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Reviews
Wo hu cang long (2000)
Great way to spend an evening !
This movie is indeed a feast for the eyes. Put together the sensitive Ang Lee (who directed the 'English' Emma) and a Martial Arts venture and brace yourself for the result. A joy to behold from the first frame to the last, this movie quite simply breathes life into a sinking genre populated with the ubiquitious chop socky adventures of wooden orientals. Ang Lee obviously has a story to tell and he does it in style. Catch then, the lyrical quality of the fight scenes or the tender romance of the two protoganists or the simply breathtaking scenery..be it the relentless expanse of an arid desert or the magnificience of a wooded forest or a grotto of doom drenched in a drizzle. I have been a fan of Martial arts ever since I was this high and seeing this form elevated to an art form certainly does no harm. Above all Ang Lee scores by eschewing hyperbole and melodrama and investing instead in economy of emotions. Enough said. This is definitely one of the most uplifting movies of the year. A prime catch. Miss it at your own risk !
2 Days in the Valley (1996)
Dark, Deadly and Delicious
This is great ! For all those people who like their tales dark and told well...oh dash it ! For all those who like their tales told well, dark or not..this is your dish. With a tight script and credible characters this one takes you on a dizzy dark trip. The director achieves this trick by picking a multitude of characters and, wonder of wonders, doing justice to each character great or small. The viewer achieves instant familiarity with all the cast that flit in and out of this set, be it the hard-luck hit man, the mousy secretary, a has-been film director or the females in a dangerous game. With splendid economy the director blends careless, throw away humour and dangerous games to bring off a stunning conclusion. The script is well structured and has a definite place to go unlike the crime movies that seem to falter at the end. The cast is superb, great to witness James Spader do the ice cool one and Danny Aiello is superb as the unwitting player in a sinister game. Do Not Miss !