Let's be realistic.

Admirable film.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

This movie does not seem to know what it wants to be, I am not sure if it is supposed to be a comedy, a drama, or an action flick. Also, the synopsis both here and elsewhere are essentially wrong. Here at IMDb it is more accurate, but still is not quite what the movie turns out to be. The other says it happens in the Japanese underworld, when it is clearly in China. There are two women who are allegedly the main characters, but one is hardly seen (the angel of vengeance) the other seems put there for comedic value. There is very little action, most of it up to standards of its time. They use some stock footage of a crowded street over and over, which was annoying. We are never told why the 'angel' is looking for her sister or who she is working for. there is a female cop who shows up a few times but never does anything. then there is that first jump cut, we were at some nice calm point then suddenly there is a rape scene, huh?, what is that there for? There are two more rape scenes one of which is more implied than graphic, obviously the actress refused to do nude scene. I don't like seeing sexual assault depicted, it is easier and less disturbing to imply it. The only plot point that is obvious is that the 'angel' is looking for her sister and thinks this one gangster has her, other than that I have no idea what this movie is about. To me it looks like 2 or 3 movies edited together and it doesn't work very well.