2013s The Grandmaster (directed by Wong Kar-wai) chronicles the life of the Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man (Tony Leung) from the 1930s in Foshan, his flight to Hong Kong after the Second Sino-Japanese War, and the events leading to his death. Variety gave the film a positive review, stating Wong exceeds expectations with The Grandmaster, fashioning a 1930s action saga into a refined piece of commercial filmmaking. The review also says, Boasting one of the most propulsive yet ethereal realizations of authentic martial arts onscreen, as well as a merging of physicality and philosophy not attained in Chinese cinema since King Hus masterpieces, the hotly anticipated pic is sure to win new converts from the genre camp. The film was nominated for Best Cinematography (Philippe Le Sourd) and Best Costume Design (William Chang Suk Ping) at the 86th Academy Awards. The Library now has the film available on blu-ray.
Posted on: Wed, 12 Mar 2014 16:28:29 +0000