A Complete Review of Ang Lee's work

Cast : Will Smith, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Clive Owen

What was it about?
An over-the-hill hitman faces off against a younger clone of himself.

My two cents:
Even though this movie was rather poorly received by the critics and will probably end up being a box-office flop, since I'm a huge fan of Ang Lee, I was still eager to check it out though. Well, first of all, I have to admit it, the story was rather weak. Indeed, even if it might have sounded cool on paper, it didn't make much sense to send the main character's clone to kill him. Basically, it would have been much more efficient to send someone with much more experience with no connection with the victim. Then, they came up with this really bogus theory that someone with the same genetical background would end up with exactly the same set of skills and abilities which was just ridiculous. Anyway, the plot or lack of it was obviously not the selling point as the whole thing was in fact basically another experiment from Ang Lee to push the current movie technology and, this area, it was fortunately much more successful. On one hand, they managed to deliver a completely realistic and believable younger version of Will Smith and the end-result was just amazing. I also have to add that Smith did a fine job playing these two versions of himself. And, then, the other technological breakthrough was obviously the HFR shooting. Well, to be honest, it is still not really working yet but it has some potential and Ang Lee made a rather sensible choice to use it for an action flick like this one, instead than for a drama like 'Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk'. However, except for the amazing chase between the two Smith''s which was one of the best action scenes I have seen in a very long time, there wasn't so many action scenes after all. Anyway, in spite of its flaws, I still think it was an interesting experimental action flick and I believe it is worth a look but only if you would be attracted by such an experiment.

My rating: 6/10

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Cast : Garrett Hedlund, Vin Diesel, Steve Martin, Chris Tucker, Kristen Stewart

What was it about?
19-year-old Billy Lynn is brought home for a victory tour after a harrowing Iraq battle. Through flashbacks the film shows what really happened to his squad - contrasting the realities of war with America's perceptions.

My two cents:
Following the masssive critical and commercial success of ‘Life of Pi’, many, including myself, were expecting a lot from Ang Lee’s next directing effort. This time, he was going for something even more experimental, a movie shot with 120 frame rate, the highest frame rate ever used in a movie. Unfortunately, when this movie was released, it didn’t get much love and the whole thing was pretty much considered as a failed experiment. Well, I thought it was rather difficult to judge this movie. First of all, I have to admit that didn’t manage to watch this movie in its intented version, I actually saw it at home on a regular TV so the whole technical aspect was lost on me, I’m afraid. On the other hand, I’m not sure if this story really needed such a high-tech treatment. I mean, for such huge epic blockbusters like ‘The Hobbit’ or ‘Avatar’, the material definitely could use some visual innovation but this was just a rather low-key drama. Indeed, except for the half-time show which must have been interesting in this format, the rest of the movie was above all about the characters in some conversations involving usually only 2 or 3 people and I didn’t see how this format could have been an improvement. Anyway, as pointed out by many other viewers, the biggest issue with this movie was above all that the story was nothing really amazing. I mean, it was not bad and the cast was actually decent but it didn’t tell anything really fascinating or groundbreaking.

My rating: 6/10

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Cast : Irrfan Khan, Tabu, Rafe Spall, Gérard Depardieu

What was it about?
A young man who survives a disaster at sea is hurtled into an epic journey of adventure and discovery. While cast away, he forms an unexpected connection with another survivor: a fearsome Bengal tiger.

My two cents:
It was a really fascinating story, a gorgeous movie to look at and I'm really glad I'm managed to watch it in the movie theater and in 3D. Pretty much like the late Roger Ebert, I really dread this new 3D hype but Ang Lee used it very well and it definitely enhanced the whole experience. It is pretty funny to think that 10 years ago, Ang Lee was ridiculed for 'Hulk' (in my opinion, a feature criminally underrated and actually one of the best super-hero flicks ever made) above all for its really ugly CGI sequences. This time around, Lee didn't only manage to master the CGI, he made one of the best use of it I have witnessed. It was just mind-blowing. Used properly it can be a great tool but it's unfortunate that nowadays it is mostly used to create some big robots, huge monsters or impossible explosions. So, it was visually impressive and the story was also quite fascinating with some thoughts about fiction, reality, religion and rationality. Inm my opinion, it turned out to be one of the best movies released in 2012 and even the best movie delivered by Ang Lee so far.

