Reviewed by: STSH Date: 10/30/2010 Summary: Very cool Reviewer Score: 7

Reviewed by: kiliansabre Date: 03/21/2010 Summary: Peace sells... I haven't seen this movie in a few years so I am going to tell you what I remember. Chow Yun Fat is a super bad ass gunman taking on those who are obviously in the wrong. That's probably as much as you need to remember of the plot as well. Mostly this is a vehicle to emulate John Woo's action scenes that were the big money draw at the time. Not to say this is a bad movie at all. It is a bit slow and there is too much of a tendency towards slow motion scenes, but those looking for one of the last solid guns-a-blazing Chow Yun Fat Hong Kong film this should fill the bill. One of the better cash ins on the genre.

Reviewed by: j.crawford Date: 09/29/2007 Summary: a narcissistic allegory [Quick Cuts 2007] With his first movie, Wai Ka-Fai steps up and leaves a big, muddy cowboy boot footprint on the stage of world cinema. With the help of John Woo and Chow Yun-Fat, Wai created a narcissistic allegory about the state of the Hong Kong movie business since those two guys gave the world A Better Tomorrow ten years earlier. I liked Peace Hotel quite a bit in 1995. The director later hooked up with Johnnie To to collaborate on several films, some of which I failed to appreciate. [En español] Con su primera película, Wai Ka-Fai pasos y deja un gran y fangoso vaquero arranque huella en el escenario del mundo del cine. Con la ayuda de John Woo y Chow Yun-Fat, Wai narcisista creado una alegoría sobre el estado del cine de Hong Kong de negocios, puesto que estas dos chicos dieron al mundo "A Better Tomorrow" diez años antes. Me ha gustado "Peace Hotel" un poco en 1995. El director más tarde enganchado con Johnnie To a colaborar en varias películas, algunas de las cuales no se aprecian. [In deutscher Sprache] Mit seinem ersten film, Wai Ka-Fai schritte und lässt eine große, feucht cowboy booten footprint auf der bühne der welt kino. Mit der hilfe von John Woo und Chow Yun-Fat, Wai eine narzisstische allegorie über den stand der Hong Kong Film seit diesen beiden jungs gaben der welt A Better Tomorrow 10 jahre zuvor. Ich mochte Peace Hotel einiges im jahr 1995. Der direktor später angeschlossen mit Johnnie To zur zusammenarbeit auf mehreren filmen, von denen ich nicht zu schätzen. more at happyfortune.org Reviewer Score: 6

