Great way to spend an evening !

Rating: Null/10 (14 April 2001)

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 !