Xing ying bu li (2011) Reviews

• Could've been great but ended

  bobbyxie19842012-06-07

  This movie would be great if it's concepts were original. The script is basically a mash up of several Hollywood concepts/twists which are by the way, very apparent to the viewer. The film felt dragged out a lot of the time. Kevin Spacey does what he does best. He's a well trained actor and it shows in his work. I think Daniel Wu did alright considering who his supporting actor was. There are ways to answer questions clearly and ways to answer them subtly (something the show 'Mad Men' does very well). This movie went for the latter and didn't do a very good job of it. It was confusing in a bad way, especially with how Daniel Wu's wife was portrayed. I will give a kudos to Spacey for stepping into the Chinese market before the rest of Hollywood's actors realize what early exposure there now could do for their global careers in the future.

• brilliant

  expansivethinking2012-03-02

  finally a film that is not some epic warlord/kung fu waste of cash. This story thoughtfully told with humor and wit is a breath of fresh air. This is so much better than flowers of war by Zhang Yi Mou. That film failed to move me at all and left me cold. Amazing because it seems china is favoring stylish fluff over substance, which is Director Eng's film really is unique. Kevin Spacey and Daniel Wu work really well together as a crime fighting duo. Layered with subtleties , the film has the ability to make you laugh and understand that todays china is filled with some major problems for everyday citizens. Here is hoping this will be released stateside for others to be able to watch.

• Silly, predictable, but also quite fun

  bowmanblue2014-07-31

  Kevin Spacey. Do you like him? If so, you should probably like this film because, like so many of his films of late, he basically carries the whole affair. That's not saying the other actors are bad (they're all quite good, actually), but it's just that Spacey has the best part, therefore all the best lines to go with it. It's about a young man who's basically having a bit of a breakdown - his job and marriage are both in turmoil, but things start looking up when he meets his neighbour, Spacey, who gives him some radical advice on taking charge of his life. Before long, the pair are donning costumes and looking for trouble. It's also a bit of a mind-bender. Don't expect it to be an easy ride when it comes to near the end and the frequent use of subtitles will mean you have to pay attention at all times. It's not the most original of films (in fact there's a very famous film starring Brad Pitt that it - loosely - reminded me of, but I won't say which as it might give away important plot points). However, Spacey is as good as ever and it's a watchable way of spending an hour and a half. It's not a classic, but you shouldn't feel too disappointed. http://thewrongtreemoviereviews.blogspot.co.uk/

• East meets West... nah - but we get a great film

  zootalaws2012-08-14

  I'm afraid I can't agree with some of the other reviewers on here. I really liked this film - for a number of reasons. It was fast-paced, funny, while highlighting some of the issues facing an increasingly commercialising China. Mental illness, cultural erosion, love, loss, crime - this story has it all. Living in Asia, I watch a lot of movies of various ethnicities - it's nice to see some 'serious' film- making that doesn't have a cast of tens of thousands, a music score with 200 dancers, or based on a folk story from a thousand years ago, etc. The reviewers that derided this film as being derivative are missing the point - as well as being factually incorrect, IMHO - this is a modern, urban tale of an emerging China and as such is almost impossible to compare with something from the West. While the sub-plot of the buddy movie that allows Spacey his role, the more pervasive story line is the modernisation of China. I think a lot of Western audiences, given the opportunity to see this film, will be surprised at the way life is heading in Asia - the old stereotypes are falling daily. The impact this film has had around Asia is indicative of the scarcity of quality home-grown drama. While on a storytelling level this film was a little uneven, what it does is breaks ground for other directors and sets the stage for audiences to expect a level and content of Chinese film-making previously unseen. For years now China has been making technically superior films - beautiful scenery and cinematography, massive sets and casts of thousands along with stunning design and costuming, but nearly always the subject was historical stories or epic fiction. Seeing a new wave of Chinese directors making films for an increasingly cosmopolitan middle-class is heartening as this pushes further the maturation of China as a modern, democratic country. Once you start to see films such as this exposing some of the foibles in society, you know that acceptance is not far behind, and acceptance breeds an egalitarian society. I love visiting the new China and I look forward with relish to Mr Eng's next work.

• Average movie, not so original either

  SuperMah2012-08-08

  The movie tells the story of a man who has encountered a series of misfortunate events that has made him lose hope. This certainly isn't the first time seeing this kind of story line. What the writers have done is combine a few story lines together to make something "new". The first 20 minutes of the movie lays down the ground very nicely but from their it seems to go down and then back up due to the many twists that happen right to the end. The acting was awful. Kevin Spacey didn't seem at the top of his game and Daniel Wu's was just average. The rest of the cast didn't do much in terms of acting to help make the viewer feel the emotions of the characters. Directing was also average nothing special. Although there are many down sides to this movie it seems to have a charm about it that kind of makes it enjoyable. I don't think it is a must see but if you like to be surprised when watching movies this could be a good option.