This article contains spoilers!
Adapted from Zhang Yueran's novel "Da Qiao Xiao Qiao", directed by Zhao Deyin and starring Zhao Liying and Xin Zhilei, "Qiao Yan's Concerns" employs a narrative style not uncommon in films called the "Twin Flowers" model. "Twin Flowers" typically involves two female characters who share a profound connection, whether by blood, like sisters, or through spiritual or fateful ties, such as July and Ansheng, Li Xiaolu and Wang Xiaobing, or Zheng Wei and Ran Guan.
Poster of "Qiao Yan's Concerns"
The "Twin Flowers" present a mirrored relationship, where the two women display striking differences in personality, values, or life choices. Often, one woman embodies traditional social expectations, while the other symbolizes freedom and a spirit of rebellion. Through their intertwining and clashes, the narrative showcases the richness and complexity of women's inner lives and explores conflicts between gender norms, societal expectations, and personal desires.
The relationship between women is central to the "Twin Flowers" narrative. The two female characters often share both supportive warmth and competitive animosity. In reflecting each other, they continually seek to understand themselves, ultimately achieving self-redemption and growth in the process.
The mirrored relationship of "Twin Flowers"
In "Qiao Yan's Concerns," Xiao Qiao (played by Zhao Liying) and Da Qiao (played by Xin Zhilei) are sisters who share the name "Qiao Yan." Legally, Xiao Qiao holds and enjoys all rights associated with "Qiao Yan"—even though Da Qiao is actually the true Qiao Yan from the beginning.
Xiao Qiao (played by Zhao Liying)
Xiao Qiao was born into a family that favored sons in a remote border town, where she never received the love and attention she deserved. Her father's indifference towards her was disgraceful—during the one-child policy era, he refused to register Xiao Qiao's birth so as to keep his job, leaving her to live as an illegal resident on the other side of the border, in Myanmar.
Seizing an opportunity, and with her sister's knowledge and consent, Xiao Qiao impersonated her sister "Qiao Yan" and set off alone to Beijing to pursue her dreams. After years of hard work and struggle, she transformed from an unknown small-town girl into a well-known actress, successfully rewriting her fate. Behind the glamorous life of a star, however, lies endless loneliness and pressure, along with Xiao Qiao's unspeakable "concerns."
On one hand, Qiao Yan has felt the coldness and discrimination from her father since childhood; this deep-rooted family belief has shaped her self-perception and left indelible wounds on her spirit, leading to identity anxiety and skepticism regarding intimate relationships—she longs for genuine love but fears being hurt. The unexpected reappearance of her long-lost sister evokes their once-close sisterly bond, forcing her to confront the identity issues she has deliberately avoided for years.
Xiao Qiao faces threats
On the other hand, in the competitive entertainment industry, Qiao Yan has to navigate her agent's subtle control and the ruthless exploitation by capital investors, constantly staying alert to avoid becoming a pawn for others' gain. Paradoxically, she yearns for independence yet remains dependent on her agent; she desires freedom but cannot fully escape the lure of fame and fortune.
Her brother-in-law (Dong Baoshi) seeks to extort 10 million yuan, while the threats from her talent agency boss (Huang Jue) and the investors compound her internal and external pressures. However, what truly worries Xiao Qiao is whether Da Qiao’s sisterly affection holds any truth.
Xiao Qiao's agent (Huang Jue)
In her youth, Da Qiao bravely pursued herself in love, choosing to elope with her lover, a decision that drastically altered the life trajectories of both her and Xiao Qiao, ultimately leading her into a life of hardship—her husband accumulates immense debts while she herself faces pregnancy, leaving her with no choice but to seek refuge in Beijing with her sister.
Da Qiao (played by Xin Zhilei)
When they reunite years later, their life circumstances are starkly different, creating a complex and subtle shift in their once close-sisterly relationship. Xiao Qiao’s success brings her pride and reassurance, but it also stirs feelings of inferiority and jealousy in Da Qiao, who finds herself in a tough situation and must turn to her younger sister for help.
Xiao Qiao’s feelings toward Da Qiao are also complicated. The sudden return of her sister, especially with the backdrop of her brother-in-law's extortion, leaves her fearful and suspicious of her sister's motives—is Da Qiao still the loving sister she once was, or has she, along with her husband, become a “leech” trying to drain Xiao Qiao's resources?
Xiao Qiao monitors Da Qiao's every move
In the first half of the film, subtle details reveal that beneath the surface animosity and vigilance between Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao lies a deep-seated care and an inextricable blood bond. For instance, Xiao Qiao’s first reaction to her sister is one of caution and distance, but when she learns of Da Qiao’s pregnancy and struggles, she cannot stand by idly—despite her harsh words, she instinctively cares for her sister in her actions. While Da Qiao feels envy and jealousy over Xiao Qiao’s life, she has no intention of undermining it and staunchly opposes her husband’s malicious extortion plans against her sister.
At this point, the relationship between Xiao Qiao and Da Qiao exemplifies the characteristics of the "Twin Flowers": full sisters, sharing the same identity, yet choosing different paths that lead to divergent fates; their sisterly bond is marked by love, jealousy, trust, and suspicion, ultimately leading them to support and help each other against outside pressures, mutually healing and redeeming one another.
Clearly, the core narrative of "Twin Flowers" should revolve around how Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao, after misunderstandings, conflicts, and struggles, ultimately unite to combat external oppression and injustice due to the deep-seated love they hold for one another, allowing this pair of "Twin Flowers" to flourish together with a sense of sisterhood and resilience in life.
Unfortunately, "Qiao Yan's Concerns" fails to convincingly deliver this profound transformation—when exactly do Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao realize their familial bond is always their most solid support, worth all the effort to protect? And, how do these two distinct "Twin Flowers" ultimately achieve complementary personalities and influence each other?
In the latter half of the film, melodramatic conflicts overshadow everything. "Qiao Yan's Concerns" focuses excessively on Xiao Qiao's celebrity experience, detailing her struggles and retaliations in the entertainment industry as a top star. While the creators are individuals from the entertainment world, their perspective is filled with stereotypes, and no amount of high-end cinematography can conceal its absurdity and flamboyance.
After Da Qiao gives birth, the various struggles for her child feel almost implausible in contemporary Beijing, lacking basic legal knowledge—how could taking or adopting a child be so simple? Moreover, in a classic fashion found in domestic films, the narrative wraps up with all villains being brought to justice (with Xiao Qiao, having committed serious criminal offenses, facing no consequences), which is utterly laughable—it's forced to provide a neat ending, overlooking the complexities of reality, even a child's play wouldn't dare to be so naïve.
In conclusion, "Qiao Yan's Concerns" struggles to effectively portray how Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao influence each other and confront external pressures together. Despite the multitude of thrilling and intense scenes in the latter half, it becomes challenging to sense the emotional evolution and elevation between Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao, leaving the audience unable to grasp why they choose to unite rather than part ways. The film's message regarding women's self-awareness and mutual support loses significant impact.
With the involvement of two beautiful and talented actresses, the "Twin Flowers" of "Qiao Yan's Concerns" appear resilient and stunning; unfortunately, this "Twin Flowers" is plastic—it is meticulously crafted and set within a sophisticated atmosphere, yet lacks authentic vitality, emitting merely an artificial fragrance.
