Beautiful

Rating: 9/10 (3 March 2001)

I wondered why I was hearing such great things about a "martial arts" movie. Now I know.
Tiger is, quite simply, one of the best pictures I've seen and absolutely the best of 2000. Where do I start?
The action is, as you've certainly heard, excellent. Lee has fairy tale action in which the characters literally fly through the air, balance on slender bamboo trees and walk on water. The camera work makes sense of the action while not hiding the blurring speed at which it occurs. These scenes where choreographed (and it is like ballet) by the same man who did the Matrix.
This action is surrounded by a story that is layered and compelling and leveaned with symbolism. The plot unfolds novelistically. The dialogue, even in translation, is music to the ears. And speaking of music, the score is awesome. The acting is up to the task. Michelle Yeoh was snubbed by the Oscars but gives a standout performance. In fact, all of the leads are strong.
But what really makes this film is Ang Lee's directing, which scales heights only reached by artists like David Lean. The camera loves this movie, especially the gorgeous desert, mountain and forest backdrops.
Do yourself a favor and don't read any plot summaries. One of the more pleasant parts for me was not knowing much about the film going in.