Zhang Yimou, 2004, China (8*)
Following his tremendous success with Hero, top-grossing film in Chinese history, Zhang Yimou continued his enchantment with martial arts action-adventure epics with this story of a group of women who oppose the Tang Dynasty's male leaders continually involving the kingdom in wars. Believing if they overthrow the men and allow the women to take over, they can stop the wars and bring peace to the kingdom.

Ziyi Zhang (Crouching Tiger, The Road Home) is a member of the subversive revolutionary group known as House of Flying Daggers for their penchant of committing assassinations with daggers, made so that they can be thrown in curves, like a boomerang - so hiding behind a tree is useless. This is more exciting filmmaking from Yimou (director of the opening ceremony at the Summer Olympics in Beijing), who seems to have hit his stride in this genre: the historical, costume, epic action adventure, and the more intrigue the better. In fact, this is almost an espionage movie as well - I just don't want to lump it in with the Bourne and Bond films.

Along with Zhang, this stars Takeshi Kaneshiro and Andy Lau. Time Magazine and others called this the "best picture of the year". I'm not sure I would go that far, but fans of martial arts and Chinese epic films won't be disappointed.

I'm not watching all these Chinese films back-to-back, but for some reason I seem urged to get all them reviewed before I move on to more boring European films. Is it just me, or are French and Italian films generally overrated?