Keanu Reeves's directorial debut doesn't disappoint. Revolving around martial arts philosophy, lots of fight sequences and parallels to the problems of modern day China, Man of Tai Chi is a film that impresses on multiple levels.
No one can claim that Reeves played it safe with this film. Starting from the decision to tell a fictionalized life story of his friend/fight choreographer Tiger Chen, with the man basically playing himself. Certainly an unorthodox method, which could have brought the whole movie down, but luckily Chen is comfortable enough in front of the camera to breath life into the story. You can certainly see a certain stiltedness in his acting, but because his character has been written to be a reserved man, it blends in rather well.
Furthermore, the film has very high production values. Reeves's storytelling is strong and he certainly understands how fight scenes should be filmed, which ends up meaning that the whole movie is a lot of fun to watch if you're into its genre. Yet the mood and atmosphere are more serious and darker than is the norm for martial arts films. Which isn't a bad thing at all, because the story fits the tone. Chen has to face difficult choices and nothing is just handed to him. Perhaps the darker tone ends up losing some of the charm that's usually associated with these movies, but I think there's room enough in the genre for this kind of take as well.
Man of Tai Chi will impress you with its aesthetics and fighting and with its strong vision. The characters, the acting and the story are strong enough to maintain your interest and if you're a fan of the genre, this one is definitely worth checking out.
No one can claim that Reeves played it safe with this film. Starting from the decision to tell a fictionalized life story of his friend/fight choreographer Tiger Chen, with the man basically playing himself. Certainly an unorthodox method, which could have brought the whole movie down, but luckily Chen is comfortable enough in front of the camera to breath life into the story. You can certainly see a certain stiltedness in his acting, but because his character has been written to be a reserved man, it blends in rather well.
Furthermore, the film has very high production values. Reeves's storytelling is strong and he certainly understands how fight scenes should be filmed, which ends up meaning that the whole movie is a lot of fun to watch if you're into its genre. Yet the mood and atmosphere are more serious and darker than is the norm for martial arts films. Which isn't a bad thing at all, because the story fits the tone. Chen has to face difficult choices and nothing is just handed to him. Perhaps the darker tone ends up losing some of the charm that's usually associated with these movies, but I think there's room enough in the genre for this kind of take as well.
Man of Tai Chi will impress you with its aesthetics and fighting and with its strong vision. The characters, the acting and the story are strong enough to maintain your interest and if you're a fan of the genre, this one is definitely worth checking out.