Not One Less
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Movie Reviews of Not One Less
Movie Review: the evolution of motive
Summary: 5 Stars
"Not One Less" is an interesting character-study and snapshot of contemporary rural China. The protagonist, a young girl of scant education, has come to a remote country village to earn some money as a substitute teacher. She finds the job difficult. Things are further complicated when one of her students departs for the city to earn money for his family, thereby endangering a bonus which the girl has been promised - if she retains all the students in her class until the return of the regular teacher. She sets off in search of the boy and encounters an array of obstacles which test her resolve and bring out deeper feelings for her runaway pupil.
One of the more fascinating aspects of this film is that the characters are portrayed by 'non-actors' who actually work in the jobs that they are depicted in. This give the film a feeling of authenticity, and avoids the oversentimentality this story could so easily have fallen into.
Movie Review: INSIGHTFUL
Summary: 5 Stars
I love films about plucky children who overcome adversity. So this was a great film for me. My children also enjoyed this film. It seems that children like to see other children speaking in natural settings. "Not one less" unfolds in a gentle way at first with the arrival of the substitute teacher. Who is not much older than her giggling charges. But this film is not `about her teaching ability. It is about poverty and the competition between getting a basic education and parental demands of getting an additional income for the family. The contrast between rural life and the city is convincingly shown through the young teacher's eyes. The film is very moving and subtle in its power but its still there. This film will resonate as authentic to anyone who has had to fight to overcome numerous obstacles in life to acquire a education.Movie Review: A Simple Masterpiece
Summary: 5 Stars
The movie, NOT ONE LESS, is a modern day story about a young 13 year old girl who is assigned as a substitute teacher for a group of primary school children in rural China. She is promised by their teacher, in addition to her regular pay for being a substitute, that she would be paid an extra 10 Yuan if she manages to keep the kids from dropping out of school before his return -- hence the title.
In addition to the storyline, what is really interesting about this film is that no professional actors were used in making this movie. Yet the acting, the message, and the plot are fused seamlessly to create a touching and sensitive story. This movie will make you a fan of its Director, Zhang Yimou.
Movie Review: Inspired by "Not One Less"
Summary: 5 Stars
I am a first year teacher who was inspired by the tenacity of the young substitute teacher in "Not One Less." I teach hard to reach kids so much like the feisty youth in this rural Chinese school. Everytime I handle a piece of chalk I think of the powerful message of this story -- each child is like that piece of chalk that if not handled with care and gentleness, will fall to pieces. The state of education around the world is at issue. The reality is that teachers first choose the profession because they need to earn money, but those who stay in the profession are there because they care about their charges, refusing to accept that one less will learn.Movie Review: Like seeing it for the first time!
Summary: 5 Stars
"Some parts are so out of whack and so unrealistic that it is funny, even if it was not intentionally filmed to be so. One wonders how a teacher can be so stupid at times."
I didn't think the director meant to be funny. It's just that people in rural area in the remote parts of China have very little education and exposure compared to what we have here in the US, adults and children alike. For the main character Wei, I didn't give it a doubt why she acted the way she did, and I thought she was very real, as real as real can be.
What most people perceive, in general, is very different from others' reality.