Perhaps this will come to your town, or a town near you, but for most, the pleasures of world cinema is... well not an option. However, for all of you that don't have the option to see it in theaters, and can't find it at your local painfully inadequate Blockbuster, think about using one of the online rental services whether it be Reel.com for video or Netflix.com for DVDs. They come quick and fast, and with a selection you can get no where else. It's a major advantage of being a part of the net. I just got my EVIL DEAD II dvd today, and I'm happy as can be cause it hasn't hit my local stores yet. Hee hee hee hee... Gee I got off base. The point is, see films like this one. Living in rural Kansas isn't an excuse anymore, use the rental services and learn about a larger world of film.
i know this film from taiwan isn't getting a wide release here, but hou hsiao hsien (city of sadness, goodbye south, goodbye) is one of the world's master filmmakers regardless and any film with tony leung chiu wai (bullet in the head, chungking express, cyclo) & michelle reis (fallen angels, fong sai yuk) deserves mention on AICN. michelle reis was on hand last night at the music box theater to present the film. she is actually only a supporting player, but who cares - she's incredibly beautiful in person. the actual film takes place in the late 19th century in shanghai in elaborate brothels referred to as "flower houses." the "story" if there is one, concerns several "flower" girls and their male callers. the subject and theme of the film reminded me of zhang yimou's raise the red lantern in that both films depict women stuck in a miserable social system which pits them against each other and makes them completely dependent on men. for those not familiar with hou's style (and it is not for everybody's taste), he shoots in long single takes which pan occasionally and then fade out. the effect is somewhat reminiscent of ozu, but one wouldn't describe his style as transcendental. all the acting, and period decor are extremely naturalistic, and hou at first seems to be merely observing circumscribing the action from a distance. but slowly, a devasting emotional impact emerges. hou's formal precision and discipline mimics the strict social mores which repress and contain his characters. tony leung chiu wai (for my money one of the best actors in the world) gives another stellar intuitive largely non-verbal performance as master wang who is love with crimson, a flower girl utterly dependent on his patronage, yet tempted by another girl jasmin. michelle reis plays emerald another girl who eventually buys her freedom. there isn't a unifying plot per se, but we get a cohesive social view of the universe & despite the distancing techniques, we do feel emotionally attached to many of the characters.
the film isn't exactly action packed & the cultural differences may have proved too much for many viewers. (there were several walk-outs). my only complaint is that several characters play a gambling game which i couldn't make heads or tails of. anyway, after the film was over, i tried chasing michelle down for...an autograph? her number? i don't know why exactly. because i am a fan. but in the end, i chickened out, as did my friend with me. she was very approachable looking, yet so pristinely beautiful. so what could we say really? that's all
call me
johnny boy's ghost
