Re: 5 underappreciated films & 2 special citations(excerpt) #3 Curse of the Golden Flower
Fans of the action packed wuxia pictures Hero and House of Flying Daggers were inevitably going to be thrown by Zhang Yimou’s latest. It’s dressed up in the same genre clothing but one of these films is not like the others. Swords, flying weaponry, and gravity defying warriors do eventually make appearances in Curse of the Golden Flower but they’re a tertiary concern. If your action cravings subside in time, you’re likely to find this whole affair an elaborate and temperamental hoot. This time around Yimou is more interested in high stakes melodrama (incest, betrayals, murder) subtextual political messages (there’s a cynical black comedy about intractable power inside) and the imperial beauty of Gong Li (an endless supply of close-ups starring her face and cleavage await you). The only thing this filmmaker seems to love more than Gong Li is color...
READ THE REST
for more on Zhang Yimou's gonzo colorogy, my issue with INLAND EMPIRE, Bettie Page, a Frankenstein monster of a movie, and one genre that Nathaniel loves more than most and probably more than he should.
previously in the 'Year in Review'
"Our Leaders. Ourselves" the ruling class * They're Bringing Sexy Back the hottest star turns * The Overrated from Dreamgirls to Clint Eastwood * Best Trailers, Posters marketing efforts * Cinematic Shame -obnoxious actors and terrible films * Stocking Stuffers cool items from the movies * This Blog is so self indulgent!
Tags: movies, cinema2006, box office, The Painted Veil, Inland Empire, The Black Dahlia, frankensteinfilm, Gong Li, Bettie Page