My rating: 9/10

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Cast : Demetri Martin, Imelda Staunton, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Emile Hirsch, Eugene Levy, Mamie Gummer, Katherine Waterston, Liev Schreiber, Paul Dano

What was it about?
A man working at his parents' motel in the Catskills inadvertently sets in motion the generation-defining concert in the summer of 1969.

My two cents:
To be honest, this movie wasn't really good, I'm afraid. I mean, sure, it wasn't bad either but, with such great material, it is rather surprising that such a fine director didn't manage to come up with something better than this. Indeed, I have always been fascinated by Woodstock and it was a great idea to see this event through the eyes of a local kid who, completely by accident, ended up being involved in the greatest concert of all time but, except for a few real nice scenes usually involving the concert itself, I can't say I cared much about the damned thing. It is pretty obvious that Ang Lee tried to go for the typical quirky indie comedy vibe and, with Woodstock as background, it could have worked but I was rather surprised about how underwhelming the whole thing turned out to be. The main issue, in my opinion, is that the main character was not interesting enough and his personal family drama was even less interesting/entertaining. For example, Imelda Staunton had the thankless job of playing his awful mother and while this character was maybe supposed to be funny, she was just really cringe-inducing to behold. Still, Ang Lee did manage to recreate the incredible atmosphere of this event (at least, what it must have been since I haven't been there, unfortunately) but pretty much everything else barely worked.

My rating: 6/10

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Cast : Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Wei Tang, Joan Chen

What was it about?
During World War II era, a young woman, Wang Jiazhi, gets swept up in a dangerous game of emotional intrigue with a powerful political figure, Mr. Yee.

My two cents:
Ang Lee must be, with Darren Aronofosky, the most versatile director at work right now. I mean, seriously, you just need check his movies in this list. Most of them were very good but, above all, they were jut so different from one and another. Coming back to our main feature, I didn't expect it but the plot was actually rather similar to ‘Zwartboek’ directed by Paul Verhoeven. Anyway, of course, I heard about the infamous sex scenes and, indeed, they were rather graphic. Eventually, even though, the story was not always great, it was even confusing at some points, I thought the directing was amazing and the acting from both leads was quite impressive as well. I didn’t expect less from Tony Leung who has always been my favorite Asian actor but Wei Tang was a great discovery as well. Indeed, it was a great acting debut and, eventually, I took me many years later untuil I finally saw her again in the rather abysmal ‘Blackhat’. Anyway, coming back the movie itself, I really loved the damned thing and I think it is definitely worth a look.

My rating: 8/10

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Cast : Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Williams, Anne Hathaway, Linda Cardellini, Anna Faris, Kate Mara, Randy Quaid

What was it about?
The story of a forbidden and secretive relationship between two cowboys, and their lives over the years.

My two cents:
I remember it very well, when this movie came out, there was a huge buzz about the damned thing and, after its release, it kept on going for a while. Indeed, back then, there was a huge controversy because many people thought this flick was a shoe-in for the Best Picture Academy Award but, eventually, the winner was 'Crash'. It was a big blow for Ang Lee who never deserved more to win the big prize and recently, he was snubbed again with 'Life of Pi'. Coming back to our main feature, personally, I think this movie was more deserving than 'Crash' but it doesn't really matter anyway. Indeed, I think it is quite a unique picture and nothing similar had been done before. As usual with Ang Lee, the directing was really solid and the performances provided by Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Legder were really great. For Ledger, it seemed to be the beginning of an amazing career which was abruptly stopped a few years later and for Gyllenhaal, it was quite a breakthrough and he has become one of the most dependable actors of his generation.

My rating: 8/10

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Cast : Eric Bana, Jennifer Connelly, Sam Elliott, Josh Lucas, Nick Nolte

What was it about?
Bruce Banner, a genetics researcher with a tragic past, suffers an accident that causes him to transform into a raging green monster when he gets angry.

My two cents:
Even though this movie has a rather lame reputation (it is even considered by many as one of the worst super-heroe features), I always had a weak spot for the damned thing and, in fact, I would even go as far as saying that it is one of my favorite movies in this genre. Indeed, even though Marvel has been incredibly successful with its MCU, most of the movies in this franchise always follow the same generic and rather boring template and Ang Lee followed a different path which was, in my opinion, much more interesting. Basically, he went for some kind of Greek tragedy as Bruce Banner got his powers from birth after his father did some experiments on himself and, to amplify the drama, his father killed by accident his mother in front of Bruce who became highly traumatized in the process. That was some heavy stuff and Marvel would afterwards always focus on some much ligther material staying out from such dark tales in the future which was just too bad. Eventually, the only major issue with this movie and the major reason why this movie was widely dismissed was the fact that Ang Lee clearly didn't care much about the action scenes. Indeed, there were only a few of them, they were not really convincing at all and, to make things worse, the Hulk looked very often pretty ugly which was considered like a major offense for all the fans of the comic-book. Well, like Ang Lee, I didn't care much about these action scenes, I thought he gave a really interesting portrayal of this character and, in my opinion, this flick must be the most underrated super-hero feature made so far.

