Kaili Blues is essentially a slow-paced, contemplative, slice-of-life film. The gorgeous mountainous background of China's Guizhou Province, and the excerpts of poetry written by the main character, add an enchantingly artistic quality.
There are not many moments of important dialogue shared between the characters, so this is best to be viewed when one is in a quiet, meditative mood, as it will leave you plenty of time to think and reflect.
However, despite the fact that I have enjoyed a variety of other art-house films that consisted of similar qualities (South Korea's "Poetry," from 2010, directed by Lee Chang-dong, comes to mind), this motion picture failed to enrapture me. Maybe it was the fact that I didn't feel I connected very much with the main character. To be fair, there isn't a lot of backstory provided for him.
If you want to feel that you have gone on a cinematic roadtrip through a subtropical region of China's countryside (as if you were driving along with photographers as they capture scenes of roads and towns for Google Earth), then watch this movie. If you want something fast-paced, humorous, thrilling, et cetera, then seek another option.
