‘YOLO’ REVIEW: Charming workout film that may not be for everyone
‘YOLO’ REVIEW: Charming workout film that may not be for everyone
Jia Ling as Du Leying in her movie, ‘YOLO’. Still taken from the Official Trailer.
China was briefly jolted by the “lying flat” movement, a pushback from a younger generation that has felt overworked. Defined by doing nothing more at work beyond survival, “lying flat” is actually closer to the Western “quiet quitting.” Nevertheless, some people have dismissed “lying flat” as mere laziness. It is, after all, what unemployed thirty-something Leying is literally doing at the start of YOLO, lying flat on a couch before getting up to switch sleeping sides.
For many people who found themselves unemployed during the COVID-19 pandemic, it may be a familiar image. Following the success of 2021’s ‘Hi, Mom!’, actress-filmmaker Jia Ling’s sophomore effort aims to be just as life-affirming, but its impact — which it does make — won’t land the same for everyone.
Leying seems like the usual picture of failure — despite having a college degree, she has nothing to show for it and barely contributes labor to her family’s downstairs shop. Her sister, divorced with a daughter, tries to get Leying to give up an inherited property to be able to move in and send her daughter to a better school.
The resulting argument pushes her to move out on her own and start a new job working as a waitress. Comedic mishaps lead to her first interaction with Hao Kun, a cumbersome boxing coach at the next-door gym who is struggling to bring in members. It’s a connection that lets her start boxing, and it gradually becomes romantic, until it isn’t. Having a second low in life is what finally pushes Leying to try boxing competitively herself.
Jiayin Lei as Hao Kun, helping Du Leying lift weights in ‘YOLO’. Still taken from the Official Trailer.
It’s clear as day that its first hour is mere set-up for the moment Leying takes her workout to another intensive level. A lot of these scenes hamper the film’s narrative momentum, but it’s also the period showing much of Leying before her weight loss and has plenty of the film’s charming and comedic character-driven moments. Jia Ling certainly knows how to draw laughs as a director, particularly in early sequences that contrast Leying and Hao Kun’s serious training with the other gym coach’s flirtatious way of coaching.
There’s also an extended subplot where Leying helps a TV producer cousin out. While certainly funny, it’s a scene emblematic of the film’s problem of being unable to funnel nuanced, character-based humor from Leying herself into its narrative engine. At least those who loved Hi, Mom! will see plenty of familiar faces in this first hour to tide them over.
When Leying works out hard for a year and loses weight to qualify for an upcoming boxing match, we root for her because the film’s montage drives us to do so - which cinephiles will recognize for its proximity to Rocky’s seminal one. And yes, that’s actually Jia Ling losing significant weight on-screen. Major weight changes in film are nothing new, though it may still come across as a shock that it shows that change so earnestly.
It may be concerning to see for people who understand the havoc body dysmorphia can wreak on someone. It’s certainly a creative choice that won’t win over all viewers, but the cinematic way it’s all presented may still draw some cheers, at least from people who already grew fond of Jia Ling since the tear-jerking Hi, Mom!
On the other hand, if this development is too much to see in one film, viewers may choose to watch the Japanese film YOLO is based on, 100 Yen Love. There, Sakura Ando’s character undergoes the same narrative trajectory without a concerning, drastic weight change of her own.
Once the film gets to Leying’s boxing match, it soars as a rousing climax. While it would have benefitted from some brevity, it’s edited and shot with pizzazz that indicates a step up from the volleyball game shown in Hi, Mom! The film ends with Leying happy for her choices she’s made and proud of the growth she’s experienced. Then, the extensive six-month workout regimen that Jia Ling herself underwent to lose weight is detailed over the credits.
Perhaps it’s intended to be a rejoinder to those who remain “lying flat.” Ironically, one of the individuals who gained viral status for using the term still managed to have an active lifestyle that included biking despite applying that principle. Before her big match starts, Leying sees a reflection of her old, larger self and expresses admiration for how far she’s come in life.
It’s a moment of encouragement for those who can relate to making that change themselves. But for those who are unable to start and maintain a healthier — and likely pricier — routine for themselves, our only affirmation at the end of this film might be the fact that we watched this. At least, for viewers who want a crowd-pleasing spectacle, it offers plenty to chew on, letting audiences leave YOLO accepting that Jia Ling knows how to make big-screen entertainment, along with the advice that, if you absolutely can, you should charge your workout to your employer.
YOLO! will show in Philippine cinemas on April 17, 2024.
