Gorgeously shot, using a 1.37 X 1 aspect ratio, which somehow makes every frame seem even more like a painting. Hou moves the action along at his own pace, which means that frequently the film comes to a complete stand-still; in fact, for long stretches, the is no action, as we are given windows into the personalities of the various characters, as they interact with their children, or stare into space. Truthfully, this film makes Wong Kar Wai's "Ashes of Time" seem as straightforward and simple-minded as any of the movies in the Lethal Weapon franchise. I still find myself, a couple hours later, trying to figure out which parts of the plot are determined by other developments, and which are coincidence. I feel like I may have to watch this film half a dozen more times to resolve these issues, and that will be no hardship
Review of The Assassin
