SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN (Wayne Wang). 102 minutes. Opens Friday (July 15). See listing. Rating: NNN
Snow Flower And The Secret Fan is an unabashed hymn to women’s abiding friendships, and, like many hymns, its tone is subdued and pace not exactly lively. But there’s no shortage of heart.
In 19th-century China, Snow Flower and Lily are formally bonded in childhood and taught to communicate in secret writing on silk fans. In contemporary Shanghai, Nina and Sophia, in possession of those fans, also swear everlasting commitment. The two sets of friends maintain their bond through everyday trials – foot-binding, school, parents, marriage, deaths – and catastrophes, including an epidemic and a rebel raid, until the inevitable falling-out.
Though Li Bingbing and Gianna Jun, who play both sets of friends, are almost constantly on screen, they don’t get many big moments. They sustain our interest with their understated and thoroughly believable affection and reactions to disappointments.
Lots of persuasive detail around foot-binding, communal singing and a culture of strict obedience brings the period segments vividly to life. More of these would have been welcome, but the movie is busy with the present, where Nina lies in a coma and Sophia recalls their shared past and investigates what happened to her estranged friend.