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Pavilion of Women
Generally unfavorable reviews
Based on 14 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 7 votes
Read user comments
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Movie Info
Genre(s): Romance
Written by:
Pearl S. Buck (novel)
Yan Luo
Paul Collins
Directed by: Ho Yim
Release Date:
Theatrical: May 4, 2001
DVD: January 15, 2002
Running Time: 100 minutes, Color
Origin: China
Summary
RATING: R for sexuality and war images
Starring Willem Dafoe, John Cho, Amy Hill, and Yan Luo
Based upon the novel by Nobel Prize-winning author Pearl S. Buck, this film, set in 1930's China, deals with the themes of spiritual freedom and finding true love. (Universal Focus)
Also On The Web: Internet Movie Database Official Studio Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
New York Daily News Jami Bernard
Introduces American audiences to Luo Yan, a charismatic Chinese-born actress now living in Los Angeles. She single-handedly nurtured this project to fruition, serving as producer, co-writer and star.
Read Full Review >USA Today Mike Clark
It saves its clunkiest scene for the finale. No fair telling, but the key words are "political," "propaganda," "outdoors" and "orphans."
Read Full Review >New Times (L.A.) Andy Klein
Has an awkwardness that defeats whatever emotional involvement it tries to achieve.
Read Full Review >Village Voice Michael Atkinson
Yim's film is kneecapped by its soundtrack twice over.
Read Full Review >The New York Times Dana Stevens
It might have been a satisfying if not terribly original piece of historical melodrama, but its clumsiness turns it, against its best intentions, into half-baked operatic kitsch.
Read Full Review >TV Guide Maitland McDonagh
The locations and production design are breathtakingly beautiful. But though cast largely with Chinese actors, it was shot in English, which no doubt made business sense but almost certainly accounts for many truly awful performances.
Read Full Review >Los Angeles Times Kevin Thomas
Can never rise above the melodrama of a past era, despite a splendid, impassioned portrayal by Willem Dafoe and an affecting one by Luo Yan.
Read Full Review >Washington Post Mark Jenkins
A film that was made in China but has the soul of a '50s Hollywood melodrama.
Read Full Review >New York Post Lou Lumenick
It's loaded with -- scenery-chewing melodrama, cornball pidgin dialogue and syrupy music.
San Francisco Chronicle Wesley Morris
This version is a well-meant but corny distillation -- a whole lot of bombast and phony exaltation in the name of entertaining enrichment.
Read Full Review >Variety Robert Koehler
Fails to stir the emotions despite its heavily melodramatic drive.
Read Full Review >Washington Post Rita Kempley
Bland as a fortune cookie and as trite as the message inside.
Read Full Review >Mr. Showbiz Kevin Maynard
The backdrop of exotic pagodas and wartime woe isn't nearly potent enough to buoy the feeble drama that plays out in the foreground.
What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this movie is 8.7 (out of 10) based on 7 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Rita F. gave it an8:
I just happened on this movie quite accidentally on HBO. After watching it I decided to check the reviews even though it was made 6 years ago. First and foremost I must agree with what other users said. I did not agree with many of the critiques that I read and it makes me want to ask this question, did the critics see the same movie I saw? Yes it was a bit melodramatic but mostly it was a good story about love, independendence and acceptance. The performances were believeable. I would agree with the critics in one thing only, it should have been done in Chinese with sub titles, other than that I would recommend its viewing.
AiS gave it a9:
That's a stunning film. I enjoyed so much. It really deserves better ratings. Luo Yan performs great, she is really talented actress and I hope to see more of her works in future. Luo Yan go on and don't give up!
[Anonymous] gave it an8:
Totally misrated by the critics. Brings light to the problems that china had with families back then, and the suffering women had to endure. The critic probably blasted it because they spoke english instead of mandarin with english subtitles. That was weird, but otherwise, the film works.
Denis M. gave it a 9:
Much of my vote goes to Luo Yan for one of the finest performances I have seen in some time. I cannot understand why other critics have been so hard on the film. It is, after all, based on a Pearl Buck novel of the 1930s, so why complain if it has the characteristics of that period? What it really lacked was time to explore the smaller characters and some of the sub-plots. But it is depressing to think that so many critics failed to see the obvious: put Luo Yan in a room with Lopez, Diaz, Kidman, and most Hollywood starlets, and she would make them seem quite tawdry. That alone deserves praise.
Geoff R-C gave it a 9:
Really enjoyed it, found it gripping.
Mat G. gave it a 9:
Super!
