LET THE BULLETS FLY has an extraordinarily fast pacing to recommend it, so you better be ready to pay attention with this one. It's a twist-a-minute tale of gangsters battling corrupt politicians in a remote township, where everybody is saddled down with greed and rivalry and death is only a footstep away. The film it most reminded me of is THE GOOD THE BAD THE WEIRD, with both films revelling in their quirkiness and action-packed narratives, although this isn't quite as good as the Korean movie.
I was thinking about LET THE BULLETS FLY after I'd finished watching it and I realised that in reality this is quite a slight tale; not much in the way of substance really happens come the end, but it's the journey there which is so entertaining. This is highbrow, intelligent humour for the most part, where the fun comes from watching Chow Yun-Fat and Jiang Wen doing their best to constantly outwit each other. What the film has going for it are two fine performances from the leads and some great cinematography, which makes the various violent interludes highly enjoyable. It's a film that brims with energy and gusto, although I did find it quite wearying especially in the second half. Good fun but now I know the outcome I don't see any need to watch it again.
I was thinking about LET THE BULLETS FLY after I'd finished watching it and I realised that in reality this is quite a slight tale; not much in the way of substance really happens come the end, but it's the journey there which is so entertaining. This is highbrow, intelligent humour for the most part, where the fun comes from watching Chow Yun-Fat and Jiang Wen doing their best to constantly outwit each other. What the film has going for it are two fine performances from the leads and some great cinematography, which makes the various violent interludes highly enjoyable. It's a film that brims with energy and gusto, although I did find it quite wearying especially in the second half. Good fun but now I know the outcome I don't see any need to watch it again.