If you're in the mood for beautiful artistic 9th century style, long takes and a complicated story in a slow film, then The Assassin is probably your cup of tea. If you want to see a cool martial arts movie - Watch something else.

When you see The Assassin you are faced with the age-old question: What makes a good movie? Some prefer a strong story, others powerful effects. Here, a story that arouses no great interest is combined with an artistic style that is unlike anything else.

For those who follow the story, it is about a female assassin in 8th century China. Like many assassins on film, she is faced with the classic dilemma of having her loved one killed or failing her duty, something that meant slightly greater consequences at the time.

If you are looking for a juicy story, you need to have both a lot of concentration and patience, because the director Hou Hsiao-hsien is hardly someone who prioritizes pace, forward-looking lines or clear character development. We're talking sometimes forever-long takes, extremely sparse or no dialogue and scenes that work more like art installations.

Undoubtedly, it is a stunningly beautiful film. The environments, the scenography, the costumes - Almost every single frame is like a painting or the most delicious photograph you've seen on a cinema screen. One could practically watch the film without sound and admire the impressive work of the film's creative team.

With that said and the cool visual style aside, it's a frustratingly slow film to get through. As a contrast to the often overly clear film narration in, for example, American cinema, this becomes almost incomprehensible and unnecessarily complicated.

The fight scenes are the highlights - Not because it's exciting but because of the quiet and calm style. But it's still one of the most boring martial arts movies out there. It is a perfect example of "see but not feel" - Gentle on the eyes, but you leave the salon with a slightly empty and unsatisfied feeling.