Red Corner

I thought this was wonderful - and can't for the life of me understand the criticisms.

Some seem to be attacking the movie on the basis that it is too hard on China - REALLY?

Ask any North Korean refugee who's been captured in China -

Ask any member of the harmless Falun Gong religious sect -

Ask anyone connected by family ties with those identified as having participated in the Tianenmen Square protests (the protests were actually in quite a number of cities - but television covered just the tens of thousands assembled in Beijing).

No, it's not an "art house" kind of movie - don't expect the slow pace and strange story of something like Farewell My Concubine.

Instead, it's a wonderful Hitchcock-type story transplanted to Communist China - and voila - a wonderful movie that should have been remembered at Oscar time!

It's far better than, say, Hitchcock's Torn Curtain or Topaz - both set in repressive Communist regimes. It's more like a combination of The Wrong Man and North by Northwest - but sexier than either.

Our Welsh friend from beautiful Aberystwyth, Philip Davies, has it about right in his review printed beneath mine.

This is beautifully shot, with wonderful acting in a riveting Hitchcock type movie. Richard Gere is excellent - the politics and scenes of a changing China are fascinating.

I strongly recommend this one.

This is very exciting, suspenseful, romantic - and its depiction of China rings true.