Reviewed by: JohnR Date: 07/05/2006 Summary: Think About Bill The basic plots been given, so I won't repeat. You might think a movie about a woman who seeks to kill the man (and his family) who cold-bloodedly and violently wiped out her entire family would be an action film, with major bits showing up in Kill Bill; but you'd be wrong this time. This is a drama, a character study really. And an excellent one. Wu Chien Lien's suppressed anger is almost enough to set any room she's in on fire. She doesn't appear to do much, but a look here, an expression there, lets you know everything she's thinking; this woman can act! I don't know any of the other actors, but the other two leads are the killer-for-hire and the warlord who killed Wu's family and they both give fine performances. These sorts of full-bodied characters are not common, but I really appreciate them. As has been pointed out, this has the look and feel of a Mainland movie; but I didn't find it depressing, like I usually do with China films. Highly recommended, even though it appears to only be available on vcd. Reviewer Score: 8

Reviewed by: tdockweiler Date: 02/06/2002 Yes, this did feel like some Zhang Yimou or Chen Kaige style of film, but to me it was much slower paced that any of their movies (well all except "Raise the Red Lantern"!) At the end of the first VCD I was was like, "That's it?". For some reason I was expecting a little bit more to happen during that time, not much happened during the first part. I was so disappointed there was no stuff blowing up or any violent shoot-outs. Ok, I'm kidding. And in case anyone is wondering, I love slower paced movies though. Zhang Yimou is probably one of my favorite movie directors and I got into Asian Cinema through his films! To me, it was a little less interesting and much slower paced than most of the films I've seen from Mainland China. My opinion of the movie after the first VCD was that visually it looked really good, but just wasn't as interesting as it could have been. I'll admit that at the end of the first VCD I was glad it was over and didn't end up watching the last part until a week later. My opinion of the film definitely changed by the next part, it went from just being an OK film to being a rather good one, but i'll admit I can't say I'd want to view this one multiple times. I won't give anything away about the end, but the last half of the movie makes the slower first half all worth watching. It's definitely one of the better endings I've seen in awhile. Maybe this is one film that would get better after mutiple viewings, I don't know. 7.0/10 Reviewer Score: 7

Reviewed by: danton Date: 01/03/2002 Call me biased, but any movie that consists almost entirely of close-ups of Wu Chien-Lien is a winner. And on that front, this movie delivers plenty. This is a very somber, well-photographed tragedy that feels more like a mainland art-house movie by the likes of Zhang Yimou (and I think the director worked with him previously, so this is no conincidence). Set in rural China early this century, it's the story of a young woman played by Wu Chien-Lien whose whole family is brutally murdered on her wedding day. Cut to nine years later, she has located the man responsible and involves a professional killer to help her get revenge. What follows is a tense cat and mouse game, with little dialogue - everything is conveyed through glances, silences etc. Wu clearly dominates the picture the same way Gong Li does in her early collaborations with Zhang Yimou. I really recommend this one.

Reviewed by: paul Date: 07/04/2000 Summary: Art, not Action Producers Charles Heung and Zhang Yimou apparently hoped to turn Wu Chien Lien (Ng Sin Lin) into the next Gong Li. To her credit, Chien Lien pulls this off admirably with her stoic portrayal of the long suffering woman who must suppress her intense hatred and burning desire for revenge if she is to successfully exact this revenge upon the powerful man who - 9 years earlier - was responsible for the murder of her entire family... and on her wedding day, no less! As the only survivor of the massacre, Chien Lien joins forces with a hired assassin. Under assumed identities, they separately travel to the town the killer lords over. But... nobody gains this level of power and influence by being a fool. Suspecting them both immediately, he invites them to his palace for closer scrutiny. Stricken by Chien Lien's beauty, the murderer's son asks her to pose for a painting, a request she dare not refuse, despite the fact that the process will keep her under the killer's watchful eye for several weeks. As her hatred smolders inside, Chien Lien's intended target tests her again and again... each test more painful than the prior. To say more, is to give away this film's unexpected twist, so I shall merely conclude with the following warning... This is an art flick, NOT an action flick. If you go expecting the later, you will come away disappointed. But if you can stand the stink of art, you ought not be displeased. Paul Kazee