I can truly say I agree
with Tom the Fish on a movie. Although the bastard was too lazy to
write about it, I thought I'd give it a shot. This Chinese film centers
around a restless, disrepsectful and arrogant aristocratic young girl,
Jen (played by Ziyi Zhang) who is facing an arranged marriage she
doesn't want to go through with. Chow Yun Fat plays a legendary warrior
who is tired of the warrior life and is trying to retire a 400-year old
magical sword, the Green Destiny. The love of his life is a female
warrior, Shu Lien, who is played by Michelle Yeoh. From early on, young
Jen expresses to Shu Lien that she too wants to be a warrior and leave
the aristocratic life. Little did everybody know from early on that Jen
is indeed the hidden dragon: powerful yet stupid. Chow Yun Fat might be
the most Amercan known actor in the film but the ladies take center
stage in this film, all of whom kick some serious ass. The fighting
scenes are stunningly choreographed, meshing martial arts, ballet and
inventive camera angles and effects. The scenery is breathtaking on the
large screen and the interplay between Jen and her true love, Lo are
amusing and entertaining as well. Throughout the course of the film, an
alarming number of people take an interest in leading young Jen down a
path they all feel is right for her. I'm not going to give the ending
away, but I will say the three of us who saw this film on Christmas Day
all had a different take on what actually happened in the end. It all
depends on how pure you, the viewer, believe her heart actually is.
This movie has definitely become one of my top choices for best film of
2000.