Reviewed by: ewaffle Date: 11/15/2005 “Peace Hotel” is a nihilistic period piece, an Eastern Western set in an indeterminate time and place. It begins and ends with Peckinpahish levels of slaughter. In between there are uneasy and not terribly effective mixtures of melodrama, action and even a bit of comedy—there are some terrific scenes but the whole is significantly less than the sum of the parts. By the end of the movie almost the entire cast is shown being killed or is said to have been killed, the experiment of the Peace Hotel as a sanctuary for criminals from other criminals has ended in failure and the audience is waiting for an excruciatingly drawn out penultimate scene between Cecelia Yip and the Chow Yun Fat (who is dead) to end. The two principals are excellent; the cinematography is overly artistic but looks good in places; the choppy story keeps the audience from identifying with any of the characters besides The Killer. The residents of the Peace Hotel are in real danger—they will be killed if The Killer doesn’t give up Shau Siu Man / Lam Ling to the Grand Hall gang are out to avenge the killing of their boss. Unfortunately those in the hotel are presented in such a slapdash and unappealing way that the audience doesn’t really care if they are put to the sword or not—when all of them abandon The Killer we aren’t surprised and when the Grand Hall leader begins to chop them up we don’t shed a tear. One assumes that there is a larger social/cultural commentary at work here, that “Peace Hotel” is a reflection of something that was happening in the SAR in the early to mid 1990s. If not it is simply an over-long 90 minutes of mass bloodshed, overly stylistic camera work, wildly uneven action sequences and enough over the top emotion for Cecilia Yip to fill a four year course at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Chow Yun Fat submerges himself in the role as The Killer (emphasis on THE, as if he is the only real killer and the rest of the murderous throng around him aren’t worthy of comparison) whose fearsome reputation keeps the Peace Hotel safe from marauding criminals for a decade—important since there isn’t even a hint of law enforcement or even any laws in this blasted landscape. He doesn’t unleash his thousand megawatt smile until the movie is more than half over—his depiction of the killer is so skilled that he becomes a different person, which is both good and bad. On one hand there is the possibly disastrous but still welcome softening of The Killer’s fierce persona as he nurses the miraculously recovered Shau Siu Man / Lam Ling back to health. On the other he becomes Chow Yun Fat, movie star. This must have been an exhausting role for Cecilia Yip—her character is at the ragged emotional edge for most of the movie. She is the lynchpin of the film, the reason that the Grand Hall gang are constantly at the doorstep and the only character who changes during the course of the movie. She lords it over the residents as the new consort of The Killer in a very decent comic turn, then fails to seduce him. She is both defiant and afraid when she pleads for her life and impossibly noble when she returns to face her demons at the end of the movie. She is beaten to death and revived and has languorous love scenes with The Killer. It is quite a performance and one worthy of note. There are several conflicting markers regarding the time period in which “Peace Hotel” is set. Everyone rides a horse—there isn’t a trace of an internal combustion engine—so it would be before the introduction of automobiles—later, I would imagine, in the wilds of China than in the wilds of the United States, as depicted in “The Wild Bunch” which was early in the second decade of the twentieth century. At one point Cecilia Yip’s character sings into a round carbon microphone that would date from the 1930s, although that sequence seems so out of character with the rest of the movie that it could be a fantasy scene, and there are three blind musicians who wear way-cool round sunglasses which point to the 1950s or later. Whatever the period, it was one of complete lawlessness, a time and place in which hundreds could be killed with no fear of intervention from the forces of civil authority. This gives the movie a sense of suspended unreality as if anything could happen, which actually serves it well, since the last ten minutes include too many plot twists, surprises and double dealing to be taken at all seriously. There are a number of obvious quotes from other movies. The conventions of film noir are used a lot—low angle shots, atmospheric lighting, action taking place at the edge of the frame, lots of vertical and horizontal lines, even the almost constant presence of half opened slatted blinds. Toward the end of the movie there is a sequence of cuts between the hotel, where The Killer and Shau Siu Man are dancing, surrounded by the hotel residents and the galloping riders of the Grand Hall gang coming to attack them. Sequences much like this—domestic harmony contrasted with the coming whirlwind of violence—have been in a lot of U. S. westerns. “The Outlaw Josey Wales” and “Unforgiven” two films that feature Clint Eastwood (the U. S. Chow Yun Fat). There were many missed opportunities in “Peace Hotel”—although, of course, one should always review the movie as made and not as could have been made—but one in particular stood out. When the residents of the hotel revolt against The Killer and decide to leave they talk about how they have been stuck for years in such an unchanging and isolated environment. But just a few touches during the course of the movie could have shown a real sense of claustrophobia that would lead the residents into such an obviously poor choice to leave the hotel. Reviewer Score: 5

Reviewed by: mrblue Date: 10/26/2005 A man (Chow) takes revenge on the gang who raped and (supposedly) killed his wife. His viciousness and disregard for life earn him the nickname "The Killer." After wiping out the gang, The Killer has a change of heart and turns the inn where he killed the last of the gang into a haven for fugitives known as the Peace Hotel. All goes well for ten years until a mysterious woman (Yip) shows up and says she's The Killer's long-lost wife. She fools the hotel's residents, but The Killer knows something is up. Eventually, the truth comes out when a local gang leader (Ng) comes looking for his "property." The gang gives The Killer a week to decide between the girl and his hotel before unleashing an attack. Will The Killer save the girl or his haven? A lot of people were expecting Peace Hotel to be The Killer set in the Chinese Old West, especially with it being Chow's last HK movie before moving to America and John Woo producing. While there are Woo-like touches (like slow-motion), in actuality Peace Hotel comes closer to the "spaghetti westerns" made in Italy during the 60's and '70's (such as Django and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly) than the heroic bloodshed of the '80's; in fact some people have gone so far as to term this movie a "ramen western." As such, it may put off those looking for the typical Chow Yun-Fat action movie with a constant flow of violence. Not to say there isn't a good deal of gunplay in Peace Hotel, but it's not as over-the-top as many other HK movies. The emphasis in Peace Hotel is the relationship between the characters, most notably between Chow and Yip. Both turn in great performances, but Chow's in particular really stands out, especially when compared to his later US films. He communicates more with a simple look than the overwrought speeches in The Corruptor could ever hope to. When you combine the performances with great cinematography, a outstanding soundtrack and a strong script that features a ending that may truly surprise many viewers, Peace Hotel is a great new take on a classic genre. [review from www.hkfilm.net]

