Together: Movie Review

In the delightful movie "Together" (also released as He ne zai yi qi/Together With You) Liu Cheng (portrayed by Peiqi Liu) is a devoted single a father who wants only the best for his young son, Liu Xiaochun (portrayed by Yun Tang). Xiao, is an exceptionally talented 13 year old violinist who has won the local competition every year in his home town and now has the opportunity to compete in Beijing. The humble chef Cheng hides his entire life savings in his hat and sets out with his only son for the big city with his hopes and dreams high for Xiao's bright future.

The duo arrive in Beijing and their promising adventure nearly goes awry when Cheng almost loses Xiao outside of the train station. It is at the station that Xiao first encounters Lili (Hong Chen) whom he later develops a friendship with.

Xiao is brilliant at the violin competition but Liu Cheng overhears two men talking in the lavatory and realizes that even though his son deserves it, he will not win because of his lack of political connections. Fortunately, one of the men is a music professor who, after much pleading, Lui Cheng convinces to take on Xiao as a pupil. They find lodging and Xiao's music lessons begin. All seems well until Lui Cheng loses his hat with all of their money in a crowded market. This disaster threatens to undo all of his plans as he must now find a way to pay their expenses.

Though he had been a cook in his home village, Cheng must now take the only job he can get as a delivery man to earn the money he needs to continue to pay for Xiao's all important music lessons with professor Jiang (Zhiwen Wang). In the meantime, Xiao has made a friend in the glamorous Lili who sometimes gets him to play the violin for her. Eventually Cheng decides Xiao must have a teacher with more influence who can actually see that Xiao's future is secure and convinces a famous teacher, Professor Yu to take him on and Xiao goes to live with the professor and his family.

Xiao's beautiful gift for music makes him the object of jealousy with a female student of professor Yu's who seeks to undermine Xiao to insure her place as Yu's future star. Xiao is already conflicted about his future and only desires to return home to his father and the only life he has known.

Together is the story of the highs and lows of pursuing one's hopes and dreams and the deep and abiding love between father and son. The Mandarin language film directed by Kaige Chen was brilliantly and beautifully shot on location in Beijing, China. The story is traditionally Chinese but has the look and feel of a western produced Hollywood feature.