Ocean heaven

When a debut feature is almost too tearfully good to be true, a movie-goer can only sit, watch, and cry cheerfully. Literally. Ocean Heaven is a small movie that warrants a cascade of cheers.

A simple docudrama of a single father with an autistic son, the movie would never have been made without the support of martial arts superstar Jet Li. He has invested much money and time in China for his charity, The One Foundation, and reportedly took a one-dollar fee to star in this debut project of a Beijing Film Academy teacher, Xue Xiaolu, whose only other IMDb credit is for writing the 2002 Chen Kaige movie, Together (another tale of a father's love, for a violin prodigy).

Well acquainted with the problems of autistic children herself, Xue this time wrote a documentary-style tale of an oceanarium cleaner (Li) who learns he has terminal cancer. In his last months of life, the single father must try to teach his 22-year-old autistic son how to cope with life and learn to support himself. He's supported by his bosses and workmates (at Qingdao oceanarium), and the young man's platonic girlfriend in a circus.

The potential for sloppy sentimentality is obvious, and constantly avoided. This is no US-TV weepie of the week larded with sobbing violin strings, wistful close-ups and emotic acting. It's a finely-calibrated depiction of ordinary people and a father's love. A film that opens with a failed double-suicide and ends with an allegory featuring a fake tortoise takes the great risk of not being taken seriously.

Credit goes not only to Li and Xue, but to TV actor Wen Zhang as the autistic man-child. His detailed mannerisms are thoroughly convincing, from one hand's fluttery fingers to his gait and barely-focused limpid eyes. The leading behind-the-scenes character was Hong Kong producer Bill Kong. His support helped recruit a stellar crew of creative talents (cinematographer Chris Doyle, composer Joe Hisaishi, editor William Chang, production designer Yee Cheung-man, Taiwanese singer/songwriter Jay Chou).

Their movie should win a handful of awards, a big handful.