The Mad Phoenix

"It goes without saying that, the film lives and dies with Tse's central performance, which won him a coveted Best Leading Actor trophy in the Golden Horse awards (it was a big deal for pan-Chinese cinemas, until it would be not). Tse is a seasoned stage thespian but in the movie, he is denuded of any theatricality save for the theatrical parts, where he presides with confidence and panache, is his opera-singing dubbed? One cannot tell. Mr. Thirteen is a tragic figure, but Tse has the felicity to ensure that audience can see clearly how this tragedy commences, gels and worsens, the strike of every hammer blow Mr. Thirteen comes in for is attested by Tse's protean ability and at the end of the day, the tragedy is transformed into a victorious reimagining of a genius' cradle-to-grave journey in a turbulent time, and may Mr. Thirteen's loftiness still prevail."

read the full review on my blog: cinema omnivore, thanks