Films concerning the problems of alcohol and drug addiction are as cliched as cowboy films and the propaganda films put out during WWII. But, this one is a cut above the rest. The focus is not on the lead character's addiction, but more on how his family deals with it. I guess in China, the family is most important, and the father and mother go to unbelievable lengths to help their son. Not that they give him everything he asks for, although they give him more than one would expect, but they certainly give him everything that they think he needs. I thought that the father's floundering attempts to understand his boy though the son's music was very touching. Also, the shift from 'film mode' to 'theater mode' was an interesting way to convey the story. It's unfortunate that this film did not come with a commentary. A film concerning issues this painful and personal must have created some strange situations with the characters playing themselves.