Dear Ex (Chinese: 誰先愛上他的; lit. 'Who Fell in Love with Him First?') is a 2018 Taiwanese drama film directed by Mag Hsu and Hsu Chih-yen, from a screenplay by Lu Shih-yuan and Mag Hsu. It stars Roy Chiu, Hsieh Ying-xuan, Spark Chen, and Joseph Huang. It follows a teenager becoming trapped in the middle of a bitter feud between his willful mother and a free-spirited man, who is both the lover and insurance beneficiary of his recently deceased father.
When San-lian's ex-husband passes away, she discovers he has altered his insurance policy, cutting out their son in favor of a stranger named Jay. Outraged, San-lian decides that she and her son will confront Jay, but Jay proves equal to her scheme. However, when her son unexpectedly moves in with Jay, she is forced to reassess her relationship with them both.
Screenwriter Mag Hsu and music video director Hsu Chih-yen both made their respective feature directorial debuts on Dear Ex.[7] The screenplay, written by Lu Shih-yuan and Mag Hsu, was based on the true story of a friend of Hsu's who found out that her husband was having an affair with a guy.[2]
Mag Hsu said about the film in a 2019 interview: "I truly believe that Dear Ex is not only an LGBT film; it involves more, all kinds of communities, a range of perspectives. This is why I feel that this film doesn't need to be labeled an LGBT film."[2]
Releaseedit
Dear Ex had its world premiere at the 20th Far East Film Festival on 22 April 2018, where audiences praised its heartfelt storyline and snappy graphics.[7] It was screened as the opening film of the 22nd Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival on 8 November 2018, marking the first time the annual event has opened with a Taiwanese production.[8] The film was released in Taiwan on 12 November 2018, and on Netflix worldwide on 1 February 2019.[9][10]
Karen Han of The New York Times called Dear Ex "a remarkably affecting and cogent picture" and remarked, "At points, the film threatens to tip over into melodrama, but the directors Mag Hsu and Hsu Chih-yen always right the ship, balancing oversaturated flashbacks with a nuanced portrait of love that endures both trials and time."[12] Andrew Lapin of NPR opined, "The film may pale in comparison to The Cakemaker, which told its story with more nuance and sensory detail. But Dear Ex's narrative hiccups and tonal missteps seem less blaring by the time it enters its affecting homestretch […]. Love in this movie is expressed in odd ways, but it is still genuine."[13] Wendy Ide of Screen Daily wrote, "This comic melodrama wrings every last drop of drama from the set up" and "The music choices and the production design compete for knowing kitsch, but there is nothing ironic about the emotional impact of the third act."[14] Joel Keller of Decider stated, "Dear Ex has good performances and a story that should be relatable to anyone who has gone through family problems as a kid."[15] Stephen McCarty of the South China Morning Post commented, "Dear Ex proves to be a work of redemption, reconciliation and forgiveness […]. And at its heart, it's a love story: nothing odd about that."[16]
^Fu, Yi-wen (28 November 2018). "《誰先愛上他的》訪問：你看到的都是垃圾桶裏撿回來的鏡頭". Initium Media (in Chinese). from the original on 3 December 2023. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
^ abcHsu, Mag (25 October 2019). ""This Film Is Blessed by the Gods": Talking with Mag Hsu, Director of Dear Ex (Netflix, 2018)". Bright Lights Film Journal (Interview). Interviewed by Christopher Brown. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
^Strong, Matthew (12 September 2019). "Taiwan sends gay-themed comedy 'Dear Ex' to Oscars". Taiwan News. from the original on 16 June 2023. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
^Davis, Rebecca (12 September 2019). "Taiwan Submits Golden Horse Award Winner 'Dear Ex' to Oscar Race". Variety. from the original on 16 June 2023. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
^Tartaglione, Nancy (13 September 2019). "Oscars: Mexico Selects 'The Chambermaid', Taiwan Opts For 'Dear Ex' In International Feature Race". Deadline Hollywood. from the original on 16 June 2023. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
^Chu, Karen (15 September 2019). "Oscars: Taiwan Selects 'Dear Ex' for International Feature Film Category". The Hollywood Reporter. from the original on 16 June 2023. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
^ abLim, Paige (10 May 2018). "All is fair in love and war". Taipei Times. from the original on 20 February 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2024.
