‘It’s My Time’ review: Michelle Yeoh charms as a Chinese septuagenarian Rubik’s Cube champ in uplifting real-life drama

Dir: Bai Xue. China. 2026. 107mins 

Based on a true story, It’s My Time is an effortlessly lovable blend of Chinese melodrama and uplifting sports movie. The sport in question is the Rubik’s Cube, to which tempestuous grandmother Zhao Yanhong (Michelle Yeoh) is introduced when a washed-up former champion Wu Youwei (Liu Haoran) comes to teach a class at her senior home. An ambitious Zhao sees money-making potential and hires Wu to be her coach, inspiring a strong bond between them. The result is a tear-jerker that re-imagines the sports genre, and is especially memorable because of Yeoh’s committed, crowd-pleasing performance. 

A stirring tribute to an indomitable spirit

It’s My Time is a return of sorts for Yeoh, her first first Chinese-language live-action film since Master Z: Ip Man Legacy (2018). Working with director Bai Xue, whose 2018 debut The Crossing similarly featured characters with get-rich-quick aspirations, Yeoh is relaxed in a role that somewhat resembles her turn as the demanding matriarch in Oscar-winner Everything Everywhere All at Once. The film has taken $2m at the Chinese box office since it opened there in June, and now has its North American premiere as a Toronto Gala Presentation before next travelling to Busan. It has undeniable international appeal thanks to the universality of its uplifting story, and the star power of Yeoh.

The up-tempo film begins on a down beat with an opening scene that witnesses creditors attacking Wu. They are re cornering the alcoholic 24-year-old ’magic cube’ prodigy about his debts when he receives a phone call asking him to instruct at an assisted living home; the organizer thinks Rubik’s Cubes might be a good way to stave off dementia for its residents. Wu sees an easy paycheck. During class, which involves Wu sleeping, the 70-year-old Zhao calls out his laziness by solving a magic cube in 10 moves. Her achievement is recorded by her kindhearted best friend Shuzhen (Rina Sa), and the video becomes a viral hit on social media. 

A former maths teacher, Zhao was scammed out of her apartment, causing her to have a stroke which necessitated her moving into senior housing. Consequently, she’s intrigued when a fast-talking agent who saw her viral video claims he can make her rich through endorsement deals. She recruits a homeless Wu to be coach, giving him a place to stay at the senior home. Wu, who recently lost his mother, sees a maternal figure in Zhao. He cares for her despite her uncontrollable temper, which is often directed at her pencil-pushing son Dong Dawei (White-K). 

The first half of It’s My Time is a conventional underdog story. No one believes Zhao has the dexterity or stamina to compete at the higher levels, such as the World Cubing Championships, which requires participants to solve these complex, multicolored cubed puzzles in under 10 seconds. They expect her to make publicity stunts, such as one appearance on a late-night game show, where her age is the attraction. When the film shifts into full-on sports movie, featuring broadcasts that recall the likes of Dodgeball and rapid-fire editing, it evolves into a weepy melodrama.

Early in the film, there are allusions to Zhao’s difficult backstory. Bai holds back further details until the film’s second half, when she unleashes heartbreaking montage after heartbreaking montage outlining Zhao’s single mother tribulations. One is aware of every emotional lever being pulled, but Bai accomplishes these sequences with real feeling – even if they overstuff the film.

Admist a cast who are clearly having a great time, Yeoh stands out. She persistently imbues the film with an emotional precision that helps it stay grounded and, crucially, she and the film take this story seriously. At the film’s conclusion, behind the scenes footage shows Yeoh meeting the film’s real-life inspiration, Rubik’s Cube champion  Zhao Wenying, which puts the reality of this woman’s unlikely accomplishments into perspective. It’s a stirring tribute to an indomitable spirit.