REVIEW: Curse of the Golden Flower

In an attempt to battle the siren song of sleep at 6pm in the evening due to intense jetlag, MadProfessah and the other half went to the movies last week. We saw Curse of the Golden Flower and Children of Men at the Edwards 14 Renaissance Theaters in Alhambra, CA. The two films are very different in style, tone and subject matter but ultimately were both evaluated as lacking something special in order to be considered outstanding movies. I would not be surprised to see them listed in the technical category of the Academy Award nominations which are announced tomorrow morning.

Zhang Yimou is China's most celebrated film director and in the 1990s made a series of films (Raise the Red Lantern, Ju Dou, The Story of Qiu Ju) with Gong Li, one of the most beautiful actresses in the world, which brought acclaim and success to both artists. The two severed their professional relationshiop when their romantic relationship ended nearly a decade ago. In the meantime, Zhang went on to be named the director of the Opening Ceremonies of 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing and in recent years made the frankly brilliant martial arts films Hero and House of Flying Daggers.

Now the two have been reunited in Zhang's 2006 release Curse of the Golden Flower which reviewer Jeanette Catsoulis of the New York Times says "aims for Shakespeare and winds up with Jacqueline Susann." In addition, she says

[...] Mr. Zhang piles on the intrigue, adding a forbidden love affair, a vengeful first wife and two varieties of incest. His actors respond in kind, straining their facial muscles with silent-movie enthusiasm and doing everything but shooting flames from their eye sockets.

Wowsa! Sounds like a movie that will keep one awake, right? In addition to the eye-popping acting, especially by Gong Li, the movie also features breathtakingly luxurious art direction. Chow Yun Fat is the Emperor and the very attractive Jay Chou is the most ambitious of the Emperor's sons.The Emperor's palace is stunning and everyone's costumes are incrediblely ornate and beautiful. The combination provides an overwhelming sense of visual excess.

Also excessive are the complicated plot twists. The story is generally a familiar one of palace intrigue among a royal family riven with suspicions and dubious loyalty where ambition trumps familial love. It's all good fun, but the characters are so sketchily developed that the audience doesn't really have time to develop strong allegiances in favor of any of the many factions. In the end, the visual feast is not enough to carry the film to a compelling conclusion.

REVIEW: B.