My rating: 7/10

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Cast : Clive Owen

What was it about?
The Driver is carrying an East Asian child who has been chosen for a strange rite. He must drive him through a dark night in the city to get to a monk's house, while eluding several U.S. cars out to get the child.

My two cents:
Well, I always had a weak spot for these BMW commercials involving a mysterious driver played by Clive Owen who was simply born to play such characters. To be honest, this short directed by Ang Lee was not one of the best of the bunch. Indeed, the action scenes were and are still not Ang Lee's stongest suite (his following directing effort would be another good example) but I thought it was still a decent watch. The ending with the Hulk band-aid was still rather priceless though.

My rating: 7/10

Cast : Chow Yun-Fat, Michelle Yeoh, Ziyi Zhang

What was it about?
Two warriors in pursuit of a stolen sword and a notorious fugitive are led to an impetuous, physically skilled, adolescent nobleman's daughter, who is at a crossroads in her life.

My two cents:
First of all, this movie was really gorgeous and it was something really unexpected from Ang Lee, considering he just directed a Western (‘Ride with Devil’), a 70's drama (‘The Ice Storm’) and a periode piece (‘Sense and sensibility’). The first time I saw this movie, it was my first contact with the wuxia genre and I really liked this flick, it gave also an international exposure to this genre and many really neat movies followed like 'Hero' and 'House of Flying Daggers' both directed by Zhang Yimou. To be honest, after all these years, I was actually rather surprised by how small the scope actually was. Indeed, except for a fight scene in a restaurant, you usually get only a handful of characters involved. It doesn't mean that it was an issue and I especially enjoyed the sweet and gentle relationship between Li Mu Bai an Yu Shu Lien. Eventually, they would release a sequel 16 years later, produced by Netflix, but I have some serious doubts if it is really worth a look but maybe I will check it out at some point. Anyway, it was another really strong feature from Ang Lee.

My rating: 8/10

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Cast : Tobey Maguire, Skeet Ulrich, Jim Caviezel, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Jeffrey Wright, Mark Ruffalo, Jewel, Tom Wilkinson

What was it about?
Jake Roedel and Jack Bull Chiles are friends in Missouri when the Civil War starts. Jack Bull's dad is killed by Union soldiers, so the young men join the Bushwhackers, irregulars loyal to the South. Sue Lee, a young widow, brings them food. She and Jack Bull become lovers, and when he's grievously wounded, Jake escorts her south to a safe farm. The Bushwhackers, led by men set on revenge, make a raid into Kansas. At 19, Jake is ill at ease with war. As his friends die one after another, he must decide where honor lies.

My two cents:
This movie is definitely the most obscure feature delivered by Ang Lee so far but I was still eager to check it out. Unfortunately, it turned to be his most disappointing effort so far. I mean, it was nice to see this director trying another genre, the Wester/costume-drama, the cast was also pretty interesting and they all delivered some solid performances. Furthermore, even the directing was solid, there was a big issue with the story. I mean, it was nothing really awfull but it was still pretty generic and it was definitely nothing really mind-blowing whatsoever. At the end of the day, I didn’t care much about the characters or what they were going through.

My rating: 6/10

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Cast : Kevin Kline, Joan Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Tobey Maguire, Christina Ricci, Elijah Wood, Katie Holmes

What was it about?
1973, suburban New Canaan, Connecticut: middle class families experimenting with casual sex and substance abuse find their lives beyond their control.

My two cents:
This movie seems to be nowadays rather forgotten but I think it is quite a shame since it is actually one of the best movies directed by Ang Lee, arguably one of the best directors of the last 20 years. First of all, there was a stellar cast and they all delivered some really solid performances. Furthermore, it is very rare to see a movie like this one managing to develop grown-ups AND teenagers and, for once, you get to see the difficulties to connect with your teenage children when you are facing yourself some personal challenges. The first time I watched it, I was about 17 years old and, now, I’m 34, married with children, and the fact that I have been through both life stages made me able to appreciate even more this movie. The only issue I might have is that since there were quite a lot of characters and none of them was really fully developed. Still, it was a minor flaw and it remains a very strong drama.

