Shanghai Triad (1995): A provincial boy related to a Shanghai crime family is recruited by his uncle into cosmopolitan Shanghai in the 1930s to be a servant to a ganglord's mistress. (7.2)
Director: Yimou Zhang
Stars: Li Gong, Baotian Li and Wang Xiaoxiao
Another of Zhang Yimou movies with nice visuals and great cinematography. Great use of the color filters to give a sense of the time period and, frankly, to get nice imagery. Love seeing Li Gong in yet another commanding role. (I don't understand a word of what she says, but something about the way she speaks is nice; as is the way she smiles.) The story is a bit thin. For a gangster movie, I wanted to see a bit more action; then again, it shouldn't be (isn't) Godfather done with Chinese actors. The kid's character needed a bit more. (heh, I didn't know that "Triad" means something like "mafia") My Rating: 7.0
