Article 20

The topic here is quite an interesting one. A CCTV camera captures a man being attacked and stabbed multiple times. The police apprehend the perpetrator, but as the hastily partnered prosecutors - "Han Ming" (Jiayin Lei) and "Liu Lingling" (Ye Gao) start to investigate, they discover that the victim was actually quite an odious creature who probably deserved his fate - despite the vocal protestations of his family. Meantime, the former is also having some family drama after is son "Yuchen" (Liu Yaowen) intervenes in a school bullying incident and finds himself faced with making an humiliating apology or a court-ordered detention. Poor old "Han" is now under mounting pressure from his bosses, his partner and from his rather strong-willed wife "Li Maojuan" (Li Ma). Juggling plates isn't really his forte, and for most of the drama we vacillate between the increasingly hysterical and bickering marital relationship that starts off quite funny but ends up quite grating, and a police investigation that ultimately has a political point to make about the voracity of Chinese justice to the audience. It does have it's moments, and at times I did feel a bit sorry for "Han" as his problems accumulate with no obvious solution for a man who just wants to get to his retirement in one piece. Otherwise, though, it's all a bit messy. The narrative doesn't really flow and it becomes just a but too much of a soap for me as it begins to run out of steam. It is watchable, and at times does raise a smile - but the stories are all just a bit too thin.

IT FINALLY RELEASED!!! I've been anticipating this movie for a very long time. This movie is a need-to-watch. All the actors were spectacular in their performance and I enjoyed the plot. The movie reviews humanity's laws and educates about self defense. The movie's main character, Mr. Han has a very high EQ, his wife is a very reasonable protector, and their son is a mix of the two of them--literally perfect. I wish there were more scenes of the protagonist's family though, I was very invested in the story there. The movie was amazingly directed. The director, Zhang Yi Mo is very famous in China, and all his products are always a big hit, including this movie.

Can't imagine this movie is Direct by the one person that show the whole world how spectacular China is during Olympic. ZYM old movie was beautiful shot and hidden meanings. Now being control by capitalism,his movie is sloppy and non creative.

Camera keep to the person when the parents will argue make me feel giddy. Parent keep arguing all the way from start to end make me feel sickling.

Actually is a good education movie if not for ZYM try to make funny movie for CNY. All cast will great except the parent ruin the whole movie. ZYM should stop making funny movie and stick to his last time movie making.

Different countries have different cultural traditions, This film bravely chooses a difficult subject but tells the story very well.

There's much we can do to change the world, it's a great attempt.

When you watch this film, maybe can not understand very well, as difference system of country clutrue of Europe and North America or other countries. But the pursuit of fairness and justice is the common pursuit for all human being.

The last part was very wonderful, "The pursuit of fairness and justice requires a price. Do ordinary people need to bear their own destiny, the whole family's the destiny, and even the several generations destiny to bear? "

Express my the creators of this film.

Di er shi tiao, internationally known as Article Twenty, is a Chinese courtroom drama directed by renowned veteran Zhang Yimou. This is the first legal-themed Chinese movie that focuses on the issue of justifiable defence. The movie aims to prove the righteousness of Chinese justice, law and politics as it can thus be considered a contemporary propaganda film.

Three stories are told throughout the film. The most important one focuses on a desperate man who gravely injured the bully of a village who had been insulting him and raping his wife for several months. The second case focuses on a courageous bus driver who protected a young woman from two louts but was accused as an assailant and now files petitions in the capital to clear his name. The third and final case focuses on a stubborn high-school student who intervened against a vicious group of intimidators targeting a sole victim in a restroom.

This film convinces on several levels. First and foremost, the movie intertwines emotional, intense and realistic dramatic elements with entertaining, quirky and surprising situation comedy in an overall balanced way. Up next, viewers will easily roots for the brave heroines and heroes of this film and against the selfish villainesses and villains of this movie. The acting performances are particularly strong throughout. The movie has been filmed with calm, focus and precision which makes it a joy to watch on the big screen.

On the negative side, that movie clocks in at one hundred forty-one minutes which is at least half an hour too long. Especially the film's middle section drags on and loses the promising momentum of the exposition before picking pace up again towards the resolution. Sometimes, the combination of comedy and drama elements is slightly inappropriate, unpleasant and wooden. For instance, the movie sometimes establishes a dramatic atmosphere dealing with a relevant topic involving traumatized characters before a joke is suddenly brought up to break the ice. While many viewers at my local cinema were cheering and laughing, such cases rather made me wince and question the audience's judgements.

At the end of the day, the movie's memorable resolution pardons for several flaws in its middle section. Article Twenty thus qualifies as propagandistic but nonetheless relevant legal drama with a few elements of situation comedy that should please Chinese viewers as well as international audiences who care about justice, law and politics. This film might not be Zhang Yimou's finest hour but it underlines the consistent quality of his cinematography in recent years.