Variety
Venturing into fresh creative terrain without relinquishing his familiar themes and stylistic flourishes, Hong Kong auteur Wong Kar Wai exceeds expectations.
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The Grandmaster
Wong Kar Wai's (In the Mood for Love) biopic of martial art grandmaster, Ip Man. Follows the Wing Chun legend from 1930s China, to his flight to Hong Kong after the Second Sino-Japanese War in the '40s, and the events leading to his death.
"The story of two kung fu masters: he comes from China’s south; she is from the north. His name is Ip Man; hers is Gong Er. Their paths cross in his hometown of Foshan on the eve of the Japanese invasion in 1936. China is in turmoil and the country’s south teeters on the brink of partition from the north. Gong Er’s father is a renowned grandmaster. He too travels to Foshan. The legendary brothel The Golden Pavilion, where the country’s best martial artists converge, is to be the venue for his retirement ceremony. This tale of betrayal, challenge, honour and love plays out against the chaotic backdrop of war and occupation." (Berlin Film Festival)
Less2013Rating: M130 minsHong Kong, ChinaMandarin, Cantonese, Japanese with English subtitles
ActionBiographyDramaMartial ArtsWorld Cinema
- Director:
- Wong Kar Wai ('In the Mood for Love', 'My Blueberry Nights', '2046')
- Writer:
- Wong Kar WaiJingzhi ZouHaofeng Xu
- Cast:
- Tony Leung Chiu WaiCung LeQingxiang WangElvis TsuiHye-kyo Song
The Grandmaster | Reviews
78%138 reviewsRotten Tomatoes® Score
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Time Out
Wong has done this dynamic better in virtually all of his past work; there's a pretty dullness here that shouldn't be confused for mastery.
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The New York Times
However much history informs this movie, [this] is, at its most persuasive, about the triumph of style.
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Hollywood Reporter
A scintillating mix of explosive action choreography and suppressed emotions, but it could have used more work on consistency in tone and character development.
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