Ashes Of Time

This stylized costume drama by Hong Kong's Wong Kar-wai (CHUNGKING EXPRESS) is no ordinary martial-arts epic -- it's a singular meditation on romantic regret and emotional isolation, expressed through the dark thoughts and ambiguous deeds of a handful of heroic swordsmen. An elliptical narrative pits a swordsman-for-hire (Leslie Cheung) against his only friend (Tony Leung Kar-fai); events are manipulated by a mysterious client (Brigitte Lin) with dual identities and contradictory motives. An illustrious cast of Hong Kong stars is on hand here, but the real star of this ambitious production is the exotic atmosphere. With cinematographer Christopher Doyle, Wong craft...