It was my first time watching a historical and a political chinese movie with republican era and World War II as its setting, so I didn't really know what to expect except for the main casts, Tony Leung and Wang Yibo. Both of them are well-known figures in China and also I've been a huge fan of Wang Yibo, so I think it's worth to gave this movie a try and I'm glad I did.

Maybe this genre is not for everyone but I can say this movie is enjoyable and the plot itself is great. There are indeed many conversations happened in this movie but it gets better as the story progresses and they also successfully deliver a satisfying climax. What I love about this movie are the strong characterization and its beautiful cinematography which makes the movie feel more intense and engaging. However some part might be confusing because the time setting is non-linear and there are many back and forth between scenes, so you need to really pay attention to it. I also wished they could add some informative details in the movie because I feel like some scenes aren't fully explained.

Another fascinating thing about this movie are, of course, the actors and actresses. They have big names involved in this movie and All of them did a great job in delivering their roles. I won't talk much about Tony Leung because he is, no doubt, a veteran and his acting is brilliant as always.

Meanwhile as a fan of Wang Yibo, I can say this is one of his best performances as an actor. It might be a great pressure to act as main role alongside a veteran like Tony Leung, but I think Yibo managed to deliver his character excellently and the chemistry between the main leads work very well too despite the generational difference. I'm so thankful that they gave Wang Yibo the opportunity to be a part of this movie. This is another breakthrough for his career as a movie actor. I know many people still underestimate his acting skill since he started from idol actor, but I think you could start to throw your skepticism away after you watch this movie. I'm proud of how far he grows as an actor and I know he will continue to develop because he always pours his heart into his work.

Overall, I really recommend you to watch this movie because it's worth watching and even for those who have some worries about 'communist propaganda', I think this movie is safe for you and you can still give it a try because the plot doesn't deeply showcase the idiological aspect but rather focuses on espionage and the schemes against the japanese invanders.