Tuya's Marriage (2008)

2 1/2 Stars (out of 4)

Second Husbands

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

After a Mongolian herdsman has lost the use of his legs, his wife Tuya (Nan Yu) provides for her family alone. In an unusual twist, she decides to legally divorce her husband (on paper only) and remarry for much-needed physical and financial support. Nan Yu's portrayal is refreshingly no-nonsense; she's exhausted, but fierce and fearless and rarely allows her feelings or opinion to go unexpressed. Likewise, her husband (Bater) carries a kind of quiet wisdom that makes him endearing. But Wang Quanan's haphazard direction relies too much on hand-held camerawork, with a clipped quality to certain scenes. But thanks to the film's vivid, realistic atmosphere -- complete with chilly winds and hot milk tea -- many other scenes work remarkably well.