2046
I attended the Melbourne Writer's Festival/Sleeper's Salon fundraising screening of 2046 last night at the Kino so here is list of the likes and dislikes.
Set in the 1960's in Hong Kong, Thailand and Singapore, 2046 is the exploration of the character Mr Chow, after the failed romance of the preceding Kar Wai film In The Mood For Love.
He lives in the sordid underworld glamour of room 2047 at the Orient Hotel and embarks on a series of relationships with the mysterious women who reside in room 2046. Alongside this rests another 2046, the train taking people to and from their memories in the futuristic novel that Chow is writing.
Through the time shifting exploration of Chow's relationships with these women and the development of his novel as result of these, a study in how the future is sometimes really the past is defined.
So, the highlights first.
Zhang Ziyi who plays Bai Ling, the obnoxious yet appealing call girl living in 2046, is a revelation in this part. Apart the obvious physical beauty she posesses, her role as a woman passionately in love with Chow burns and she is the star of the piece.
The set design and costume is unbelievable as is the textural effects of the camera work especially the flawless perfection of the androids. It is easy to fall in love with the mise en scene of this film.
The exploration of the cultural underground in 1960's Hong Kong was a fascination, particularly armed with knowledge of the economic and social state of the region at the time (Cambodia, Vietnam etc)
The sex scenes were believable and very erotic.
Some lowlights
Too long, but that is just my inbuilt programmer's eye there - I have grown used to watching a lot of films in fast forward and perhaps this is to my detriment.
I'm not sure why but I felt slightly uncomfortable with some of storylines. I think this might relate to something that Spirit Fingers has said on her blog.
Because at times this film felt like the first paragraph of this post.
Too much emphasis was placed on the material areas of Chow's relationships. I can't really explain this yet I need to mull it over I think. Perhaps it was because for such a romantic film the presents he showered and protection he gave did not ring of truth?
so overall
Date movie rating - 7/10
coming down after a night on the tiles - 4/10
The Male Factor rating (what the male movie watcher thinks) - " Well after 2 and a half hours we find out that this bloke is a bit of a sad sack who needs to get over himself don't we?"
Sex Factor - 8/10 I got the horn, sure.
Look out for - the ladies rings and their placements, The LG logos in the future scenes and cat's eye makeup.
Set in the 1960's in Hong Kong, Thailand and Singapore, 2046 is the exploration of the character Mr Chow, after the failed romance of the preceding Kar Wai film In The Mood For Love.
He lives in the sordid underworld glamour of room 2047 at the Orient Hotel and embarks on a series of relationships with the mysterious women who reside in room 2046. Alongside this rests another 2046, the train taking people to and from their memories in the futuristic novel that Chow is writing.
Through the time shifting exploration of Chow's relationships with these women and the development of his novel as result of these, a study in how the future is sometimes really the past is defined.
So, the highlights first.
Zhang Ziyi who plays Bai Ling, the obnoxious yet appealing call girl living in 2046, is a revelation in this part. Apart the obvious physical beauty she posesses, her role as a woman passionately in love with Chow burns and she is the star of the piece.
The set design and costume is unbelievable as is the textural effects of the camera work especially the flawless perfection of the androids. It is easy to fall in love with the mise en scene of this film.
The exploration of the cultural underground in 1960's Hong Kong was a fascination, particularly armed with knowledge of the economic and social state of the region at the time (Cambodia, Vietnam etc)
The sex scenes were believable and very erotic.
Some lowlights
Too long, but that is just my inbuilt programmer's eye there - I have grown used to watching a lot of films in fast forward and perhaps this is to my detriment.
I'm not sure why but I felt slightly uncomfortable with some of storylines. I think this might relate to something that Spirit Fingers has said on her blog.
Because at times this film felt like the first paragraph of this post.
Too much emphasis was placed on the material areas of Chow's relationships. I can't really explain this yet I need to mull it over I think. Perhaps it was because for such a romantic film the presents he showered and protection he gave did not ring of truth?
so overall
Date movie rating - 7/10
coming down after a night on the tiles - 4/10
The Male Factor rating (what the male movie watcher thinks) - " Well after 2 and a half hours we find out that this bloke is a bit of a sad sack who needs to get over himself don't we?"
Sex Factor - 8/10 I got the horn, sure.
Look out for - the ladies rings and their placements, The LG logos in the future scenes and cat's eye makeup.
posted by LadyCracker at 1:16 pm
<< Home