Theirs is a love without name in “ Bound in Heaven ,” when the connection between Xia You ( Ni Ni ) and Xu Zitai ( Zhou You ) is so primal that neither bother to introduce themselves to one another until after spending a night together. Details like these can seem besides the point in Huo Xin ’s torrid adaptation of Li Xiuwen’s novel of the same name. Passion trumps all else, both in front and behind the camera, in an auspicious directorial debut from the veteran screenwriter, who sees a doomed romance as an opportunity for a spirited drama when its central duo lives each day like their last.
Any day could well be for Xu, who knows the expiration date for the relationship will come sooner than later due to a terminal illness. As the humble owner of a noodle shop in Wuhan, getting treatment or even a proper diagnosis is out of reach. Naturally, he first meets Xia trying to make money, scalping tickets for a Faye Wong concert that she desperately wants to see.
It doesn’t look like the start of a great affair when he barely acknowledges her on the street in front of the venue, but knowing its ins and outs, he couldn’t make a more romantic gesture than to find a proper spot where he can hoist her on his shoulders to look on. A potentially mundane moment like this is one of the many that are achingly beautiful in the particular light Huo casts on them, demonstrating early and often an ability to express how everything can look just a bit different when you’re in love.