Suzhou River (2000)
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87% of critics liked it
(30 reviews) -
82% of users liked it
(2,427 ratings)
Mardar, a motorcycle courier in his mid-twenties, rides all over the city with all kinds of packages for his clients. He knows every inch and is successful thanks to the fact that he never asks questions. One day he is asked by a shady alcohol smuggler to deliver his sixteen-year-old daughter,… More Mardar, a motorcycle courier in his mid-twenties, rides all over the city with all kinds of packages for his clients. He knows every inch and is successful thanks to the fact that he never asks questions. One day he is asked by a shady alcohol smuggler to deliver his sixteen-year-old daughter, Moudan, to her aunt. Mardar and Moudan grow fond of each other. But their tender happiness is disrupted when Moudan thinks that Mardar has kidnapped her for a ransom. She is so disappointed in him that she jumps off the bridge into the Suzhou River. Mardar is now suspected of murder. When, a couple of years later, he comes out of jail he meets the dancer Meimei, an alter-ego of Moudan, and becomes fascinated by her.
Critic Reviews
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J. Hoberman, Village Voice
The showy jump cuts and off-kilter close-ups belie an extremely well edited, even supple, piece of work.
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Peter Stack, San Francisco Chronicle
This atmospheric film, even with its self-conscious style, is a show of major talent by Lou.
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David Rooney, Variety
A compelling story of love and obsession...
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Richard Corliss, TIME Magazine
Lou Ye lays out a ravishing wasteland of femmes fatales and lovelorn tough guys -- all in 79 minutes.
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Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
An assured exercise in high cinematic style, it references a variety of films and filmmakers -- Alfred Hitchcock not the least of them -- but what it is preeminently is alive and dynamic.
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