Topic: Curse of the Golden Flower

[iPPi]

Got a chance to watch it this evening.  Beautiful movie and great art direction and cinematography, but the story was a little lacking and stuff.  Still worth watching if you like Zhang Yimou's stuff (Hero, House of Flying Daggers, etc)

[MysterD]

I want to see this movie...

[idolminds]

Netflix queue'd!

[ender]

I saw it in theaters. I liked the visuals and some of the acting (Chow Yun Fat was greatly underused, Gong Li was smoking hot and good as always) but I felt the story and tone of the movie was very cold and dehumanized compared to Zhang's other movies. The music was also disappointing to me. It was kind of a let down from Hero and House of Flying Daggers, which I thought were masterpieces.

I agree with what you said on the story feeling lacking... there just was something missing that made me not care much about it.

[JacksRag(e)]

Yeah, it's been starting to weigh down on him, I think.  Yimou's used to making his smaller, more personal dramas.  Ever since Hero, money's been thrown at him to create something just like it and I think he's just uncomfortable with that pressure.  From what I hear, he's itching to get back to his more simple, dramas like Raise the Red Lantern, Red Sorghum and Happy Times.  I can't wait.

[ender]

Okay, so I watched it again and the more I think about it... the more I like it. I'm starting to understand the story. I felt the same way about Flying Daggers when I first saw it, too.

[iPPi]

Yea.  It's an alright movie.  Definitely worth watching, but I don't feel it's entirely up to par with Zhang Yimou's previous works.

[ender]

I think the key is realizing the completely different style from his other films. When I saw it again, I realized there's a much more Shakespearean influence on it... and definitely a foreboding atmosphere.

[MysterD]

When is this coming to DVD here in the US?
Anyone know?

[MysterD]

Beautiful visuals, beautiful violence, and a dark-toned vengeance story of betrayals galore.

So, yeah -- I liked it.

Not as much as Hero, though.

[Raisa]

There seemed to be a lot of the undertones of that culture, the family politics that never crosses lips.  But then, it's loud, flamboyant but tired.