75
Philadelphia Inquirer by Carrie Rickey
Told in a leisurely though concise 92 minutes, Shower is a purifying and refreshing spray of hope that family and lifestyle differences can be reconciled. Lovely.
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What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
100
Christian Science Monitor by David Sterritt
Superbly acted, cleverly written, sensitively directed.
50
San Francisco Chronicle by Edward Guthmann
Sentiment, the kind bordering on schmaltz and easy tears, is found in Shower, a well-meaning generational drama.
80
Chicago Reader by Jonathan Rosenbaum
Writers Liu Fen Dou and Cai Xiang Jun and director Zhang Yang move freely and gracefully between fantasy and reality in this sentimental film, which never becomes as trite or calculated as you might fear.
80
Los Angeles Times by Kevin Thomas
Beguiling and poignant.
100
Entertainment Weekly by Lisa Schwarzbaum
Without ever dipping into indignity among wet, half-naked men, Shower sparkles with joy.
78
Austin Chronicle by Marc Savlov
Above all, it's a satisfying, almost restful work, as welcome in this less-than-thrilling cinematic summer as a cool soak on a hot summer's day.
88
Chicago Tribune by Michael Wilmington
The beauties of Shower lie in its human observation, in its funny interplay, candor, lusty acting and hearty simplicity - and also in its warm imagery and the fascinating symbolic use it makes of water.
80
Rolling Stone by Peter Travers
Yang turns this heartwarmer into a feat of delicate magic.
83
Seattle Post-Intelligencer by William Arnold
It's a beautifully crafted, almost perfectly sustained little drama that skillfully makes a subtle, bittersweet point.
This film becomes truly remarkable when placed within the context of its production-- when Zhang Yang's Shower was released, China was undergoing a period of sweeping cultural reforms, replacing the old with the new, sometimes at the cost of history. In this context, Shower is much more than a family drama, it is a dispute between different generations, a struggle between tradition and modernity. The film is slow-paced and quiet, which sets up the perfect atmosphere for reflection.