If you decide to see “The Grand Master,” Wong Kar-wai’s
biopic about martial arts legend Ip Man (1893-1972), it would help if you know
something about Man. Because you’re going to get a chopped up version of his
life and it doesn’t even cover the one area that American audiences would want
to know: he was Bruce Lee’s teacher. It is, however, one of the most gorgeous
films you’ll see this year. The camera moves lovingly on such details as the
weave of a white hat or embroidered flowers on a pair of slippers. The movie
opens with a beautifully choreographed kung fu fight in the rain, a virtual
ballet of moves.
The US version is some 20 minutes shorter than the one that
played in China, which might explain why many sequences are confusing. The biggest disappointment is that
Wong, for all his genius in capturing mood, seems unable to integrate the
action. The result is a conventional chunk of narrative followed by a fight
followed by more narrative. Tony
Leung displays old-school charisma as Ip Man, but even he plays second fiddle
in the latter part of the film as his character is constantly pushed to the
background to make room for supporting characters. For those who aren’t ardent
martial arts fans, “The Grand Master” is lifeless and uninteresting. Subtitles.
9/1/13
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