The best film of 2000

Rating: 10/10 (3 July 2001)

Sure, Gladiator was a cool flick if you wanted to see a movie with pure action in it, but Crouching Tiger had more to it than just action. this is one of the most wonderfully done films I have ever seen, mostly because it mixes genres so well. Ang Lee proves he can mix action, drama, comedy, and romance better than any director I know about, which is why he deserved those two Golden Globes he got for best foreign film and best director, as well as the Director's Guild award he won.
The character development was very weak, but that didn't matter since Jen's character developed very well in those two hours, and the relationship between Shu Lien and Li Mu Bai blossomed very well, so you end up not caring about their personal development.
The story, though many thought was flawed (listen to half of these user comments)was actually a perfect fantasy based story, and a joy to listen to-- well, more so a joy to read. I salute the screenwriters: Mr. Ling, Mr. Schamus, and Mr. Jung.
The action sequences are unlike anything I've ever seen. while the flying turned many off, the wirework was, in fact near perfection. The fights were choreographed so well, that the Academy should think of creating a new category for best Choreography just for the sake of Yuen Wo Ping.
Now let's talk about the Oscars. Ten nominations and four wins is an excellent achievement for any foreign film. The award for best score couldn't have gone to anyone except Tan Dun, because of his amazing use of strings. The award for best Art Direction could have either gone to CTHD's Tim Yip, or Gladiator's Production Designer for their terrific depictions of 19th Century China and Ancient Rome, respectively. Tim Yip may have deserved it more because he didn't use CGI in the film at all. Peter Pau deserved Best cinematography without a doubt, because he captured the fight scenes perfectly and never had us miss out on any of the action. Other awards I think it deserved were Screenplay, Director, Costume Design, and Best Film.
Overall, Crouching Tiger is the best Film of the year, let alone best foreign film. It's better than Gladiator and Traffic combined, and it is the best theater experience I ever had.