20 30 40

Taiwan, 2004, 107 minutes, Colour.
Sylvia Chang, Renee Liu, Lee Sinje, Tony Leung Ka- Fai.
Directed by Sylvia Chang.

20 30 40 is the work of Chinese actress, Sylvia Chang. The screenplay, written by herself, is based on her own story. She also takes one of the leading roles. Sylvia Chang is a popular actress in Hong Kong and Taiwanese movies and appeared also in the Singapore film, Rice Rhapsody.

The film is definitely a woman’s perspective on life, the focus on three women of different generations. The men appear rather as foils to the lives and activities of the women.

One of the women is Chinese. The story follows her struggles in Taipei City. Another is about a young Malaysian girl who wants to be a rock star. She arrives in Taipei and experiences various difficulties, especially not being able to become the star that she hoped. The third story is about a divorcee who works in a flower shop. The action centres on the experience of a Taiwanese earthquake.

The film is glossy in its style, aiming for the popular audience, especially the women’s audience who can identify with the characters and issues of the film.

1. A woman's perspective on life, careers, women's role in society? Contemporary Taiwan stories? The different ages?

2. The appeal to women, their stories? The appeal to men, their place in the women's lives? Lifestyles, relationships, mistakes, hopes, solutions?

3. The use of Taipei City, the earthquakes and tremors, the apartments, shops and studios? The outside world? The musical score and songs?

4. The title and the focus on the three women, their ages and perspectives?

5. The film interweaving the three stories, the arrival of the plane, the audience entering Taipei with the three women, their three stories and parallels, contrasts?

6. Xiang's story? On the plane, the comments to her flight attendant friends, relationships? The three different phones? At thirty? Brian and his being in the surgery? Qi and his recording? The experience of the earthquake, Brian and his concern, Qi and his phoning, banging the door, smashing the car window? Their night together? The flashbacks to her having to play the piano at her mother's will? Her unwillingness? The flashbacks? Her personal confusions, her going out, the relationship with Brian, his being married, the memories of the encounter on the plane with spilling things on him? Her angers, her creating scenes? The meeting with the widower, his wanting the piano? Her moving out, selling the piano, seeing the widower with his daughter, her giving her lessons - and a calmer and more stable future?

7. The girl from Malaysia, wanting to be a rock star, the phone calls from the airport, her having to find her own way, meeting the producer and his eccentric style, the other girl in the group? The apartment, moving in, the earthquake and her fears? Sharing with the girl, the plan, their being billed as twins, their not looking alike? The failure at the club? The bonds between the two girls, the phone calls back to Malaysia, going out, the girlfriend and coming with her boyfriend and being late, the girl being hurt, going to the producer, singing in the studio, having the interview about the earthquake on television to give her mother? Her affection for the girl, kissing her? Her going back home?

8. Lily, the flower shop, the experience of the earthquake, the consequences, tidying up the shop, people and their families being injured? Delivering the flowers, the truth about her husband and his family, going through with the divorce? Discussions with her daughter overseas? The tennis weekend, the playing, the exercise, the liaison with the coach, his making demands on her running and exercising? The encounter with Jerry, friendship, his loneliness, the mistake about the spelling of the name for the flowers, rectifying it, paying for the dinner? Meeting him and going to the concert? The tremor, her saying she was an abandoned woman, accepting her fate, going out jogging - and the man chasing her?

9. Men as foils of the women, Brian, Qi, Jerry, the producer, the tennis coach - their characters, personalities, seen in relationship with the women?

10. A portrait of women's ordinary lives, mundane and worldly? Not going deeper? Realities, triteness of details of life yet the search for meaning and fulfilment?