The Grandmaster

"Wong Kar Wai exceeds expectations with 'The Grandmaster,' (...) 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 Hu's masterpieces" 

"'The Grandmaster' is, at its most persuasive, about the triumph of style" 

"'The Grandmaster' is infused with melancholy and a near-existentialist resignation to the uncertainties of fate" 

"'The Grandmaster', five years in the making, feels like a waste of Wong’s talents (...) Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)" 

"Tony Leung plays Ip Man with his old-movie charisma and reserve, but the film, despite a few splendid fights, is a biohistorical muddle that never finds its center. Maybe that's because — big mistake! — it never gets to Bruce Lee" 

"You leave this deeply flawed, deeply beautiful film with no doubt that you've seen an indisputable cinematic grandmaster in action. (...) Rating: ★★★ (out of 4)" 

"Is less Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and much more a study of ideas and textures (...) The rewards, however, are considerable: the discipline of the genre seem to have channelled Wong's flair for image-making away from the self-involved blind alleys his last few films have taken him up; The Grandmaster is something pretty special."