examine it either on location or other means. As a story in itself, it is clealy influenced by other films, but quite frankly, every movie I have ever seen is influenced by something that preceded it. This is a wonderful film.

amy gave it an8:
I grew up in Beijing and now studying in Europe.This movie game me a heavy feeling about the "agricultural workers" in my city.I am familar with many of the scenes and living environment charicterized in this movie.I helped understand what shaped part of my personality. I appreciate this movie,however,it is a little too realistic and critical that it doesn'T give people hope,but it does make me think. I think the unequal income distribution in China should draw the governance attention. Comforting enough,the chinese goverment has already carried out various policies in favour of the people from lower class, including these people from countryside who are seeking opportunities in big cities. I believe the move was filmed at least 5 years ago, and the things are slowly improving. I also thought that, education is the key to the development of either a indivitual or a nation. If only had the boys had some common legal knowlege, they wouldn"t have chosen the extrem way of dealing with conflicts. This movie is valuabe.

Rey De L. gave it a 10:
I think this is a really great foreign movie i would recommend it to anybody that likes the chinese culture.

Christophe H. gave it a 9:
Le vélo outil de travail, faut il en etre propriétaire... Ce film montre le capitallisme arrivant en Chine...

Josh gave it a 10:
I agree this movie has an unspoken depth that American movies rarely get to. Having spent 4 years of my life in the orient I can say that it gives me a better appreciation for the culture. The struggle is the same world over, it's just how it's communicated that makes this such a special movie. I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it.

Ark gave it a 3:
This movie simply didn't go anywhere. It was down-to-Earth, and interesting to start, but the characters were frustrating and didn't develop. In fact, they kind of spiralled downwards to the unsatisfying conclusion. I wasted my time with this movie.

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