A thing of beauty is a joy forever...

Rating: 10/10 (4 August 2002)

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is the most beautiful film I have ever seen. The artistry of the cinematography, choreography, and the story as a whole have to be seen to be believed. It's rare indeed to see such intense action juxtaposed with quite stunning grace and elegance. Nothing is rushed, nothing is wasted.
The plot is mysterious and moving, allowing acting of the highest calibre to shine through. Although the cast is uniformly excellent, special mention must go to Michelle Yeoh for her utterly convincing and tragic performance. Her scenes with Chow Yun-Fat are perfect examples of subtlety and tenderness. Her fight scenes astound with their speed and power.
This film transports us to a place where heroes still live for honour and excellence, where elite fighters can defy the laws of physics, and perform acts of aerobatic virtuosity. Colours, textures, and landscapes combine with love, anger and humanity to produce as perfect a piece of cinema as you are ever likely to see. See it.
(PS watch the original Mandarin language version, not the English dubbed edition. Subtitles are never as distracting as unnatural lip-sync)