11 Flowers (2013)

92% of critics liked it
(12 reviews)
64% of users liked it
(342 ratings)

One of China's foremost Sixth Generation directors, Wang Xiaoshuai (Beijing Bicycle, Shanghai Dreams) tells a striking, autobiographical coming-of-age tale set in the final days of China's Cultural Revolution. Eleven-year-old Wang Han lives with his family in a remote village in Guizhou… More One of China's foremost Sixth Generation directors, Wang Xiaoshuai (Beijing Bicycle, Shanghai Dreams) tells a striking, autobiographical coming-of-age tale set in the final days of China's Cultural Revolution. Eleven-year-old Wang Han lives with his family in a remote village in Guizhou province. When Wang is selected to lead his school through their daily gymnastic regiment, his teacher recommends that he wear a clean, new shirt in honor of this important position - a request that forces his family to make a great sacrifice. (c) First Run Features

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Directed By: Xiaoshuai Wang
Written By: Xiaoshuai Wang
Genres: Drama

In Theaters: Feb 22, 2013 Limited
Studio: First Run Features

Critic Reviews

Aaron Hillis, Village Voice
More sensitive than disaffected, too gentle to resonate more than mildly.
Farran Smith Nehme, New York Post
The movie lingers in the mind, largely because director Wang Xiaoshuai's theme is poignant and classic: The more a child perceives of what the adults around him are doing, the more childhood slips away.
Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times
Poised on the brink of sexual awareness and the waning of the Cultural Revolution, an 11-year-old boy struggles to interpret the signals from his changing body and an increasingly confusing world.
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News
Wang Xiaoshuai's gently engrossing coming-of-age tale isn't strikingly unique, but it does possess the heartfelt confidence that comes from autobiographical influence - and natural talent.
David Fear, Time Out New York
Mildly resonant, if not revelatory.
Justin Chang, Variety
An absorbing coming-of-age drama set during the waning stage of China's Cultural Revolution, 11 Flowers takes its place among Wang Xiaoshuai's finest films.
Mike Scott, Times-Picayune
A richly directed and historically credible film that -- with its sense of time and place -- ends up functioning as fascinating and poignant temporal travelogue.
Louis Proyect, rec.arts.movies.reviews
This brilliant coming-of-age story should demonstrate that Americans should be hacking Chinese computers to steal intellectual property and not the other way around--especially Hollywood.
Avi Offer, NYC Movie Guru
Graceful, tender and poignant with a very believable, organic character arc. It's more than your average coming-of-age story.
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
A compelling Chinese coming-of-age drama about a young boy's initiation into the adult world of violence and mystery.
Caroline McKenzie, Slant Magazine
Because of its choice in subjectivity, and despite the film's historical context, 11 Flowers firmly elevates the experience of the personal over the political.

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Featured Audience Ratings

Walter M

On the way to work in a neighboring town, Wang(Wang Jinchun), an actor, gives his 11-year old son, Han(Liu Wenquing), a ride part of the way on his bicycle to his school where he has just been appointed to lead morning gymnastics and Jue Hong(Mo Shiyi), an older student, has been… More
On the way to work in a neighboring town, Wang(Wang Jinchun), an actor, gives his 11-year old son, Han(Liu Wenquing), a ride part of the way on his bicycle to his school where he has just been appointed to lead morning gymnastics and Jue Hong(Mo Shiyi), an older student, has been called to the principal's office. The only thing is that Mrs. Zhao feels Han needs a new shirt which his mother(Yen Ni), now in charge of the household and a factory worker, says they cannot afford, wanting to save the ration coupons and the money for the New Year celebration, even over her son's epic sulking. But once she talks to the teacher and sees him in action, she changes her mind. As endearing as "11 Flowers" can be with an ending that is definitely a punch to the gut, I was wondering when watching this if I was actually watching a movie about a shirt. To be honest, I have seen movies that have succeeded on less but set as this is at the tail end of the Cultural Revolution, it does need more in its rambling narrative, as otherwise it just feels like these momentous events happened to everybody else. So while the most important events happen offscreen, including stranding an intriguing mystery, telling the story exclusively from Han's point of view does work really well in a couple of places where it takes a couple of seconds to ascertain what exactly is happening.

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Cast

Liu Wenquing
as Wang Han
Wang Jinchun
as Father
Yen Ni
as Mother
Zhang Kexuan
as Louse
Zhong Guo Liuxing
as Mouse
Lou Yihao
as Wei Jun
Mo Shiyi
as Jue Hong
Wang Ziyi
as The Murderer
Qiao Renliang
as Brother of Wei Jun
Yu Yue
as School Teacher
Zhao Shiqi
as Sister of Wang Han
Cao Shiping
as Father of Jue Hong
Cao Gang
as Policeman
Liu Wenqing

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11 Flowers (2013)

Critic Reviews

Featured Audience Ratings

Walter M

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