Reviewed by: Gaijin84 Date: 08/31/2005 Summary: Chow Yuh Fat is the only saving grace... Chow Yun-Fat plays a reformed killer who decides to leave his past behind and become the caretaker for the "Peace Hotel". Having grown up in a violent environment and led a crime-ridden past, the death of his girlfriend leads "the Killer" (Chow) to go on a murderous rampage and slaughter everyone in his gang, except for one boy who he spares at the last moment. Having a sort of epiphany, the Killer takes over the site of the slaughter, and transforms it into a safe haven for refugees on the run from bandits or gangsters. It is named the Peace Hotel, and the Killer's fierce reputation protects the tenants. When a woman (Cecilia Yip) shows up and claims to be his long-lost love, he becomes suspicious, eventually discovering that she is on the run from a gang whose leader she killed. Although she is a liar and a master manipulator, his pledge to protect the hotel's residents comes to a head when the gang shows up to kill her. When she realizes the pain she has caused, she is determined to meet her fate, but the Killer's moral tug-of-war forces him to protect her and take on the entire gang... with disastrous results. Peace Hotel is a decent movie, with the setting probably being the most refreshing element. Hong Kong movies set in a wild west environment are few and far between, and this film does a good job capturing that feel. Chow Yun-Fat has played this role a thousand times, and although he's always good, although you've seen the "cold-blooded killer with a sensitive side" before. Cecilia Yip is also very good as the duplicitous Shau Siu-Man. The action sequences in the movie are very hard to follow, seeming to borrow the style of Wong Kar-Wai in Ashes of Time , with very blurred camera work that is supposed to simulate the speed of the action, but tends to be confusing. Peace Hotel was produced by John Woo, and there are some definite influences from him seen in Wai Kar-Fai's direction, but it can't match his classics such as The Killer and Hard Boiled. A good movie for Chow Yun-Fat fans, but average otherwise. 6/10 Reviewer Score: 6

Reviewed by: Inner Strength Date: 05/05/2002 Summary: Average Considering this was the last HK film John Woo & Chow Yun Fat did together, it's a disapointment for sure. Other than that it's watchable, but only watchable, nothing worth recommending it about though. Rating: 2.5/5

Reviewed by: MrBooth Date: 02/22/2002 Summary: Nice idea, shame about the movie Wai Ka-Fai's first movie as director, and Chow Yun Fat's last movie before heading off to Hollywood. I'm not quite sure how to review it to be honest. The movie has lots of good things going for it - great sets & visual style, interesting concept, good characters for Chow and Cecilia Yip... yet somehow none of it came together for me. I never felt particularly involved in or moved by the movie. Too much of it seemed disjointed, or unrealistic... whenever there was a crowd of the hotel residents together, the acting seemed to be woefully sub-par. Or maybe it was the directing. Overall, whilst I thought it was an interesting idea, the movie itself left me cold.

Reviewed by: Hongkie Date: 06/11/2001 Summary: Just in reply to some of the other reviews... Actually, if you recall your 1920's American history, a single-man operated fully automatic gun did exist in that era. In 1919 the Thompson Submachine Gun, or Tommy Gun, was introduced, originally with a box magazine, not a drum clip. So, if the movie does take place in the 1920s, it's not anachronistic at all. Chow Yun-Fat's just very cutting edge. Although Ka Wa-Fai did write and direct this movie, I'm surprised no one mentioned Chow Yun-Fat co-wrote the story, which is a unique footnote in his career. It's true the fight scenes were a bit of a cop out, but Chow Yun-Fat's never really done any kind of highly choreographed fighting until Crouching Tiger anyway. He has never been known for his martial arts, but is well known for his appetite. As for being caught up in making Chow "look good" well this isn't The Replacement Killers. Wa Ka-Fai does try to develop his characters, and Cecilia Yip shines through, and Chow Yun-Fat, well, he's the aloof Killer. Still, his comedic skills and subtle acting gestures are great. Like many HK movies, it's a mix of drama, action, romance, and comedy. However, the visual style truly sets it apart. I also felt that there was something reminiscent of Wong Kar-Wai. It's probably due to the cinematography and blurring. However, this movie is much more energetic. Many of Wong Kar-Wai's characters remind me of French people, or Sartre-esque types, who are always walking very slowly or are either in slow-motion or hyper-frame-skip reality. Plus, this movie is much faster paced than Wong Kar-Wai films and doesn't have that improvised quality that permeates many of Wong Kar-Wai's works. Overall, a decent fairwell, with a great reunion with Cecilia Yip of Hong Kong 1941 fame, and an all-too brief cameo of Ng Sin Lin who oddly appears in the last handful of Chow Yun-Fat's HK movies. Also if you are watching the two-tape VHS release, you also get a lesson in how to make Chinese broccoli. Dinner and a movie!

