badum dadum

Usually a fan of fast paced action movies (ex. Marvel Universe), when my sister chose to watch this movie, I thought I would fall asleep. But the story telling was very raw, with actions that although dramatic is based in reality. You can connect with the anguish of parents working to fix a broken family, the pressure of the son to be the sun carrying all the hopes, as well as the brother who falls and needs help to climb out of a ever sinking hole. The story brings an emotional rollercoaster and is a much watch. Some people say that the movie is unrealistic with gangsters blackmailing those on the outskirts of society to do things. Being from Taiwan, I can vouch for the reality of those situations, these type of events are often on the news. If you go to certain parts of town, you know right away which establishments are ran by the not so savoury (ex. tobacco parlours, mechanic garages, car washes, KTVs). Taiwan is a very safe place, but the gangs do make tv appearances every few months for their fights on the street, or bars, or KTVs. Last year during the general election, gun shots were fired at the legislator's office as well. Just FYI to those uninformed people I don't really understand how some of the other reviews can say it is unrealistic... when they aren't from the country and very similar events are captured on security cameras (ie. CCTVs) and broadcasted by the news networks. **Spoiler Alert** Other people complain about the reality of suicide and how surprising and unjustified it is in the movie. A) they must of not had the literacy skill to understand the context of the suicide note left to his (girl)friend and b) suicide and mental anguish is a very personal matter that only needs to be justified to that specific person. People have different struggles and tolerances similar to food that you dislike. It might be hard to know why someone would hate ice cream, but you cannot dismiss their struggle because you yourself like ice cream. Regarding for those that did not understand the nuance... It is literally the title of the Movie.... the eldest son could not stand being the Sun that shines brightly and never got the chance to rest. He was exhausted by the social pressure to carry the hopes and dreams of the family. Similar foil would be famous actors and musicians who died by suicide. To us, they have the perfect life, being rich and famous, but people struggle with other demons and societal pressures usually push people over the edge.