There are so many big problems in the world today. And directors use film to voice their opinions on the subject matter. Seldom though, do film directors offer viable solutions; they more or less use their star power to shine a light on the situation. Sometimes these opinions are expressed with deficit busting budgets. Sometimes their greatest expense is expansive use of right brain thinking. Wong, uses the big screen here to voice a small problem. If only the worst the world suffered was hi infidelity!
The dialogue only digs a few syllables deeper than the “how is the weather” pleasantries. The plot is written in this economy of line and is stingy in coherency, but it is the visual experience that is an embarrassment of riches for me.
I could run my fingers through the images. One of the more fetching images that greet the eye is Maggie Cheung’s character Mrs. Chow. I could visually hear the frou frou of her swooshing dresses. I should note, which are an endless variation of the same dress. Those dresses are clue as to when time passes. Pay close attention to the taxi ride.
Maggie Cheung’s character walks a Sirens call that falls on the ears listening male fantasy. She embodies that submissive cliché but her body holds more than the power of suggestion. Those hips are in charge.
Like I said, it is the visuals that caught my eye but not my imagination.
Now I never felt like an intruder when the camera sneaks down a long hall shot. I never felt like I was eavesdropping on a private conversation when the camera lurked behind a corner. I never felt like I over stayed my welcome when the camera entered a room full of people. A few low angle shots even made me feel like a little kid hiding under the bed, but it was the story itself that made me feel like an adult. An adult plagued with mundane marriage problems. Maybe if we talked about politics or religion my interest would have been piqued. This is a Soap Opera hiding in Drama’s clothing. A sheep in wolves clothing. This movie filled an empty space but the story telling left me with no empathy for the characters.
Yimou Zhang’s film “Raise the Red Lantern” could be viewed as a novel. Zhang is the Chinese Charles Dickens.