^"Award-winning Taiwan drama opens Toronto Asian film festival". Taiwan Today. 9 November 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
^Frater, Patrick (23 January 2019). "Netflix Buys Taiwan Black Comedy 'Dear Ex'". Variety. from the original on 29 March 2023. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
^Brzeski, Patrick (24 January 2019). "Netflix Picks Up Taiwanese Sleeper Hit 'Dear Ex'". The Hollywood Reporter. from the original on 26 November 2022. Retrieved 9 March 2024.
^Han, Karen (6 February 2019). "'Dear Ex' Review: Heartbreaking and Heartwarming Family Dysfunction". The New York Times. from the original on 13 October 2023. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
^Lapin, Andrew (2 February 2019). "'Dear Ex': A Man Dies, Leaving Behind A Wife, A Son And A Secret Gay Lover". NPR. from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
^Ide, Wendy (10 December 2018). "'Dear Ex': Macao Review". Screen Daily. from the original on 29 October 2020. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
^Keller, Joel (11 February 2019). "Stream It Or Skip It: 'Dear Ex' On Netflix, Where A Teen Gets To Know His Late Father's True Love". Decider. from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
^McCarty, Stephen (17 February 2019). "Dear Ex on Netflix – award-winning Mandarin-language film explores family values in Taiwan". South China Morning Post. from the original on 7 December 2022. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
Further readingedit
Peng, Sheng-Hsiang Lance (2023). "Caught between growing up and family struggles: Adolescents' gaze at love, hatred, and conflicts in "Dear Ex"". Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment: 1–18. doi:10.1080/10911359.2023.2295517.
Chu, Wentao (2023). "Implications of Recent Chinese-language LGBT+ Films for Gender Equality Education". Journal of Education, Humanities and Social Sciences. 8: 889–896. doi:10.54097/ehss.v8i.4377.
dear, chinese, 誰先愛上他的, fell, love, with, first, 2018, taiwanese, drama, film, directed, chih, from, screenplay, shih, yuan, stars, chiu, hsieh, ying, xuan, spark, chen, joseph, huang, follows, teenager, becoming, trapped, middle, bitter, feud, between, willful. Dear Ex Chinese 誰先愛上他的 lit Who Fell in Love with Him First is a 2018 Taiwanese drama film directed by Mag Hsu and Hsu Chih yen from a screenplay by Lu Shih yuan and Mag Hsu It stars Roy Chiu Hsieh Ying xuan Spark Chen and Joseph Huang It follows a teenager becoming trapped in the middle of a bitter feud between his willful mother and a free spirited man who is both the lover and insurance beneficiary of his recently deceased father Dear ExFilm posterTraditional Chinese誰先愛上他的Simplified Chinese谁先爱上他的Hanyu PinyinShei Xian Ai Shang Ta DeDirected byMag Hsu Hsu Chih yenScreenplay byLu Shih yuan Mag HsuProduced byLu Shih yuanStarringRoy Chiu Hsieh Ying xuan Spark Chen Joseph HuangCinematographyLin Chih pengEdited byLei Chen chingMusic byDJ DidilongProductioncompaniesDear Studio Comic Communication Studio Ocean Entertainment Hervoice ConceptDistributed byWarner Bros Taiwan Medialink Entertainment International Release dates22 April 2018 2018 04 22 FEFF 2 November 2018 2018 11 02 Taiwan Running time99 minutesCountryTaiwanLanguageMandarinBudgetNT 35 million 1 Box officeNT 65 million 2 The film had its world premiere at the 20th Far East Film Festival on 22 April 2018 and was theatrically released in Taiwan on 2 November 2018 by Warner Bros It received generally positive reviews from critics and was selected as the Taiwanese entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 92nd Academy Awards but it was not nominated 3 4 5 6 At the 55th Golden Horse Awards it earned eight nominations including Best Feature Film and Best Leading Actor for Chiu and won in three categories Best Leading Actress for Hsieh Best Original Film Song for Bali Song and Best Film Editing The film