Despite its indie sensibility, the mounting and the canvas feel ambitious, with the production design and period details contributing to the sumptuous visuality.

[It] is an arresting and surprisingly sensitive window into the past.

In the middle of the comedic notes and occasional bursts of mawkishness, Dear You will make you misty-eyed about the plight of economic migrants and political dissidents separated from hearth and home.

Cinematographer Hai Tao coats the film in vivid, warm colors, his beautifully-composed shots going a long way in making this potentially somber feature so compelling.