Wu Jin Jia Zu / Be My Family (2023) - Realistic Tragicomedy with Emotional Depth - 7/10 (27/11/23)

Be My Family is a Chinese tragicomedy taking place from the mid-nineties over the middle years of the first decade of the new millennium until the early years of the second decade of the twenty-first century. This movie revolves around two impoverished debt collectors and close friends. One day, they want to visit a debtor but only find his desperate wife and helpless daughter in a decrepit apartment. The desperate lady swears to pay the debt collectors back and asks them to take care of her daughter for a few days. However, these few days turn out to become twelve years before the desperate woman suddenly appears again and plunges the existences of everyone involved into maddening chaos.

There are several elements that make this movie a pleasure to watch. First and foremost, the acting performances are vivid, realistic and humorous. Viewers will care a great deal about the resilient daughter who has been left by her father and abandoned by her mother. It's also easy to empathize with the two debt collectors who seem tough on the surface but have true hearts of gold. This movie also introduces an entertaining selection of side characters such as a greedy family member without any conscience, an intimidating businessman who can't even afford to pay for a spa visit and a quirky dance instructor selling pork heads.

This film convinces with an excellent mixture of funny and sad moments. On the former side, it's amusing to observe how the overwhelmed debt collectors attempt to earn the young girl's trust. One the latter side, it's heartbreaking to see the young girl work as a dancer and singer in some filthy bar for drunk adults. This balanced mixture offers quite a rollercoaster ride as hopeful moments such as the girl's stunning career are followed by heartbreaking parts such as a family member attempting to take advantage of her unexpected fame.

One more element that makes this film interesting is that it follows its three lead characters for two decades and portrays several significant changes. The young girl becomes a popular and wealthy dancer and singer. One of the debt collectors gets married and has his own child. The other one is particularly resilient and takes care of all problems by any means necessary.

Another positive thing is that the movie is set in industrial areas, smaller cities and the countryside, thus portraying different facets of Chinese culture and society. The country's minor organized crime scene, widespread poverty and strict rules are shown without any embellishments even though one awkward scene involving a biased school teacher still promotes the regime as the citizens' saviour.

However, this movie isn't without a few significant flaws. It's definitely a little bit too long with a length of one hundred thirty-two minutes and could have been cut by at least half an hour. The story also has a few dragging parts in the middle that are challenging to sit through.

Still, especially the characters in Be My Family are so sympathetic that one wouldn't mind watching a sequel portraying their later lives. This underrated movie finds a balanced mixture between entertaining comedy and emotional drama. Just be aware that the film's length, plot and structure request some patience. If you are able to tolerate this movie's slow pace, you will discover a surprising, realistic and profound film with much depth.