Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Often, we hear, regarding a film, that the screenplay was not tidy, the story was non-existent, the pacing was slow et cetera. Why yes, the story of the film is very much the crux of any film, it is, however, possible to achieve greatness without much of a story per se. Hou Hsiao-Hsien's The Assassin not only makes that possible but becomes a marvel at it. It is the sheer beauty of each frame that makes you forget about the story. Each frame, in itself, is a story. You do not mind the snail's pace of screenplay as you do not want the frame in front of your eyes to pass. You gorge them. This rare feat makes The Assassin one of the truest visual poetry.For it is poetry. Most of the time we treat the film like a novel. Films are indeed often a visual mean of storytelling. In that regard, it becomes as engrossing as a great story should be. But, films can be a mean of poetry too. Poetry need not have three acts, great characters or a fine climax. Poetry is a beautiful encapsulation of moments, that is to be felt. Hou's The Assassin is just that. However, it doesn't mean that there is no premise whatsoever for the film. There is. Based on a martial arts story by the same name as our protagonist, this wuxia fiction set in 8th century Tang dynasty is centered around the titular assassin, Nie Yinniang. In the very first wonderfully shot black and white couple minutes, we were shown Nie Yinniang's capability as well as her humane side. Upon this, she was sent, as an attempt to strengthen her resolve, to assassinate the governor who was her cousin and also once betrothed.The tale is told with touch of magnificence. Director Hou's vision seeps in each frame of the film. As a result, the viewers would also be immersed, if they have the patience for it. By now, it is quite evident that the cinematography of the film is drop-dead gorgeous. Mark Lee Ping Bin's camera performs a key role in the muted yet enigmatic atmosphere of the film.The film is as well shot as it is well acted. Shu Qi, as the protagonist Nie Yinniang, was pivotal in her performance as the film centered around her character. Her nuance is instinctive, movements swift and emotions passionate. She depicts the conflict within Yinniang as deftly as she does in the orchestrated fighting sequences.The Assassin is a visual masterpiece, a glowing example of art-house cinema.

I watched this movie with a few friends. We had no idea what to expect. Unfortunately we were intensely bored and disappointed. It's an insufferably boring "film" that pans across disparate elements that never seem to tie together at all.It took far too long. It made little sense and was intensely boring. The most interesting element was the old man with the white beard getting shot with crossbows. Aside from that there was far too much attempted, meaningless symbolism.For much of the film, especially in many of the later scenes of the movie, I really did not know who the characters were or what they were trying to accomplish. The film would introduce random characters with no explanation as to who they were or who they were interacting with. Then whisk them out again never to be seen again. They may as well have not been there. In fact they shouldn't have been since they served no purpose for the story and cluttered the scenes.Avoid it.

try and stay awake. I bet you can't. It always amazes me how a film like this can have such a large divide in reviews from people. Some people think it's the best thing they have ever seen and the rest expect a lot more from a film. If you want any of the following (plot, good characters, entertainment) then you won't find it here. If you want to stare at beautiful scenes and cinematography before you fall asleep then this is for you.I wanted to like the film. In fact I do like this style of film normally but there is really nothing to watch. Did I mention you will want to sleep while watching this film? I think I have now written 10 lines so this review will go live.

Hou Hsiao-hsien's "The Assassin" is a very introspective, metaphorical and philosophical wuxia movie that requests a lot of patience from its audience. It's more like a slow-paced historical drama than anything else. It's comparable to Wong Kar-wai's episodic, mysterious and sophisticated "Ashes of Time". Both movies received critical acclaim by intellectual movie critics but were mostly despised by regular audiences. Since the trailers aren't very helpful, potential viewers should read a handful of critics and make themselves familiar with other works of these particular directors in cases like "Ashes of Time" and "The Assassin" before watching such a film.There are less than a handful of fighting scenes and only a few secondary murder scenes in the movie despite its title and those scenes are not necessarily spectacularly executed.The movie doesn't have a lot of continuous dialogues but the few words that are spoken are meaningful and help the audience to understand the twisted story that unfolds slowly but surely. A lot of things are explained through facial expressions, still lives and symbols of nature which aren't always obvious to understand. The movie is so slow yet precise that it requests a lot of attention and maybe even multiple viewing to fully grasp its content. The acting performances seem restricted and wooden at first sight but turn out being extremely precise and talented since the characters are all very emotional behind a veil of traditional discipline. The challenging acting performances, the calm camera work, the colourful costumes, the accurate dialogues, the diversified landscapes and the atmospheric soundtrack all add to the guiding line of this unusual film which deals with characters who are restricted in their traditional laws, rules and values but who are longing for emotions, freedom and individual fulfilment. From this point of view, the movie is more than a simple period drama and has a modern message that suggests that individual liberty is a greater good than governmental conventions. It might not come as a surprise to you that this seemingly traditional movie was made by a director who has rather identified himself with Taiwanese culture, history and values. This film seems to offer much more than meets the eye.If you are willing to look beyond the slow mood in beautiful pictures, you will discover an inspired and profound movie which offers a lot of food for thought. If you are looking for memorable entertainment, you will definitely not like this movie. I admit that this film is hard to digest and I couldn't watch this kind of cinematic art on a regular base but I appreciated the movie's hidden messages or at least my own interpretation of the ambiguous content and its coherent yet unique style. It was the director's goal to make its audience think on its own and while two of my friends who watched this movie found it dull, pointless and pretentious, I accepted, elaborated on and ultimately enjoyed its challenges.