The Stolen Years (2013) User Reviews (8)

An odd mix of genres but the core story was very well done

[spookycopter · 7/10 · 16 September 2014]

I was lucky to have a chance to watch this recently on an international flight (which is where I tend to find good Asian movies with English subtitles).

The core story of "The Stolen Years" centres around the memory loss of a newlywed woman, in the midst of the most romantic period of her life.

What follows is twist after twist after twist, with the the centre of the movie revolving around a quest to discover the reason behind the breakdown of the marriage. In among this human drama are several 1-dimensional characters and odd musical numbers, one of which that seems to break the third wall for no particular reason at the height of the drama.

If you ignore that set-piece, what you get is a very well acted drama about the nature of love and sacrifice. I particularly liked the representation of the relationship through home videos. The chemistry between the leads was tangible.

The movie ended on a strange beat, and one that made me feel truly sad. Worse than losing somebody you love is to see that person slide into depression then oblivion. I can't think of a worse fate for any character, but for such a vibrant character, it truly choked me up.

I would have given the movie an 8, but the supporting cast and the odd musical number took me out of the movie long enough to feel that it was only worth a 7. Still, a very good movie, and one that I would recommend.

Bai Baihe couldn't save this predictable film

[petermarendy · 6/10 · 15 February 2020]

Bai Baihe performed well. She is is clearly a talented actress but even she couldn't rescue this pedestrian and predictable film. Furthermore, if you like tragedy, then this film is perfect for you.

Brilliant romance with a bitter twist

[richardlane-59839 · 9/10 · 18 January 2017]

So I don't get the 5.9 rating score at all!! I didn't realise when I first started to watch this film that it was almost entirely subtitled (due to its language being Mandarin) and almost gave up at the beginning because of this. Thank goodness, I didn't! This is a truly lovely film and very moving on a multitude of levels. It has humour, pathos and drama and is a gripping tale of love and devotion. The two main leads are exceptional; the female lead truly remarkable. I was spellbound as the story unfolded and ultimately reduced to tears such is the tragedy of the narrative. I will definitely watch this film again; brilliant!

Awesome

[chanmikelee1 · 10/10 · 17 February 2014]

One of the best films I've seen in a long while, how this has only rated 5.8 out of 10 is totally beyond me, The romance is great the lead actress is brilliant in her role, there is fun laughter tears everything you could want from a film of this genre, miles better than the vow, which shares a similar storyline, The lead actor is also brilliant, in fact the entire cast did an amazing job in all there roles, My wife was in hysterics and tears at different parts of this incredible movie. Amazing movie a must see in my opinion.I want find some negatives about it but i really couldn't it blew me away from scene one to the end scene. GO SEE THIS MOVIE IT IS SIMPLY FANTASTIC. *********************************************************************

Sometimes in relationships trying really hard doesn't work out, still we wish for a second chance.

[metronome087 · 10/10 · 20 June 2014]

What is up with this rating? It certainly deserves more and this is the first review I've ever submitted because it deserves to be noticed..

Sometimes in relationships trying really hard doesn't work out, still we wish for a second chance. This movie was a blessing in disguise and had my girlfriend and I laughing and crying. The scenes are hilarious, characters are lovable, and at times you might say Awww too much.

The story moves quick but at a pace to keep you attentive. The silliness portrayed by the couple captures those little things that matter in a relationship. This movie is best watched with snacks, preferably popcorn, a box of tissue, and a warm blanket.

Learn about what it means to love.

Amazing

[fontelonga · 10/10 · 11 November 2018]

Very intense movie, that shows what real love is in a relationship. Impossible not to laugh and cry.

Romance never sleeps

[kosmasp · 9/10 · 17 January 2019]

Well maybe sometimes, but not in the big picture ... alright, enough with the puns. And while this has some light moments, it is also very heavy. Just the fact that you have a person who doesn't remember what happened to her and her (ex) partner is tragic in itself. But also the revelations are not always just fun and games as you will notice.

But the mixture of romance, comedy and drama is really good. You really feel for and with the characters. Which make certain things funnier, but others also more tragic. If you only have one iota of romance, just a smudge, an atom of it, the movie will touch it. And you will be touched by it in general, if you let yourself into it. Let it happen and go with the flow, wherever it may take (good and bad places). It really is good

Perfect...

[RosanaBotafogo · 9/10 · 10 July 2021]

Aiaiaia. Don't watch it if you're bad, it looks cute like the American version "Like it's the first time" but don't be fooled, here it's just pain, tragedy, lots of love, more pain and more suffering and tragedy, and so on, when you finish weighing on S2.