Man of Tai Chi
Before Keanu Reeves came back into our good graces with the fantastic John Wick movies, he made his directorial debut Man of Tai Chi. Working alongside his martial arts teacher Tiger Chen, who stars in the film, Man of Tai Chi seems on the surface like a typical underground fight club style movie. What makes this film distinct is Keanu Reeve’s direction and respect for the philosophy behind tai chi. The way he uses Tiger Chen’s performance and fighting style to reflect his character development and internal conflict make the action more engrossing. The fight scenes themselves are thrilling, bursting with kinetic energy, all the while shot and edited discriminately so you can see them in their full beauty. He uses these elements to explore the distinction between a fighter and a martial artist, highlighting the importance of balancing meditation and reflection alongside fighting prowess. All of these elements elevate the film to an intelligent and fun martial arts film.
Man of Tai Chi is available on Netflix.
