Once Upon a Time in the Middle East is one of those films that starts out feeling like a very different kind of movie to the one it eventually becomes. What begins as a story about starting over, friendship and building a new life gradually develops into a much bigger and more emotional film about survival, sacrifice and finding hope in the middle of chaos.
Directed by Wen Muye and starring one of China’s biggest stars, Shen Teng, the film follows Xu Fu, a chef who heads to the Middle East looking for a fresh start. He’s carrying plenty of baggage with him, including debts and the responsibility of supporting his family, but he’s determined to make something of his new life.
Along the way he teams up with Ma Junsheng, the manager of the struggling Dragon Restaurant. Together they set about turning the failing restaurant around, and this is where the film initially has a much lighter feel.
There is a real sense of warmth to these early scenes. Watching Xu Fu and Ma Junsheng slowly turn the restaurant into a successful business gives the film plenty of humour and some genuinely enjoyable character moments. It’s also nice to see the relationship between the two men develop naturally as they go from simply working together to becoming close friends.
But just when everything seems to be heading in the right direction, war breaks out and this is where Once Upon a Time in the Middle East really changes gear.
The restaurant, which had become a symbol of Xu Fu’s new life and success, suddenly becomes something much more important. As the conflict closes in, it turns into a refuge for people trying to escape the violence, and Xu Fu finds himself faced with a choice between simply trying to survive or putting himself in danger to protect the people around him.
I really liked the way the film handles this transition. It doesn’t simply throw the audience straight into the action. Instead, it takes the time to make you care about Xu Fu, the restaurant and the people who have become part of his new life. That makes the later events hit much harder.
Shen Teng is excellent in the lead role. He’s an actor who can bring plenty of humour to a character, but here he also gets the opportunity to show a much more serious and emotional side. Xu Fu isn’t a traditional action hero. He’s an ordinary man who finds himself in an extraordinary situation, and that’s what makes his journey so effective.
The supporting cast also deserves credit, particularly Ma Junsheng, whose friendship with Xu Fu becomes one of the emotional centres of the story.
What really surprised me about the film is just how emotional it becomes without losing sight of the human story at its heart. The Dragon Restaurant isn’t just a backdrop. It represents everything Xu Fu has worked for — a second chance, friendship and a place he can finally call home. When that is threatened, you understand exactly why he’s prepared to risk everything to protect it.
There are some powerful moments throughout the second half, and Wen Muye does a good job of balancing the bigger drama with the smaller human stories taking place around Xu Fu.
This isn’t simply a war film, either. At its heart, it’s about ordinary people caught up in events that are far beyond their control. It’s about friendship, family, sacrifice and the idea that even when everything around you is falling apart, people can still come together and offer each other a little bit of hope.
For fans of Chinese cinema, Once Upon a Time in the Middle East is another reminder that there’s much more to the country’s modern film industry than martial arts and action movies. Wen Muye delivers a big, ambitious drama with plenty of heart, while Shen Teng gives the film a strong central performance. It may start with a struggling restaurant and a man trying to rebuild his life, but by the time the credits roll, it has become something much bigger.
Once Upon a Time in the Middle East is an emotional and ultimately uplifting story about finding family, friendship and hope in the most difficult of circumstances.
Eastern Film Fans Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
