I totally get where the director was coming from. Maybe you would have to know first hand and head the personal and tragic stories of parents and grandparents that have made hard choices and sacrifices that have brought them to the exact same place: Nothing went as planned. Time changed everything. Dreams were lost. I thought this film captured that feeling perfectly.
In my opinion, there was nothing lacking or needing more to develop in the characters, because the leaving out detailed development is exactly how his life went when he left Taiwan without even saying goodbye.
You’re supposed to feel that way.
It’s just one of those movies where, if you know, you know.
I was literally crying my eyes out when he went back to the house he would walk to with his mother and said it wasn’t like the last time he saw it.
Maybe it’s just one of those movies that is not going to resonate with people who haven’t seen similar situations play out in their own families, but it hit every note for me.
Sorry if this isn’t super coherent, literally still crying and need to go hug my grandma stat.