Reviewed by: Sydneyguy Date: 02/18/2001 Summary: Not what you would expect!! I won't say too much since there are a lot of reviews here but do not expect GREAT ACTION in this movie!! It's sort of a arty type film where the fighting is kept to a minimum. I didn't know what to expect of this film when i watched it, but from what the plot was on about, i expected ACTION and was disappointed. The action as far as i remembered was slowed down with glimpses here and there so no REAL long fight scenes. I think, like others, that we were expecting big things especially since it was Chow Yun Fat's last hk movie!! I remember reading a review declaring God of Gamblers returns has Chow Yun Fat's last movie because he was so disappointed by this movie. Overall, ok but don't expect any great fight scenes!! 5.5/10

Reviewed by: grimes Date: 04/08/2000 This film was written and directed by Wai Ka-Fai, who also wrote and directed Too Many Ways to Be No. 1, and who wrote (but did not direct) The Odd One Dies. These films came after Peace Hotel, and are better, but Peace Hotel contains many of the elements that are present in these later films, both in direction and story. Chow Yun-Fat plays "The Killer" (no, a different one!), a man who is famous for having slaughtered a large number of bandits in an inn ten years before the bulk of the movie. The impetus behind this act is not initially known, and is one of the mysteries of the film. After this film, he decided to establish a "peace hotel", a place where anyone can come to seek refuge. The reason that people respect this is largely based on the Killer's reputation and his refusal to ever eject anyone from his inn. Of course, all this has to be disturbed or else there wouldn't be much of a film. Enter Cecilia Yip, who is being pursued by a really large gang, for unknown reasons. The gang leader delivers an ultimatum to the Killer, kick her out or they will attack. This is complicated by the fact that Yip is a liar, and the exact reasons why the gang wants her are unclear, though she comes up with several different explanations as to why they want her and as to who she is. The acting by both the leads is well done. Chow as usual is great (is there anything he can't do?). I continually marvel at his ability to take on any type of role and become the character. Cecilia Yip is quite charming, even though her character who continually lies to everyone else in the film. It is inevitable that these two would fall in love. This is glossed over this a bit (music sequence) although this isn't as egregious as it could be, and it does come with some very interesting revelations about the Killer's past. At least the music is good. In fact, the music throughout the film is good. Stylistically, this is one of the most interesting looking films I've seen in a while. Most of the characters dress like they are in an American-made Western with some Chinese touches. Though they all seem to carry guns, a good portion of the fighting is done hand-to-hand with swords. In addition, technology appears to be at least at the level of the 1920's, with one apparent anachronistic exception. I have only a limited knowledge of firearms but I don't believe that fully automatic machine guns (that a single person can operate) existed until later in the 20th century. This really doesn't matter, since this film is very obviously designed to take the form of a legend or fairy tale, and the anachronistic touches actually help build this atmosphere. It's obvious that this place can't exist in the real world, so it must occur in some mythical realm. This feeling is bolstered by the use of very familiar characters such as a reformed villain who is once again forced to take up arms as well as bad woman who is really good. Again, this doesn't hurt the film at all. The direction follows through on this stylistic premise as well, and much of the action is shown in blurry slo-mo reminiscent of Ashes of Time and Chungking Express. This will probably bother some, but I felt it worked well most of the time. The film also deals with the ideas of redemption and difficult choices, which are very much the subject of both Too Many Ways to Be No. 1 and The Odd One Dies. The deliberate obscuring of plot details is also present in both of these films, particularly the latter. Peace Hotel is a film that will not appeal to everyone. It's artiness and deliberate obfuscation of much of the plot is not something a lot of people enjoy. I, however, liked this very much. You have to think a bit to appreciate this film. I also loved the "legendary" style of the film and its very unique look. I'll definitely be on the lookout for Wai Ka-Fai's next film.

