Superstars Compete in 'The Murder in Sauce Garden Alley' Scandal; Wang Hailin Comments: Yang Mi Outshines Zhao Liying

Yang Mi and Zhao Liying, two leading actresses born around 1985 (known as the '85 Flowers'), are often compared and have been rivals for years. Originally, Yang Mi held the advantage with her dominance in both fashion and hit dramas, but unexpectedly, Zhao Liying secured multiple best actress awards on the big screen, reigniting their rivalry.

This time, director Peter Chan spent 6-7 years gathering a star-studded cast for 'The Murder in Sauce Garden Alley' (hereafter referred to as 'Sauce Garden Alley'), featuring Yang Mi, Zhang Ziyi, Zhao Liying, Lei Jiayin, Jackson Yee, Michelle Yeoh, and Sandra Ng—like celestial beings clashing. Nevertheless, public attention remains focused on the contest between Yang Mi and Zhao Liying.

Recently, it has been reported that 'Sauce Garden Alley' will be released in two parts. In the first part, Yang Mi plays the female prisoner 'Wang Xumei', a character with a striking personality whose explosive performance before death is truly shocking. Zhao Liying plays the avant-garde female writer 'Miss Xilin', who encourages Zhang Ziyi on the court to fight for her cause. It is unclear whether due to her scenes being cut or her lines becoming slogans, her performance feels relatively flat.

Renowned Chinese film critic Wang Hailin directly stated that Yang Mi's performance in the film was much more outstanding than Zhao Liying's. He said: "The movie is very enjoyable, with top-notch pacing and atmosphere. Zhang Ziyi is, of course, the best, Lei Jiayin is very good, and both Jackson Yee and Li Xian present themselves in new and unique ways.

Between the post-85 leading ladies, Yang Mi's performance surpasses Zhao Liying's. I'm not afraid to provoke a stir; I genuinely think Yang Mi acted very well, and she demonstrated her versatility as an actress. I used to think her acting route was set in stone and she couldn’t adapt, but after watching this, she is truly excellent."

Source: Liberty Times (Taiwan)