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SummaryLi Xuelian and her husband Qin Yuhe stage a fake divorce to secure a second apartment in the city reserved by the government for single people. Qin remarries six months later – as agreed – but to a different woman. Furious, Li files a lawsuit with the county court but loses the case. Refusing to accept the court's findings, Li appeals to the chie... Read More

Directed By:Xiaogang Feng

Written By:Zhenyun Liu

I Am Not Madame Bovary

Metascore
Generally Favorable
65
User score
Generally Favorable
7.0
My Score
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Metascore
Generally Favorable
69% Positive
9 Reviews
31% Mixed
4 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
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  • Positive Reviews
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  • Negative Reviews
Nov 16, 2016
83
The Film Stage
An overlong mid-section stagnates after the novelty of the premise wears off, but a couple of plot twists late in the game raise the stakes again and Xiaogang Feng, with his signature dry humor and newfound creative juices, hits too many marks on this one for it to disappoint.
Sep 29, 2016
80
Screen Daily
The film’s look is as striking as Fan’s performance.
Nov 17, 2016
70
Village Voice
It's like an odd storybook you'd find in the attic and have trouble putting down — the more quixotic Lian's journey becomes, the more you want her to see it through to the bitter end.
Sep 29, 2016
70
Variety
Long, relatively low-key but always engaging, I Am Not Madame Bovary wears its expansive scale lightly.
Nov 18, 2016
63
RogerEbert.com
I Am Madame Bovary plays out as a comedy, a lampoon of the incompetence and laziness of government officials.
Nov 17, 2016
50
The Seattle Times
The script by Liu Zhenyun becomes ponderous and redundant, kept on oxygen by its lead actress’s complex performance as a child-woman with enigmatic wisdom.
Nov 11, 2016
50
Movie Nation
The acting is rarely broad and Fan Bingbing delivers a credible haplessness in Lian. The broader comedy translates well-enough.
See All 13 Critic Reviews
User score
Generally Favorable
75% Positive
6 Ratings
25% Mixed
2 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
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  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
May 4, 2022
8
DawdlingPoet
One of my first thoughts about this film was that it reminded me of Wes Andersons 'Isle of Dogs' film, partly as its set in Asia but moreso due to the lighting, camerawork/cinematography and also the heavy use of tribal drumming, though there's narration present as well, which I think also applied to Isle of Dogs. It has a real quirkiness to it, this film. I liked how different scenes are shown in different aspect ratios, with the first part of the film almost entirely seen in a big round circle shape, that turns rectangular later. I also thought it had the feel of a traditional folk tale or similar. There's some witty dialogue present and as I did enjoy the cinematography, with some nice landscape panoramas and sunrise/sunsets shown. There is an emphasis on symmetry shown in the way some scenes are shown, if that makes sense. It depicts a sort of battle of wits and I thought it was amusing seeing how those in authority squirmed with the prospect of how to deal with the unhappy wife (divorced or otherwise). I wouldn't say its an entirely funny film as such but the story does have some moments or aspects that may make you smirk or you may otherwise find somewhat pleasing. If your not keen on reasonably slow and somewhat arty films then this may be a little plodding for your taste but if yout interested in quirky and amtospheric Asian films with an element of social commentary, then I'd say this is definitely worth seeing, yes.
See 1 User Review
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  • Beijing Skywheel Entertainment Co.
  • Huayi Brothers Media
  • Huayi Brothers Pictures
  • Sparkle Roll Media
  • Zhejiang Dongyang Mayla Media
Nov 18, 2016
2 h 8 m
Movie Heroes Awards, China
• 7 Nominations
Golden Rooster Awards
• 3 Wins & 6 Nominations
Golden Horse Film Festival
• 2 Wins & 6 Nominations
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