Reviewed by: SUPERCOP Date: 12/25/1999 Summary: CYF's final HK film?..... Reminicent of an American western, Wai Ka-fai's directorial debut is a highly engaging, misunderstood masterpiece that also happens to mark Chow Yun-fat's last Hong Kong production to date. Here, Yun-fat stars as "the killer", the proprietor of a sanctity called the Peace Hotel, where troubled fugitives and their families can reside without fear. However, this tranquilty is put to the test upon the arrival of a mysterious women, who brings trouble to both the reformed killer and the hotel. The spagetthi western-ish score is stirring and grand; the cinematography lush and superb; the screenplay complex and intelligent; and the performances excellent and finely textured- these are just a few of the reasons why Peace Hotel is a terrific film, and is a worthy final ode (or is it?) to Chow Yun-fat's illustrious Chinese film career. Rating: 9.25/10 Reviewer Score: 9

Reviewed by: allan Date: 12/21/1999 Anyone interested in a topnotch film should run right out & see this one. Those looking for the kick-ass, ultra-cool Chow Yun Fatt should note, however, that this ain't him. Instead, the director Wai Kar Fai has made an American-style Western (as filtered though Leone and, yes, Wong Ka Wai) and has given a wonderfully juicy role to Cecilia Yip as the totally unrepenting bad gal. The film walks the line between macho posturing and black humor, and delivers a riveting moviegoing experience. So - to sum up, if you want the Chow Yun Fatt of ABT or Hardboiled, you will be disappointed. BUT, let go of that concept and you'll really enjoy a great ride. Reviewer Score: 8

Reviewed by: jfierro Date: 12/21/1999 A great-looking film. Set circa 1920, Chow Yun-Fat plays "TheKing of Killers", a one-man killing machine who, after his wife's murder, has decided to set up the "Peace Hotel", a sanctuary where anyone can stay and be protected from those who want to harm them. Although Chow has pledged never to kick anyone out of the Peace Hotel, he is put to the test by the arrival of Cecilia Yip -- a lying, conniving, penniless swindler who is wanted by a vicious gang for murdering their boss. Now Chow must decide whether to keep his pledge to protect anyone who stays at the Peace Hotel and risk an all-out war with the gang, or whether to ask the no-good Yip to leave the hotel. Strong performances (particularly Cecilia Yip) and superb direction. However, the movie is bogged down in the middle by some unnecessary plot twists. By the climactic end of the movie, you are not really sure of the reason behind each character's actions. If not for the disjoint plot, this could be a truly outstanding movie; as it is, we will have to settle for a good movie.

Reviewed by: hkcinema Date: 12/21/1999 Very well made and played.... Chow Yun fat is excellent.... a pretty original plot (probably the first HK western ever).... executive produced by John Woo. (7/10) [Reviewed by Andrej Blazeka]

Reviewed by: hkcinema Date: 12/08/1999 OK, I'll agree that this is a good-looking film. While the film is trying to imitate an American Western, it is distinctly a HK film in style and in the way that it is filmed. The comparison to ASHES OF TIME is appropriate because the action scenes are blatant rip-offs of the swordfighting in ASHES, including the blurry, cut-frame depictions of Chow Yun-Fat's manic swordplay. I think the director was so concerned with Chow "looking good" that he forgot to give him any lines or even a character. He relied so heavily on Chow's reputation as an actor that he simply didn't bother to develop his part. The plot is so completely disjointed that there is not one character that the audience can sympathize with. While the director did an excellent job filming the story, he didn't put any thought into developing it. All of the characters are complete strangers to the audience. In my opinion, Chow Yun-Fat's "last Hong Kong film" is also his worst. A true disappointment. [Reviewed by Rebecca Herbster]

Reviewed by: spinali Date: 12/08/1999 Summary: NULL After an orgy of murder, a man simply known as "The Killer" (Chow Yun-Fat) reforms and starts up a refuge for criminals, refugees, and the hopeless under his protection. Very little of this makes sense -- especially the production design, which has the anachronistic look an American western. (It goes a little beyond anachronism when a guy plays the trumpet, and French horn music comes out.) The fight scenes are the biggest cop-out: Chow Yun-Fat is so flabby and out of shape these days that the martial arts is a mass of quick edits and clouds of dust so you can't see what's going on. But as John Woo produced, it has a luscious visual look, and the black-and-white opening sequence is a heart-thumper. (2/4) [Reviewed by Steve Spinali] Reviewer Score: 5