French film critics have expressed their admiration for Taiwanese film director Hou Hsiao-hsien’s latest work "The Assassin", which is set to premiere at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. The film is one of 19 movies taking part in the main competition.
The title character in Hou’s “The Assassin” is a woman named Nieh Yin-niang, played by Taiwanese actress Shu Qi. Nieh is sent to kill a feudal lord named Tian Ji-an, played by Taiwanese actor Chang Chen. But Nieh has difficulty doing so because Tian was her childhood love.
The film is Hou’s first work set in the Tang Dynasty, and his first martial arts film. Critics have awaited the film with anticipation to see how the director, known for his long shots, will be able to capture the martial arts scenes, which are usually filmed with quick shots.
The Cahiers du Cinema, a French language film magazine, introduce the 19 films in its May edition. Film critic Stephane Delorme mentioned two favorites: one of which was “The Assassin,” the other was American director Gus Van Sant's "The Sea of Trees."
Another writer, Vincent Malausa, wrote in Cahiers du Cinema that the most anticipated event this year was Hou's return to Cannes with his latest film. In 1993, Hou's "The Puppetmaster" won the Jury Prize at Cannes.
Le Figaro Magazine also selected "The Assassin" as one of the top 15 movies at this year's festival, which began on May 12 and runs until May 24.