we watched "dearest" during our globe perspective class. I have heard that's a sad movie, but I did not cry as much as I thought I would, perhaps because I'm yet a parent myself. But I can definitely feel for the parents who lost their kids. This film has various characters where the different groups of audiences will be able to relate with. This film touches me, heart, first, and then make you think again. Think of questions that we will usually assume about the abductors. That how most would abduct to make the kids beg for money, that the kids will be suffering and pining for their real parents.

I thought this movie was okay, but definitely not my favorites! I thought it was very interesting that it was based on a true story, and unlike other kidnapping movies, it was very, very unique. I thought that the actors were really talented, especially the kids. However, it was really confusing (at least for me). The movie often switched between main characters which I thought was kind of strange, but subtle. For example, there was the little boy as the main character in the beginning along with his parents, but then it switched to the lady who "adopted" him later. I felt really bad for all characters in this movie, and although Peng was returned to his real parents, there were so many problems and traumatic things that had happened that couldn't be undone. First, Peng was stolen from his family, then moved to a rural area where his name got changed, then stolen back by his real parents (whom he didn't even remember!) One thing that I didn't like was how mean the real parents were to the widow who "adopted him". Since her late husband told her that he adopted Peng, she thought he was actually hers, so she went through that loss too, of losing her child even though it wasn't actually hers and her husband had abducted him. I wish that his real parents would have bonded a little more, since they were going through the same things! Although this story followed the journey of Peng's abduction, he also had a sister that the lady's late husband supposedly "adopted" as well. (But I think that she was really abducted too). Where did she come from? Where were her parents? Why didn't the movie even touch on this? I think it would have been interesting to involve her story too, even if she wasn't returned to her parents in the end. Although I felt so badly for the fake adoptive mom and widow, I thought she was a bit annoying. She seemed to believe everything her husband told her, including that she was infertile! Also, how could she not know something was up when her husband brought home two strange kids without any paperwork or struggle? Also, part of me wishes we could have met the husband before he died, because he seemed like a very interesting and scary character. I did like the ending, even though it wasn't really much of an ending. I liked the scene of the widow crying on the hospital floor because it really showed so much emotion and despair, and I liked how the lawyer was looking back at her because he seemed like he really grew to like his client compared to the beginning of the movie.

I learned a lot from watching this Chinese film. I had never really heard about child abduction in China, since we do not hear about that problem there, but not only does it happen there, but it can happen anywhere. This film was unique in that, it was about a real story and events, but some parts of the film were added. This film is about a couple who lose their child, and find out that he was abducted. Peng-Peng(the little boy ) decided to wander off on his own after playing with a few of his friends, and saw his mother in the car driving away, as soon as that happened he was taken. Once Peng-Peng's dad found out that his son was abducted he panicked, and Peng-Peng's mother felt guilty, which is later explained in the film. Both of Peng-Peng's parents decided to join a group that involved people who have gone through the same situation, and they try to help families by making them feel better about their current loss, and also find ways to find the children of the families, by disguising themselves as a tour group, but often times it did not work out. It takes a while for Peng-Peng to be found, but when he is he did not recognize his parents, since he was very little when he was abducted, therefore he wanted to go back to the woman who abducted him. The only thing I did not like about this film was the end. It seemed to be very unclear and was a bit confusing. Based on this reasoning, I would rate this film a 4/5.

Dearest is a very good film that gives you the look on Child Abduction with a happier ending. This review will have many spoilers, but mainly focussing on what I thought was important. It all starts with a divorced husband and wife and their son. They argue with each other, and eventually, one day their son, Pengpeng is taken by an abductor who then brings him to a farm, which we later find out. The parents handle this just like everyone else would. They eventually join a group that helps with losing a child due to abduction, and that helps them cope with a joint feeling between the group members of remaining to search for their children. I am also interested to find out the number of families that actually do find their child after 3 years of searching. Anyways, when Pengpeng is finally found he does not recognize his parents anymore, and wants to go back to his abducted parent's home, which he believes to be his real home. You need to see the movie to know the rest, but I feel this movie did a great job explaining the whole process. The one thing I am questioning though is how Pengpeng's second Mom did not know of how she obtained the children that were brought to her by her husband. Dearest is a very good movie, and I recommend you see it.