The Story of Qiu Ju (1992)

Director : Zhang Yimou

Rating : 3 out of 5

This movie make me remind the beautiful mind and honest spirit of country people , their helpful and quiet straight mind . The film tells the story of a peasant woman, Qiu Ju, who lives in a rural area of China. When her husband is kicked in the groin by the village chief , Qui Ju, despite her pregnancy, travels to a nearby town, and later a big city to deal with its bureaucrats and find justice. But the chief doesn't mind her and even help her when she was troubled in her child birth. But the end , at her child first month ceremony ,the counts take the chief , for her case to the city and she run along with the police car.

This story is very simple and this is just about human mind for justices and open-minded.Qui Ju not angry with the Chief and she just want him to prologize her husband. And the Chief also don't mind her and help her when she was in trouble.Moreover this film also show the Chinese traditional believes and their child policies.

Mr. Zhang try this movie to be more natural in every scenes. And Gong Li (talented Chinese Actress) give the outstanding , natural performances by her rural looks. But for me I just like this film and cannot make as my favourite.But should watch for drama and art film lovers.

Not One Less (1999)

Director:Zhang Yimou
Rating : 4 out of 5

Another heart warming movie from Zhang Yimou : "Not one less" give me a excellent and precious watching time. A beautiful storyline of teacher and student relationship , very natural direction and innocent performance by the central character will make you get a precious movie time. Yimou Zhang has given us a little gem, a beautiful story, with such wonderful participation by all those children, as well as the fine photography and Bao San's occasional accompanying music.

This movie is about 13 year-old substitute school teacher, Wei Minzhi (played by the actress of the same name), in the Chinese countryside who is placed in charge of the school after the previous teacher leaves temporarily for a month. Minzhi is told not to lose any students, and when one of the boys, Zhang Huike ; class troublemaker , takes off in search of work in the big city, she goes looking for him to bring him home .
This movie has no high-profile actor but all the casts are very brilliant . This moralist , documentary style film effectively blurring the boundaries between drama and life.

The the part of the film is relation between the young teacher and class troublemaker . She try to control him at first and punished him for this bad habits . But when he have to go city for his family financial issues , she try to find her (but also a teacher spirit , not only for her duty). This film also give us the spirit of unity , problem-solving skill , the knowledge and difficulties of rural education.
For all . "Not One Lee" is another must-watched film from early Zhang Yimou . For me this film reminds all of my school teachers and gratitude of them for being me today.

Lust , Caution (2007)

Director : Ang Lee
Rating : 2.5 out of 5

My heart is still beating even after watching for "Ang Lee" 's latest release "Lust, Caution" ; a movie about a woman spirit changing from sexual explicit to Forbidden Love .

Setting in WWII-era Shanghai , new comer Wei Tang give the outstanding performances as innocent Wang Jiazhi who was used as a lure for the mission. The movie open with the women group who playing Mahjong. After that Mark Tai Tai (Wei Tang) goes into the cafe ,places a call, and then sits and waits. She remember her story began several years earlier as shy and innocent Wang Jiazhi. The student group in Hong Kong to assassinate a top Japanese collaborator, Mr. Yee (Tony Leung) and she has to play as Mark Tai Tai who will gain Yees trust by befriending his wife (Joan Chen) and then draw the man into an affair. Anyway they fail but Wang have to lost her virginity to her friend to seduce Mr.Yee . After 3 years later, the group restart their plan and that time she can influenced Mr. Yee. But finally Wang really fall in love to Mr. Yee and she let him escape from their plan . At the end all the students are killed by Japanese for their plan and Mr.Yee enter the room where their (Mr.Yee and Wang) first encounter.

Sex paly very important role in this movie ,Wang's love for Mr. Yee . Actually Wang is sexually abused by Mr. Yee for the first time. The later sex scenes show the mutual understanding, love ,obsession and sexual emotion between two characters especially for second and third encounters.

Anyway the movie shown in Singapore is edited version and the sex scenes are just briefly shown and no explicit scenes. Mr. Lee rated this film as "M21" in USA and Taiwan but for others like mainland China and Singapore he cut out about "10 minutes" of sex scene. Over all this movie is good emotional and should watched.

For actors' performance Wei Tang is the most outstanding and main charcter. She give the outstanding and natural acting.She one of most promising star that she will be the leading lady in Chinese Cinema followed by Joan Chan , Gong Li and Ziyi Zhang.

Other characters are faint and not clear even Mr. Yee. I think Mr. Lee waste the talented Joan Chen for neglected wife role and just playing Mahjong . For the whole this film is watchable. Good but not be classics like "Brokeback Mountain" and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon". But congrats Ang Lee for giving us this wise emotional movie.