My Heart Is That Eternal Rose (1989)
Reviewed by: pjshimmer on 2005-06-19
Summary: Great title (in English & in Chinese)
My Heart is That Eternal Rose (in Chinese: Butterfly Dream of the Assassin -- although the butterfly dream is probably an expression) has the coolest sounding title I know of. Unfortunately, even on my second viewing several years after the initial viewing, I don't care much for the movie. The acting is good, action is so-so, but the editing and pacing seem extremely unpolished, which is too bad because they cheapen the movie in my eyes, giving me the impression that the production was rushed. As always, Tony Leung stands out by far.

The photography gets mentioned quite a bit as a strength, but I find it nothing out of the ordinary compared to Doyle's later cinematographic contributions to Wong Kar Wai's films. This must be child's play for him.

The climax is the best part. I really got the vibe of the intensity, which got a good boost from the good guy's inability to get to safety even though all the circumstances are right. You can feel something was in the air.

And those who have not seen the film, I will leave you pondering who is the LAST MAN STANDING. Meh.

[6/10]