--- title: "Yi Yi: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/yi-yi/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/yi-yi" critics_score: 85 critics_reviews: 9 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Yi Yi (2000): what the critics said Critics' score 85 from 9 reviews: 7 positive, 2 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics respond warmly to Yi Yi, with praise clustering around Yang’s compassion and his attention to the family’s private emotional lives. The reviews repeatedly find tenderness, insight and a sense of connection between lonely people in its account of ordinary lives disrupted. Several emphasise the characters’ decency and individuality; Eye for Film also singles out the young actors’ performances. The prevailing view is of a carefully constructed family story whose quiet observations carry considerable feeling. The recorded responses range from mixed to strongly positive, with seven positive reviews and none negative. The reservations are harder to establish: the two mixed entries lack accessible critical text, so no specific objection can fairly be assigned to them. Slant Magazine’s caveat concerns the modest improvements in a restored presentation rather than a weakness in the film, whose quiet profundity it praises. There is little documented disagreement about the filmmaking itself. ## IndieWire — David Ehrlich Fi1m's normalised score 95/100 (inferred from the text). 22 May 2020. Ehrlich presents the film as an enduring masterpiece that restores our ability to see the fullness of life. He especially praises Yang’s compassionate vision of how people help one another understand what they cannot see for themselves. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/yi-yi-review-edward-yang-criterion-channel-1202233009/) ## Los Angeles Times — Dennis Lim Fi1m's normalised score 95/100 (inferred from the text). 20 March 2011. Lim calls the film a remarkably delicate, assured work that has held up exceptionally well. He singles out its tenderness and empathy, especially in the way it connects its lonely characters to a wider human world. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-xpm-2011-mar-20-la-ca-second-look-20110320-story.html) ## The AV Club — Scott Tobias Fi1m's normalised score 95/100 (inferred from the text). 14 May 2000. Tobias calls the film an intimate masterpiece and a pointillist classic. He particularly praises Yang’s delicate, insightful portrayal of the family’s private emotional lives. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/yi-yi-1798192377) ## The Guardian — Philip French Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 8 April 2001. French calls the film Yang’s best and most accessible, and says it deserves a wide audience. He particularly praises its deep humanism and the decency of its characters. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/2001/apr/08/features.review7) ## Time Out Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 15 March 2012. The visible description presents Yang’s film as a masterpiece. It singles out the family’s revelations as circumstances disrupt their ordinary lives. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/newyork/film/yi-yi) ## Slant Magazine — Ed Gonzalez Rating 4/5. 11 January 2026. The review praises the Criterion release’s transfer as a fitting complement to the film’s quiet profundity. It singles out the added sharpness in deep-focus backgrounds and stronger reds and greens, while noting that the improvements over the 2011 release are modest. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/yi-yi-4k-uhd-blu-ray-review-edward-yang/) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 67/100 (inferred from the text). 4 October 2000. Festival review. The URL identifies this as a film-festival review of Yi Yi. The article text is inaccessible, so its verdict and specific praise or complaint cannot be determined. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2000/10/04/movies/film-festival-review-of-taiwan-s-bourgeoisie-and-its-affecting-charms.html) ## Screen Daily — Derek Malcolm Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 24 May 2000. The page identifies this as a review, but its critical verdict is not visible. The accessible text provides no praise or complaint to attribute to the critic. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/a-one-and-a-two-yi-yi/402463.article) ## Eye for Film — Angus Wolfe Murray Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 22 May 2001. The critic finds the family saga beautifully constructed, fascinating, and full of hope. They particularly praise the individuality of the characters and the delightful performances by the young actors. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/yi-yi-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/yi-yi.md