also won Best Narrative Feature Best Actor for Chiu Best Actress for Hsieh and the Press Award at the 20th Taipei Film Awards Contents 1 Synopsis 2 Cast 3 Production 4 Release 5 Reception 5 1 Critical response 5 2 Accolades 6 See also 7 References 8 Further reading 9 External linksSynopsis editWhen San lian s ex husband passes away she discovers he has altered his insurance policy cutting out their son in favor of a stranger named Jay Outraged San lian decides that she and her son will confront Jay but Jay proves equal to her scheme However when her son unexpectedly moves in with Jay she is forced to reassess her relationship with them both Cast editRoy Chiu as Jay Hsieh Ying xuan as Liu San lian Spark Chen as Song Zheng yuan Joseph Huang as Song Cheng xi Wanfang as Consultant Allen Kao as Jay s mother Yang Li yin as San lian s sister Liang Cheng chun as Stage manager Wu Ting chien as DirectorProduction editScreenwriter Mag Hsu and music video director Hsu Chih yen both made their respective feature directorial debuts on Dear Ex 7 The screenplay written by Lu Shih yuan and Mag Hsu was based on the true story of a friend of Hsu s who found out that her husband was having an affair with a guy 2 Mag Hsu said about the film in a 2019 interview I truly believe that Dear Ex is not only an LGBT film it involves more all kinds of communities a range of perspectives This is why I feel that this film doesn t need to be labeled an LGBT film 2 Release editDear Ex had its world premiere at the 20th Far East Film Festival on 22 April 2018 where audiences praised its heartfelt storyline and snappy graphics 7 It was screened as the opening film of the 22nd Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival on 8 November 2018 marking the first time the annual event has opened with a Taiwanese production 8 The film was released in Taiwan on 12 November 2018 and on Netflix worldwide on 1 February 2019 9 10 Reception editCritical response edit On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes 90 of 10 critics reviews are positive with an average rating of 6 5 10 11 Karen Han of The New York Times called Dear Ex a remarkably affecting and cogent picture and remarked At points the film threatens to tip over into melodrama but the directors Mag Hsu and Hsu Chih yen always right the ship balancing oversaturated flashbacks with a nuanced portrait of love that endures both trials and time 12 Andrew Lapin of NPR opined The film may pale in comparison to The Cakemaker which told its story with more nuance and sensory detail But Dear Ex s narrative hiccups and tonal missteps seem less blaring by the time it enters its affecting homestretch Love in this movie is expressed in odd ways but it is still genuine 13 Wendy Ide of Screen Daily wrote This comic melodrama wrings every last drop of drama from the set up and The music choices and the production design compete for knowing kitsch but there is nothing ironic about the emotional impact of the third act 14 Joel Keller of Decider stated Dear Ex has good performances and a story that should be relatable to anyone who has gone through family problems as a kid 15 Stephen McCarty of the South China Morning Post commented Dear Ex proves to be a work of redemption reconciliation and forgiveness And at its heart it s a love story nothing odd about that 16 Accolades edit Award Category Recipients Result3rd International Film Festival amp Awards Macao Best Film Dear Ex NominatedMi Ying Spirit Movie Award Nominated20th Taipei Film Awards Best Feature Film WonBest Leading Actor Roy Chiu WonBest Leading Actress Hsieh Ying xuan WonPress Award Dear Ex Won55th Golden Horse Awards Best Feature Film NominatedBest Leading Actor Roy Chiu NominatedBest Leading Actress Hsieh Ying xuan WonBest New Performer Joseph Huang NominatedBest New Director Mag Hsu and Hsu Chih yen NominatedBest Original Screenplay Lu Shih yuan and Mag Hsu NominatedBest