Yihe yuan 2006

Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: Search out this vivid film in a theater. Don't let the sacrifices he [Director Lou Ye] made be in vain. Read more

Entertainment Weekly: Read more

Scott Foundas, L.A. Weekly: Like a Tolstoyan epic. Read more

John Anderson, Newsday: In Yu Hong (Hao Lei), the film also has a vibrant heroine. Read more

David Denby, New Yorker: In truth, I've never seen so much lovemaking in an aboveground film, but the revelation, and great triumph, of Lou's work is that these scenes are never pornographic -- that is, never separated from emotion. Read more

V.A. Musetto, New York Post: I still must recommend Summer Palace, especially for the remarkably strong performance by Hao Lei as Yu Hong, the daughter of a shopkeeper in the provinces. Read more

G. Allen Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle: Though made in 2006, its American release could not have been better timed. Read more

Hank Sartin, Time Out: Read more

Joshua Rothkopf, Time Out: Read more

Derek Elley, Variety: An occasionally involving but way over-stretched tapestry. Read more

Julia Wallace, Village Voice: Combines flashes of insight and scintillating cinematography -- grainy, fumbling, light-blinded -- with stretches of inscrutable mediocrity. Read more