A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop

Sony Pictures Classics | Release Date: September 3, 2010

6.1	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 12 Ratings

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TVJerryOct 25, 2010

I haven't seen "Blood Simple" since it came out in 1985, but I remember it being clever, violent and exhilarating. This Chinese version by brilliant director Yimou Zhang ("Hero," "House of Flying Daggers) has none of the Coen Brothers'I haven't seen "Blood Simple" since it came out in 1985, but I remember it being clever, violent and exhilarating. This Chinese version by brilliant director Yimou Zhang ("Hero," "House of Flying Daggers) has none of the Coen Brothers' original zing. The plot revolves around betrayal, greed and murder, but most of it moves at a slow, silent pace. The attempts at physical humor are simply silly and the violence is underwhelming. Except for the surrounding hillsides, even the visuals aren't special.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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FreeJeffSep 17, 2010

What were they thinking? This remake has a bizarre mismatch of tone, half film noir and half 3 Stooges. It captures the atmospheric noir tones of the original, Blood Simple, very well, but then wrecks it with burlesque slapstick antics thatWhat were they thinking? This remake has a bizarre mismatch of tone, half film noir and half 3 Stooges. It captures the atmospheric noir tones of the original, Blood Simple, very well, but then wrecks it with burlesque slapstick antics that instantly become annoying. This goes on throughout the movie, even when the plot is supposed to generate nail-biting tension. Maybe it was a laff riot in China, but it definitely doesn't work here in America. As a final insult, there are some overbearing special effects near the end that just made me groan. If there was any tension, this would have destroyed it, too.

On the plus side, the film is gorgeous. The scenery, sets, and costumes of medieval China are all stunning and authentic looking (as far as I know). The cinematography is wonderful. All the more reason to be disappointed with the result.

This movie made me realize once again how brilliant the Coen Brothers original was. Skip this, rent Blood Simple instead.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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cirrus888Feb 6, 2011

Beautifully filmed, expertly told, and compelling to watch. This is Zhang Yimou's attempt at black comedy in the style Coen Brothers and it succeeds on all levels. This is comparable to the original. Worth checking both out.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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Kai82Dec 4, 2022

An interesting but hard to rate movie. It is a mixture of thriller and screwball comedy. For itself it is a nice, calm story with good character dynamics. What does not help is that it was marketed as “A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop” in myAn interesting but hard to rate movie. It is a mixture of thriller and screwball comedy. For itself it is a nice, calm story with good character dynamics. What does not help is that it was marketed as “A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop” in my country and the new movie from the “Hero” and “House of the flying Daggers” director Zhang Yimou. With this a lot of people expect something similar. So watching it was a disappointment first but the unique story that feels like theater compensated this for a bit. The story is about a group of people that work in a remote noodle shop in a dessert (I assume a road stop on a trade route). The story starts with the wife of the owner buying a gun. This starts a series of events that I wont spoil. Like I said it is a calm and nice story. For some this slow build is a negative and I reluctantly agree for a bit. It is more focused on the characters, their interactions and caused (story) developments. The original title “A simple noodle story” is more fitting. It sounds too negative. I enjoyed a lot but I am not sure if I can recommend it. The actors/characters saved the movie. The whole cast fully delivered and kept me interested into the events. Without this good performance I would rate this movie lower. Overall this is a nice movie to relax and enjoy a smaller event. I think this can be as much a positive surprise as a negative experience. I give a 6/10 as I liked the characters and story.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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