A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop

It is certainly not a lack of artistry that sinks Zhang Yimou’s A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop, a bold cultural adaptation of the Coen Brothers’ Blood Simple. Zhang’s signature use of rich colors is on fine display, as is his reliance on slow-motion sequences and unusual camera angles. However, the disjointed nature of Zhang’s experiment—which transforms from a broad slapstick work in the beginning into a tense, near-wordless and blood-curdling thriller by the end—ultimately undoes all of the director’s hard work. Fans of international cinema might still find enough that’s right with this film to warrant a look, and even the eye-rollers will be satisfied that this is an adaptation in the truest sense, rather than a cheap and quick remake of what is a superior film.