The Grandmaster Review
RYAN: This is a biopic about Kung Fu Grandmaster Ip Man, who is most pop-culturally known as the master who taught Bruce Lee. It’s directed by Wong Kar Wai who is a renowned Chinese filmmaker. And I hate to admit, this bored me about half as much as his English language film My Blueberry Nights.
CAROLINE: Oh that movie was painful!
RYAN: Totally. This one isn’t as bad but almost as tiresome. Kung Fu and martial arts enthusiasts will appreciate this film and I certainly enjoyed moments but it’s mostly an annoying bore of a movie.
CAROLINE: Yeah I can’t say it’s my kind of movie. I’m not surprised you didn’t love it.
RYAN: I love some martial arts movies, especially when there are elements of fantasy to them – Forbidden Kingdom, The House of Flying Daggers, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon – all brilliant movies I highly recommend. Sadly, The Grandmaster doesn’t make the list.
CAROLINE: What didn’t you like about it?
RYAN: It’s very slow in parts and the transitions between some scenes and time periods are very poorly done; confusing. Word on the street is that the release we’re getting in America is a complete recut from the original version; this at the behest of Harvey Weinstein who’s distributing it through TWC.
CAROLINE: Ah, yeah that has to affect things.
RYAN: I haven’t seen another cut but there’s an effect way over-used in this film where many shots stutter and, like, pulsate which is so annoying and distracting. It looks like it’s a mistake, as though the movie is a rough cut with poor, low-res footage but it’s all actually an intentional stylistic choice.
CAROLINE: Oh that’s awful.
RYAN: The opening fight scene is so strange – it completely reminded me of the Michael Jackson Smooth Criminal video – and not in a good way.
CAROLINE: [laughs’ That’s so random.
RYAN: Yeah he has on a black suit with the white hat. There’s fighting in the rain and I just kept thinking, “Annie are you okay?”
CAROLINE: Ha! I can only imagine.
RYAN: I usually like the music and the colors and costumes in these movies but this one is all very drab. Some of the effects and cinematography are good but derivative of movies like Moulin Rouge.
CAROLINE: It sounds so weird.
RYAN: The story is also very sad. I felt bad for almost everyone in it. Some of the fights are cool and a couple scenes are dramatic enough but it’s just slow moving and mostly boring.
