Set in China’s north, this is a slow-paced and small scale (but told on a large canvas) tale of the fall and (sort of) rise of a sharp but jaded woman (excellently played by Zhao Tao) as her trajectory follows, at first, that of her relatively minor league gangster boyfriend — think big fish in a small pond. After serving prison time for coming to her boyfriend’s aid, she tries to rebuild her life, while all around her China is quickly changing. The movie drags at times, but the 2 1/4 hours is worth the time. (Subtitles.)
