The profundity of the piece leaves one speechless, which really suits Jiang Wen's style. Gong Li's performance isn't outstanding; in moments where emotion was expected, she suppressed it with her overly articulate Mandarin. The ambiguous/surreal expression should also be docked points, as it feels bizarre and affected, as if she couldn’t speak normally. Aside from that, the brewers' acting was adequate, and there was a generous investment in the set. Overrated.