Wu xia

The new Chinese movie is a refreshing film for the martial arts genre, part period detective mystery, part martial arts drama, and part pressure-points manual. Both Donnie Yen and Takeshi Kaneshiro gave a very strong performance.

Wu xia Poster

Genres: Action, Drama
Director: Peter Chan
Starring: Donnie Yen, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Tang Wei
Also Known As: Dragon
Country: China
Language: Mandarin
Release Date: 4 July 2011 (China)
Runtime: 125 min

Plot Summary:
The story set in a village in Yunnan province, southern China, 1917. Liu Jinxi (Donnie Yen) is a local paper-maker lives with his wife Ayu (Tang Wei) and their two sons in this remote village. However, when a pair of bandit attempt to rob the local store, Liu fought off two bandits and accidentally kills them in the battle. Local chief is happy it happened under his jurisdiction because of learned one of the bandits was amongthe ten most wanted people in the land,and the town is busy proclaiming the average paper maker a local hero. Or so it seems until detective Xu Baijiu (Takeshi Kaneshiro) begins to investigate how a untrained man could have dispatched two seasoned bandits.

"Wu xia" Review:
Wu Xia is a fascinating fusion of a detective story, forensic science, action, humor, politics and family drama. The editing of this new Chinese movie is nicely framed - the CSI-like flashbacks coupled with Kaneshiro's detailed monologue provides a fascinating view into human pressure points. The music is a refreshing trait for me - the score is too tense and somber and not melodramatic, although I never knew an electric guitar can be that effective in a period kung-fu film, sort of like Ry Cooder in Hill's "Last Man Standing".

Imdb page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1718199/

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JHGPiYoEac