ReviewA Dance with Rainbows movie review: Taiwanese coming-of-age boxing drama packs a punch
Director Lee Yi-shan delivers a quietly powerful Taiwanese sports drama in A Dance with Rainbows, starring Lin Yi-ting
3.5/5 stars
A female boxer faces challenges both in and outside the ring in the feature debut from Taiwanese director Lee Yi-shan. Anchored by a stand-out central performance from newcomer Lin Yi-ting, A Dance with Rainbows weaves deftly between sports drama and a heartfelt coming-of-age story.
The film’s protagonist, Chen Chia-ling (Lin), or simply Ling, shares her name with the subject of Lee’s 2007 documentary short, Knockout. While that short followed a young athlete taking part in a world-class boxing competition, the narrative arc in Lee’s fictional feature is considerably more challenging than that of a conventional sporting tournament.
Ling’s home life is far from settled. Her mother (Lotus Wang) makes ends meet by selling lunchboxes, while her father (Yu An-shun) philanders brazenly with his glamorous young “business partner” (Lee Chien-na) and her younger brother (Justin Tien) is routinely belittled at the gym where he plays table tennis.