Original Film Song Lee Ying hung Bali Song WonBest Film Editing Lei Cheng ching Won10th To Ten Chinese Films Festival Outstanding Film Dear Ex WonBest Leading Actor Roy Chiu NominatedBest Leading Actress Hsieh Ying xuan Nominated19th Chinese Film Media Awards Best Leading Actor Roy Chiu NominatedBest Leading Actress Hsieh Ying xuan NominatedBest New Director Mag Hsu and Hsu Chih yen NominatedSee also editList of submissions to the 92nd Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film List of Taiwanese submissions for the Academy Award for Best International Feature FilmReferences edit Fu Yi wen 28 November 2018 誰先愛上他的 訪問 你看到的都是垃圾桶裏撿回來的鏡頭 Initium Media in Chinese Archived from the original on 3 December 2023 Retrieved 2 March 2024 a b c Hsu Mag 25 October 2019 This Film Is Blessed by the Gods Talking with Mag Hsu Director of Dear Ex Netflix 2018 Bright Lights Film Journal Interview Interviewed by Christopher Brown Retrieved 5 March 2024 Strong Matthew 12 September 2019 Taiwan sends gay themed comedy Dear Ex to Oscars Taiwan News Archived from the original on 16 June 2023 Retrieved 2 March 2024 Davis Rebecca 12 September 2019 Taiwan Submits Golden Horse Award Winner Dear Ex to Oscar Race Variety Archived from the original on 16 June 2023 Retrieved 2 March 2024 Tartaglione Nancy 13 September 2019 Oscars Mexico Selects The Chambermaid Taiwan Opts For Dear Ex In International Feature Race Deadline Hollywood Archived from the original on 16 June 2023 Retrieved 2 March 2024 Chu Karen 15 September 2019 Oscars Taiwan Selects Dear Ex for International Feature Film Category The Hollywood Reporter Archived from the original on 16 June 2023 Retrieved 2 March 2024 a b Lim Paige 10 May 2018 All is fair in love and war Taipei Times Archived from the original on 20 February 2020 Retrieved 5 March 2024 Award winning Taiwan drama opens Toronto Asian film festival Taiwan Today 9 November 2018 Retrieved 9 March 2024 Frater Patrick 23 January 2019 Netflix Buys Taiwan Black Comedy Dear Ex Variety Archived from the original on 29 March 2023 Retrieved 9 March 2024 Brzeski Patrick 24 January 2019 Netflix Picks Up Taiwanese Sleeper Hit Dear Ex The Hollywood Reporter Archived from the original on 26 November 2022 Retrieved 9 March 2024 Dear Ex Rotten Tomatoes Fandango Media Archived from the original on 9 August 2022 Retrieved 3 March 2024 nbsp Han Karen 6 February 2019 Dear Ex Review Heartbreaking and Heartwarming Family Dysfunction The New York Times Archived from the original on 13 October 2023 Retrieved 3 March 2024 Lapin Andrew 2 February 2019 Dear Ex A Man Dies Leaving Behind A Wife A Son And A Secret Gay Lover NPR Archived from the original on 22 September 2022 Retrieved 3 March 2024 Ide Wendy 10 December 2018 Dear Ex Macao Review Screen Daily Archived from the original on 29 October 2020 Retrieved 3 March 2024 Keller Joel 11 February 2019 Stream It Or Skip It Dear Ex On Netflix Where A Teen Gets To Know His Late Father s True Love Decider Archived from the original on 1 October 2022 Retrieved 3 March 2024 McCarty Stephen 17 February 2019 Dear Ex on Netflix award winning Mandarin language film explores family values in Taiwan South China Morning Post Archived from the original on 7 December 2022 Retrieved 3 March 2024 Further reading editPeng Sheng Hsiang Lance 2023 Caught between growing up and family struggles Adolescents gaze at love hatred and conflicts in Dear Ex Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment 1 18 doi 10 1080 10911359 2023 2295517 Chu Wentao 2023 Implications of Recent Chinese language LGBT Films for Gender Equality Education Journal of Education Humanities and Social Sciences 8 889 896 doi 10 54097 ehss v8i 4377 External links editDear Ex on Netflix Dear Ex at IMDb nbsp 27119586 Douban in Chinese Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Dear Ex amp oldid 1213116671, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
