But Always
But Always

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- 53/100 based on 475 votes

A snapshot of young love in the 1970s: two school friends, growing up in Beijing, both with different backgrounds and different families. As time progresses their relationship grows and so too do their families. Separated, they lose touch, only to rekindle the romance in New York City, but now having to face the fact that they both have established lives and established loves. Nicholas Tse and Gao Yuanyuan star in this intimate and moving portrayal of two people falling in lo... (Full plot summary below)

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Actors in But Always:

Nicholas Tse Ting-Fung
Gao Yuanyuan
Du Haitao
Lam Suet
Qin Hao
Tong Dawei

Full Plot Details

A snapshot of young love in the 1970s: two school friends, growing up in Beijing, both with different backgrounds and different families. As time progresses their relationship grows and so too do their families. Separated, they lose touch, only to rekindle the romance in New York City, but now having to face the fact that they both have established lives and established loves. Nicholas Tse and Gao Yuanyuan star in this intimate and moving portrayal of two people falling in love again after being separated by time and distance and deciding whether their present love or a future love will triumph.

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Movie Reviews

New York Times - 5/10 by Ben KenigsbergWatching it means waiting for the other shoe to drop: anticipating the moment when this already tacky weepie will resolve itself in horrific, exploitative fashion.
Washington Post - 5/10 by Mark JenkinsSnow Zou’s directorial debut does have a few noteworthy attributes: attractive stars, sun-dappled cinematography and an audacious payoff.
Los Angeles Times - 2/10 by Gary GoldsteinHokey dialogue, a syrupy score, a corny use of slow motion and a slew of contrived or undercooked plot developments further sink a movie whose appeal may elude even die-hard romantics.
Village Voice - 0/10 by Michael NordineIt's possible that there's a worse movie tangentially related to 9-11 than But Always, though I don't advise seeking one out.
RogerEbert.com - 0/10 by Simon AbramsA trite, and slavishly inoffensive romantic drama.
User Review - 10/10 by Henry VFirst a disclaimer: I am not Chinese, nor from Chinese descent. Ok, I ended up seeing this movie with an Asian friend, and then I did read the professional reviews afterwards, and I must say, they are not justifying the movie, from a viewer's perspective. I strongly disagree with them. Sure, they raise valid points, mostly on misuse of American Symbolism, weak character and story-line development with formulaic and predictable outcome, and cheap emotional and redacted scenes, none of which is a-typical for a Chinese (love story) movie. But, and this is why I wrote this review, they miss the point, in my view. This movie simply works, as a whole, and it works very well. It is a movie that touches you and that will make you smile. And it will leave you with sadness too. And all this comes together in a span of less than two hours. First, this is an Asian love story, and anyone who has seen a Chinese TV drama of later years knows that these are slowly developing stories with lots of symbolism, many playing around real life time events. Such drama series are intensely watched by Chinese people all around the world, but lack a lot of 'critics approved' content. This movie, as Asian love stories go, is definitely a 'notch above'. Second, this is a big-budget production. Or so it seems. The actors, every scene, the camera work, the lighting, the story-line, the make-up (young/old), this is all worked out into very fine details. Sure, it is Chinese in its approach, but it is done at a very clever level, and of high quality. Third, this movie touches on a lot of emotion. This varies from humor to sadness, from children and their emotions to adults and their, far more complex, reactions and view on things. Fourth, there is lots of attention to details: when Zhao Yongyuan sets up shop with his uncle in Beijing, there is a scene when the uncle moves back and forth across the screen trying to sell a shirt. If you pay attention, you can see a hairpiece falling off on one of the characters. It makes you smile, but you have to catch it. All scenes have this level of 'extra'. Extra thought as to what/why, lighting, sequence, conversation. This again is very 'watchable'. Fifth, the story-line is built around the perception from a Chinese perspective - that 30 years ago China was bad and the world, especially the USA, was the place to go, and that nowadays, with the rise of China this is being reversed. It makes Chinese people proud, and caters a lot to the rise of modern China today. And this realization is becoming real for many Chinese people. China today is not the panacea they may portray it to be, but neither is the USA the Promised Land to so many that arrived here either. Accepting life as it is, is one part of the message hidden in the movie. Sixth, the story-line is very weak. It caters to a sequence of events that works as written, but you have to kind of give over to the story and just 'go with it'. Without giving away the entire plot, seeing Zhao Yongyuan find Anran again in Beijing by pure chance and instantly knowing that it is her is a bit of a stretch. Similarly, becoming a doctor in the USA being disappointing versus becoming a cloth merchant in China being rewarding is a bit of make-belief - there is very little character build-up as to why this is so, it just falls into a Chinese self-depiction of the new world. But, if you accept the story, and the symbolism behind some of the scenes, and follow the story as it depicts two lives from childhood to adulthood, then you are in for a treat. Without objectionable feelings, this movie is a very fine depiction of emotions that everyone, and particularly Chinese people, can easily relate to. This movie will make you both laugh and cry. And you cannot help ending up thinking about the people in your life that you love or hate, as well as the ups and downs of your own life, and decisions made in past or present. I do not think that this movie is about the characters - rather, it is very cleverly positioned around an era of change, and it uses the characters to reflect on life, and life choices, playing against events that are bigger than any of us could have foreshadowed. I do agree with the critics that including 9/11 is an ill choice, there is no need for this - the story could have unfolded just as easily without it. It does prompt all US critics to give the movie a thumb's down, I am sure, as this is not what 9/11 relates to, and what 9/11 should be used for. I do understand the American sentiment, or bias, here. I would go even further, in saying that starting the movie at 9/11 is completely unnecessary and detriments from the plot, rather than helping it. If this was a big Hollywood production, it would rank among the Oscar contenders, I am sure. Despite the weak character development, the emotional experience is like "Terms of Endearment" and movies alike. The movie takes the viewer through ups and downs, in happy and said times, and makes one reflect on life, over a life span. It leaves one with a reflection on one's own life, with good and bad, and puts a perspective on life in general. And that is a good experience in my book. The movie is in Chinese, with English subtitles. This is not a formula for success with American viewers. Also, it has limited playtime, as not many theaters will show this movie. Get to see it while you can. Sure it works as a rental, but immersing in the big screen is simply more impressive as an experience than the little box at home. I give it two thumbs up, in context of the above.
User Review - 10/10 by Selina LLoved this movie. Nicolas Tse is my late 80s generation's idol and this love story is so miserable and yet great! Thumbs up!
User Review - 4/10 by Mandy CIt's like watching a 5 minutes MV that converted into a 105 minutes soulless drama..
User Review - 4/10 by Fe BStoryline is meh, seen that before. Acting is meh, didn't touch my heart. I wish they'd done a better job authenticating the setting relative to time in New York. The only part I enjoy is perhaps the childhood innocence, and their care for one another in such early age.

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