I’ve seen this movie twice, and, both times got so sucked into the story that I forgot it was a movie and felt like I was eavesdropping on someone’s life.  The acting is so heartfelt you are unaware of acting.

The premise is simple… a lonely, elderly master of the Chinese art of face-changing  (which alone is worth watching the movie for) — feeling his mortality, wants to pass on his craft. His own son died twenty years prior; he has no family.  He adopts a child he calls “Doggie”. Doggie is grateful and devoted…

Here’s the description off the back of the DVD:

This scores high with me on many points:  acting, story, scenery, and the sweet bonding between a grandparent and grandchild.

{Reminiscent of another favorite, a lighter film, the charming 2002 French offering,  The Butterfly about a grandfather and granddaughter on a hunt to find an extremely rare butterfly that only mates at night. }

I’ve attached a link to a super-quick demonstration of face-changing as presented by magicians, Penn and Teller: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbVxyurHFhI