Everyday Hero (2017) [Film Review]

Everyday Hero (2017); or, Saving the Village
     I never thought I would come to a place like Li Tan Village. But now, when I’m together with the folks, working on these trivial, petty matters, I feel happy. I’m very happy!
Everyday Hero is a 2017 biopic based on the real-life figure of Guo Jian Nan, a local activist who was in charge of the Poverty Alleviation Programme. Director Zheng Hua crafts a calm story about a determined man who wanted to make a difference in a poverty-stricken Chinese countryside.

Release Info

Directed by:  Zheng Hua Starring: Sun Hong Tao, Ru Ping, Ai Liya

Language: Mandarin Runtime: 90 min

Synopsis
Meet Brother Nan (Sun Hong Tao). He is an ordinary engineer who is full of resilience and optimism. He is ordered by his superiors to go to a local village called Li Tan and prepare the construction for the factory. When it turns out that there’s not enough space for the factory, Nan decides to stay in the village and think of other ways to get it out of poverty. However, his duties begin to take a toll on his family life.

Pushing it to the limit
Everyday Hero seems to be just an educational picture showing how poverty alleviation committees work in China, but it is also a charming slice-of-life story. Brother Nan is a kind everyman who wants to do a good deed. The tone of the film and how the simple country life was presented reminded me about Bill Forsyth’s Local Hero (1983).

Evidently, the Chinese government wanted to underline the fact that poverty still exists in the rural parts of PRC and that they are going to fight it. Brother Nan is the symbolic government emissary who does everything in his power to help the villagers, yet most of the action to get things done comes from people he interacts with.

I particularly enjoyed the interactions of Nan with the locals as well as his relationship with a loving wife (Ru Ping) and a daughter. The idealism of Nan is the central focus the story, but some things could have been given greater exposition. At times, it is hard to understand some activities undertaken by Nan which are meant to help the village. More information would definitely benefit the script.

With regard to performances, the performance of the main lead actor, Sun Hong Tao, is solid. In addition, there was also a wonderful supporting part done by an actress Ai Liya who played a deaf-mute woman. She was a true highlight of the film.

Recommendations
All things considered, if you are in the mood for a peaceful biopic with picturesque Chinese landscapes, then Everyday Hero is the movie for you. It is interesting that the Chinese filmmakers devoted a film to a local activist rather than some kind of popular artist or celebrity. It is a thoughtful insight into modern topical problems. My thanks go to TriCoast Studios for sharing the screener. They released the film under their TriCoast Entertainment label. See the trailer below:Overall score: 7/10

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