This is a film I watched because it apparently typifies the films actually seen by Chinese people, in contrast to the serious art-house films we Americans are fed. It was sold as a Chinese "Ocean's Eleven", and while it doesn't quite live up to the slick coolness of that film's veneer, it was a perfectly entertaining example of popular cinema. Of course, China's cinema is so varied that no one film can encompass the tastes of the country, but it was nice to have something to contrast with widely praised, stiff films like "Yi Yi".
The plot, which is as straightforward and uninvolved as caper plots usually are, concerns a valuable piece of jade which several groups of men are attempting to steal. Many reversals occur, a replacement piece wounds up stolen, then it turns out not to have been, and all the while flashy editing and over-the-top performances are keeping our interest in the proceedings high. Many of the cuts and zooms reference classical Hong Kong action films, and the characters are recognizable as stereotypes even to Western eyes. I probably missed some economic commentary (the jade is being displayed in a factory by a social-climbing factory owner). However, none of the film was a waste of time and I appreciated its insights into what draws bodies into Chinese theaters. I'll take this over "Farewell My Concubine" or an American blockbuster like "Transformers" any day.
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