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Not One Less
Sony Pictures Classics


7.7

based on 22 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 10 votes
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FILM:

MPAA RATING: G for General Audiences

Starring Minzhi Wei, Huike Zhang, Zhenda Tian, Enman Gao, Zhimei Sun, and Yuying Feng

In a remote mountain village, the teacher (Gao) must leave for a month to care for his mother. The mayor can find only a 13-year old girl (Wei) to substitute, even though she is only a few years older than her students.

GENRE(S):	Drama
WRITTEN BY:	Xiangsheng Shi
DIRECTED BY:	Yimou Zhang
RELEASE DATE:	DVD: August 22, 2000 Video: August 22, 2000 Theatrical: February 18, 2000
RUNNING TIME:	106 minutes, Color
ORIGIN:	China
LANGUAGE(S):	Mandarin (with English subtitles)

Original title "Yi ge dou bu neng shao"; Golden Lion, 1999 Venice Film Festival

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

New York Daily News Jami Bernard

It's an uplifting movie about the rewards of perseverance and community.

100

Philadelphia Inquirer Steven Rea

Has a slow-burning emotional power.

100

Chicago Tribune Michael Wilmington

A beautiful and genuinely spirit-lifting film about poverty and education.

Portland Oregonian Shawn Levy

If it touches up against the syrupy at a very few moments, it's nevertheless consistently clear-eyed and convincing.

Village Voice Leslie Camhi

The film's occasional dips into sentimental cuteness and its too-pat ending can't cancel the gap that yawns ever wider between rural and urban society.

LA Weekly F. X. Feeney

Zhang's work is always worth watching, but this is the first of his films in which the sorrows are so heart-rending, its many comic moments so laugh-out-loud human.

Film.com Graham Fuller

Simple but charming.

Los Angeles Times Kenneth Turan

Has a warmth and sweetness that is especially hard to resist.

The New York Times A.O.Scott

A splendid, assured piece of storytelling.

Austin Chronicle Marjorie Baumgarten

In many ways, Not One Less resembles the socialist-realist dramas of the early Communist regimes.

San Francisco Chronicle Peter Stack

It's an excellent movie for kids, because it is about how amazing children can be.

New York Post Jonathan Foreman

A sweet, lushly photographed but occasionally slow film.

San Francisco Examiner Wesley Morris

Like a Sally Field movie by Vittorio De Sica: Zhang wants to affect you with the subtle sting of his politics.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Paula Nechak

An empowering film for children, showing them at their most capable, working through problems and finding innovative solutions to overcome what seems like an insurmountable obstacle.

Boston Globe Jay Carr

In style and story line, the film is daring in its simplicity.

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

His story is simple, unadorned, direct. Only the margins are complicated.

Miami Herald Phoebe Flowers

Zhang, who tried to make his actors as unaware of the camera as possible, lets the story evolve slowly and deliberately.

TV Guide Ken Fox

This is much more than a typically one-dimensional message-movie -- it's obviously the work of a master filmmaker .

Washington Post Desson Thomson

At first, the picture is moving. . And suddenly charm turns to quasi-commie didacticism.

Christian Science Monitor David Sterritt

Use of a loosely written screenplay and a nonprofessional cast in this picture weakens its dramatic appeal even as it lends authenticity and local color.

Time Richard Corliss

To Western eyes, this meandering parable registers as a perplexity and a disappointment.

Chicago Reader Jonathan Rosenbaum

Its resolution reeks of phoniness and self-congratulation, even if some of the narrative strands leading up to it are fairly absorbing.

The average user rating for this movie is 7.7 (out of 10) based on 10 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

TY L gave it a10:
Innocent, charming, real and moving. I've traveled the east and this movie reminds me of some of the harsh realities of rural areas and the small yet significant miracles of humanity.

R. C, gave it an8:
After living in China for 1 1/2 years I related to the interesting dynamics of the people in the movie. It was not unlike real life experienced by those that live in the country. Very Chinese.

Penelope V. gave it a10:
Simple story but with a great message. A teacher has to look beyond the eyes of her students, love and understand her students. Her job goes beyond teaching. Her jobs means reaching out to her learners with her mind and heart. I love the movie!

Donna Hill R. gave it a 10:
It's great. it depicts harsh and beautiful realities that exists even up to date. a moving film.

Robert H. gave it a 10:
It's simple and heartwarming... my fave movie of all time!!

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Not One Less Sony Pictures Classics

Not One Less
Sony Pictures Classics