IF YOU FEEL like the weight of this world is overwhelming, perhaps things could change once you watch the Chinese comedy-drama film, YOLO.
Trust me when I say this, and this may seem really cliche, but once the end credits roll, you will be left speechless.
YOLO is an inspiring movie to watch, and it's not just your typical feel good movie, because in reality it will give you the jolt of inspiration needed to face all your problems in life.
In fact once you reach the end credits, you'll discover the severe sacrifices done by Jia Ling, the director and the main actress of the film, in order to give an important life lesson to the audience.
WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD
A winner's mentality
One important theme in the film centers on the concept of 'winning.'
The main character, Leying (Jia Ling), can actually be described as an outcast as she follows an unhealthy lifestyle, while having an estranged relationship with her family.
Everything seem to be going against Leying as she has fallen from a lot of pitfalls in her life due to her overly submissive behavior.
But eventually, a sudden self-realization would change her life. Leying no longer wanted to brand herself as a loser and started to shift her lifestyle, which was already enough for her to be a winner in life.
This is the main lesson that the film wanted to convey, that winning doesn't necessarily mean achieving the biggest awards in life.
And this was evident with how the film ended.
Leying's body transformed from obesity to that of a fitness model and entered a boxing match against one of the best in her division.
Now did Leying follow the Cinderella story that is normally associated with sports films? Sorry for the spoilers, but Leying wasn't able to defeat her overpowered foe, which from a storytelling point-of-view, is a perfect way to convey the film's message.
However this has been done a plethora of times, as seen from film's like Rocky and Real Steel, but what makes YOLO stand out is the film's ability to stray away from its fictional element.
YOLO is a work of fiction, but the credits scene would immediately shatter the glass as the main actress/director was fully committed to change her life.
Jia Ling started off obese and while one could have the connotion that her body transformation was CGI-oriented like what happened to Chris Evans in Captain America, that wasn't the case. Ling really shredded her body to be at its peak physical appearance, an inspiration to viewers.
The opposite of winning
However the question of winning in life, wasn't just focused on Leying as it also applies to her boxing coach Hao Kun (played by Lei Jiaying).
From the trailers, posters, and some of the scenes in the film, Hao could be hinted as someone who could change Leying's life.
He actually did end up fulfilling that role, but there is a twist.
Through the latter parts of the film, Hao ended up as a foil to Leying. Initially the pair had feelings for each other but they soon fell off as Hao opted to intentionally lose a boxing match to earn a huge sum of money, instead of listening to Leying's pleas.
So how did things pan out for him? Like Leying, Hao ended up living miserably but his case was more of a downfall compared to the main character's ascent.
And by the end of the film, one could sense Hao's regrets in life, especially after the opportunities he received.
Personally, I liked the film's decision to introduce a foil instead of having both characters experience a renaissance in their lives.
Not only does it highlight the key traits of becoming a winner as it further digs deep into the development of Leying.
If before Leying would be submissive to Hao, her decision at the end of the film symbolizes that she doesn't want to end up like her former mentor.
And instead of helping Hao bounce back, Leying decided to leave him hanging, and it is up to Hao if he will take that as motivation to redeem himself.
CONCLUSION
Based on the things I've said, YOLO's biggest strength stems from its character development as well as its overall message, but the film has a lot of strengths to point out.
The film's plot doesn't falter into the cliche and this was evident with how it progressed, and most importantly the unraveling of key plot points as seen when Leying was knocked out.
Even the film's shift in tone deserves to be applauded as well. What starts off as light-hearted movie filled with laughs slowly becomes a drama-oriented, which further emphasizes on Leying's life, which began as a joke, only for people to take her seriously at the end.
And once you reach the finale, you'll discover why the film was titled, YOLO.
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