A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop

Name: A Woman, a Gun and a Noodle Shop
Genre: Drama
Released: September 3, 2010
Duration: 95 min
Rating: 57
Cast: Dahong Ni, Ni Yan, Xiao Shen-Yang

2010

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 28 Critics

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USER SCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 10 Ratings

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5.7

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5.7	User Score Mixed or average reviews based on 10 Ratings

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A WOMAN, A GUN AND A NOODLE SHOP

Movie Details & Credits

Sony Pictures Classics | Release Date: September 3, 2010

Starring: Dahong Ni, Ni Yan, Xiao Shen-Yang

Summary: Wang is a miserable yet cunning noodle shop owner in a desert town in China. Feeling neglected, Wang’s wife secretly goes out with Li, one of his employees. A timid man, Li reluctantly keeps the gun the landlady bought for ‘killing her husband later’. However, not a single move they make escapes the boss’s notice, and he decides to bribeWang is a miserable yet cunning noodle shop owner in a desert town in China. Feeling neglected, Wang’s wife secretly goes out with Li, one of his employees. A timid man, Li reluctantly keeps the gun the landlady bought for ‘killing her husband later’. However, not a single move they make escapes the boss’s notice, and he decides to bribe patrol officer Zhang to kill the illicit couple. It looks like a perfect plan: the affair will come to a cruel but satisfying end… or so he thinks, but the equally wicked Zhang has an agenda of his own that will lead to even more violence. (Sony Pictures Classics)… Expand

Director: Yimou Zhang

Genre(s): Drama

Rating: R

Runtime: 95 min

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Critic Reviews

New Orleans Times-Picayune - Mike Scott

Dec 17, 2010

Almost feels as if it is two different films. One is the opening 20 minutes or so, in which most of the screwball comedy takes place. The other comes when Yimou gets on with the real story. That's where the payoff comes in. Read full review

Arizona Republic - Richard Nilsen

As the film comes to an end, more and more of "Blood Simple" is translated directly to China, even to the last drop. Read full review

Portland Oregonian - Marc Mohan

A twisty, darkly comic story of greed, betrayal and murderous misunderstandings. Read full review

NPR - Mark Jenkins

As "Blood Simple" fans should expect, Noodle Shop is a comedy of presumed deaths and unexpected revivals, with some victims flat out refusing to stay in their shallow graves. Read full review

Chicago Sun-Times - Roger Ebert

I will say that the attempt to reinterpret the memorable closing shot of "Blood Simple" is so gauche and graceless that I involuntarily moaned in disgust. I docked the film another half-star just for that. Read full review

Rolling Stone - Peter Travers

Some may enjoy the slapstick, which plays like "Harold & Kumar Go to Old Peking," but this bloodless Coen crib job is simply not my cup of noodles. Read full review

Entertainment Weekly - Owen Gleiberman

I wish I could say that the film is half as intriguing as it sounds, but A Woman, a Gun... lacks the Coen brothers' precision, their diabolical game-board cleverness. It's a remake in shaggy outline only. Read full review

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User Reviews

cirrus888

Feb 6, 2011

Beautifully filmed, expertly told, and compelling to watch. This is Zhang Yimou's attempt at black comedy in the style Coen Brothers and it succeeds on all levels. This is comparable to the original. Worth checking both out.

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TVJerry

Oct 25, 2010

I haven't seen "Blood Simple" since it came out in 1985, but I remember it being clever, violent and exhilarating. This Chinese version by brilliant director Yimou Zhang ("Hero," "House of Flying Daggers) has none of the Coen Brothers' original zing. The plot revolves around betrayal, greedI haven't seen "Blood Simple" since it came out in 1985, but I remember it being clever, violent and exhilarating. This Chinese version by brilliant director Yimou Zhang ("Hero," "House of Flying Daggers) has none of the Coen Brothers' original zing. The plot revolves around betrayal, greed and murder, but most of it moves at a slow, silent pace. The attempts at physical humor are simply silly and the violence is underwhelming. Except for the surrounding hillsides, even the visuals aren't special.… Expand

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FreeJeff

Sep 17, 2010

What were they thinking? This remake has a bizarre mismatch of tone, half film noir and half 3 Stooges. It captures the atmospheric noir tones of the original, Blood Simple, very well, but then wrecks it with burlesque slapstick antics that instantly become annoying. This goes on throughoutWhat were they thinking? This remake has a bizarre mismatch of tone, half film noir and half 3 Stooges. It captures the atmospheric noir tones of the original, Blood Simple, very well, but then wrecks it with burlesque slapstick antics that instantly become annoying. This goes on throughout the movie, even when the plot is supposed to generate nail-biting tension. Maybe it was a laff riot in China, but it definitely doesn't work here in America. As a final insult, there are some overbearing special effects near the end that just made me groan. If there was any tension, this would have destroyed it, too.

On the plus side, the film is gorgeous. The scenery, sets, and costumes of medieval China are all stunning and authentic looking (as far as I know). The cinematography is wonderful. All the more reason to be disappointed with the result.

This movie made me realize once again how brilliant the Coen Brothers original was. Skip this, rent Blood Simple instead.… Expand

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