My rating: 8/10

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Cast : Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant, Alan Rickman, Tom Wilkinson, Imelda Staunton

What was it about?
Rich Mr. Dashwood dies, leaving his second wife and her three daughters poor by the rules of inheritance. The two eldest daughters are the titular opposites.

My two cents:
In fact, even though I have studied English at college level, I have actually never read anything written by Jane Austen. On the other hand, I have seen many movies adapted from her work and I have even seen such movies like 'Becoming Jane' and The Jane Austen Book Club'. Anyway, from all those adaptations, this movie definitely belongs to the most prestigious ones but, honestly, even though I did like it, I can’t say I was really blown away by the whole thing. I think it has more to do with my disdain for the genre (oh.. the terrible love issues of the upper class in England at the end of the 18th century) than with the actual quality of the movie itself. Indeed, once again, Ang Lee displayed his versatility and directed one of the best periode pieces ever made and the top cast was really strong as well.

My rating: 7/10

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Cast : Sihung Lung

What was it about?
A senior chef lives with his three grown daughters; the middle one finds her future plans affected by unexpected events and the life changes of the other household members.

My two cents:
After hearing so many good things about his previous movie, I went to see his 3rd directing effort in the movie theater when it was released. Eventually, since it was already more than 20 years old, I was really eager to check it out again and I was once again quite impressed. First of all, in this movie, you get to see the best cooking scenes ever filmed, at least, that's my opinion. But, of course, it went beyond that. Basically, Ang Lee took some elements from his first movie 'Tui shou' (for example, Sihung Lung was playing the lead and a rather similar character in both movies) but he really managed to develop more the characters this time around. Futhermore, even though the story was more complex with more sub-storylines, he also managed to make them all work and the end-result was quite spellbinding to behold. Eventually, even though it is rather forgotten, it is actually one of my favorite movies from this director, in fact, I think it is even one of the best romantic-comedies ever made.

My rating: 8/10

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Cast : Sihung Lung

What was it about?
To satisfy his nagging parents, a gay landlord and a female tenant agree to a marriage of convenience, but his parents arrive to visit and things get out of hand.

My two cents:
I remember very well when it came out though. Indeed, my sister was really enthusiast about this movie and she was the on who actually made me discover Ang Lee. Basically, way before ‘Brokeback Mountain’, Ang Lee directed this gem about gay love. Back then, obviously, nobody knew who was this director, myself included, but I was really impressed by this romantic-comedy. Thanks to this movie and its critical success, his career took off and he was then able to create all his following amazing features. The movie itself was obviously a comedy but a really sensitive one, it dealt very well with the subject and it was also really entertaining. You can imagine that, with such a concept, they could have made one of these terribly lame comedies with some really stupid gay jokes. Eventually, Lee would direct one last one movie in Taiwan but he would quickly start a prolific international career becoming in the process easily one of the best directors of his generation.

My rating: 8/10

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Cast : Sihung Lung

What was it about?
Master Chu, a retired Chinese Tai-Chi master, moves to Westchester, New York to live with his son Alex, his American daughter-in-law Martha, and their son Jeremy. However, Martha's second novel is suffering from severe writers' block brought on by Chu's presence in the house. Alex must struggle to keep his family together as he battles an inner conflict between cultural tradition and his modern American lifestlye.

My two cents:
Eventually, it turned out to be a decent watch but it was definitely not one of Lee's best movies and it was pretty obvious that it was a directing debut. Indeed, it was visually efficient but, not much more than that but the focus was on the characters and what they were going through and, fortunately, Lee managed to deliver something interesting in this area, focusing on the clash between Eastern and Western cultures and between the modern and traditional ways of life. Still, even in this area, the movie didn't always work as it felt rather unbalanced. Indeed, on one hand, the Chinese grandfather was portrayed as rather quirky and charismatic but, on the other hand, the American daughter-in-law was displayed as rather uptight and neurotic which was rather unfair in my opinion. Furthermore, from the moment that the grandfather left the house, the whole thing actually slightly fell apart with a rather ridiculous confrontation at a Chinese restaurant. Still, the core subject was quite interesting and it would be further developed in the next 2 great movies delivered by this director, launching the international career of one of the most promising directors in the world.

My rating: 7/10

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