Hong Kong auteur Kar Wai Wong returns to the big screen with The Grandmaster, a martial arts film about Ip Man, the famed master of Wing Chun. The film explores slightly -fictionalized events of Man’s life, including his interactions with other martial artists. As is expected of all Kar Wai Wong films, The Grandmaster is meticulously edited, with every shot masterfully composed. The martial arts choreography by the great Yuen Woo-Ping (The Matrix) is also beautifully showcased.
In addition to its easy classification as a martial arts piece, the the film’s philosophical depth also classifies it as drama in its own right. The familiar Kar Wai Wong themes of loneliness and longing for an unattainable other are present in the film, with lead actors Tony Leung (Infernal Affairs) and Zhang Ziyi (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) excelling in their abilities to convey subtle yet powerful emotions. The Grandmaster is by no means Wong’s best film, but it is a return to form for one of Hong Kong’s most popular filmmakers.
