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In Reply to: Andrew T - posted by Victor Khomenko on January 25, 2002 at 12:54:34:
The Audition wasn't too much... but it wasn't too little either. Fortunately my wife slept through the best part.I certainly liked the style, but what can I say? Not exactly my kind of movie. Still, there is something that I am sure will keep haunting me, and I don't mean the horror.
I was almost sorry the story had suddenly started developing, it was going great up to that part. From that hotel scene they could have gone in many different directions, and they have chosen not the most interesting one. But I am almost ready to forgive them. There are quite a few memorable moments, and that is more than you could say of many, if not most films today.
Follow Ups:
Oh yes..I gather the tape was in japanese with English subs?I just also really liked the way she said " kuriiiiiiii, kuriiiiiii, kuriiiiii..."
I understand the actress who played that role is having some difficulty
getting dates at present.Hope you like the other films more!
A.
Hello Victor,I am very glad you saw Audition ! I don't think it is brilliant, but definitely
recommendable to film buffs, because it has a different flavour, and certainly
enough interesting things happening to merit watching. I believe I had
suggested it when I was reading you and Auph talk about characterization
of women on screen....that's what prompted me to mention it ! Now that's
_ proactive_! You're right about the story going off at a tangent at a certain point..
that was what I'd found interesting about it. Up to that point, it almost came across
as a light romantic story, and I thought it quite skillful that he ( the director )
could make one wonder what was going to happen to them. Interestingly
enough, there has also been much talk about HK films and their seeming
'mishmash of genres', often all in one film. There isn't necessarily that H'wood
convention wherein any deviation from the model of any particular genre,
or deviation in tone or mood from what is construed to be a contiguous whole,
threatens mass cognitive dissonance in the audience.
I'd told a couple of friends that it was a light romantic comedy in the vein of
Shall We Dance, and had taped them the film off the DVD so they couldn't
see the cover, which I felt was a giveaway. They enjoyed it as such..until
the bag in her livingroom tipped over! When it was making the festival circuit,
audiences in the cinema always leapt out of their seats at that moment.What other movies did you rent?
Regards,
A.
Or perhaps he would rather identify with the lady in In The Realm of Senses? Why just go for half-measures? Perhaps a Hollywood remake with Susan Sarandon and Charlton Heston? What could be more befitting of that agenda?
Well, my wife woke up this morning and told me tere would be no more Asian films for us... I think she is taking it a bit too hard, and I am sure I can soften her enough to continue, albeit not every day. I think I will need to throw in some French stuff in the soup for her. She kept saying: "I want something European!" Silly woman...I didn't think it was just a light romantic commedy up to the explosion point - to me there was just too much tension already building up. That bag gave you some hint, but even more suspenseful was just her motionless figure in front of the telephone, that was a masterstroke. The jumping bag was way too obvious. That figure was comparable to the moment of absolute horror in the M when the mother looks at the empty stairs... brrrrrrrrr....
Yes, it was in Japanese and the titles sucked, they were white-on-white many times. It was also funny that the tape from the rental place had the DVD menu at the end... hmmmmmm...
I forgot theother titles I got for now - only recall Ashes of Time. There are five from your list of seven. So I dunno... sounds like more sofa sleeping for me.
Or perhaps I just watch them alone, my wife sometimes just does that. This is how I watched that Dutch "1-900" marvel.
Hello Victor,I guess Audition wasn't the best place to start your wife off on that list of films :)! Truth be told,
it is probably a minor cult movie at best, with some pretty inspired spots. I also like
the film's sense of commitment....less common in most mainstream fare. Either way, sorry you
didn't think it the bees knees.A few caveats about the films I mentioned: They constitute most of that director Wong Kar Wai's
oeuvre, with the exception of his first film, As Tears Go By. His second, Days Of Being Wild,
garnered tremendous critical praise, although HK audiences peppered the screen with fruit
in the theatre. The film's backer, certain of a hit, and who had promised his wife new diamonds prescreening,
had, according to the popular story, turned to her after the premier and said, " Forget it!"Weird thing about him is that he considers himself a commercial filmmaker. I find him very filmic,
and although it is popularly bandied about that his films are more about mood, and less about plot,
I don't necessarily think so.Of the films I'd mentioned, Chungking Express is probably his most accessible, Ashes of Time his
most obdurate and opaque ( I think probably for cultural, rather than filmic reasons: some critics at
a festival after screening found it was the most beautiful thing they'd seen, but admitted they didn't
have an inkling what it was about!). Both 'Chungking' and 'Fallen Angels' had been his most popular
with western audiences, until his most recent ' In The Mood'. The funny thing is that he's spent over
three years getting 'Ashes' together, going back and forth between mainland PRC and HK ( this was pre '97),
enduring a logistical hell, to put it together. During the downtime for post on 'Ashes', he wrote and shot
'Chungking' in just about three months. 'Ashes' was greeted with more fruit, but 'Chungking ' took off.'Happy Together' was what won him the Palme d'Or at Cannes...take that as you will. I enjoyed it immensely,
but the subject matter may not suit everybody's personal taste. If you like Piazzolla , interesting film techniques
and scattered shots of the Iguazu falls, then this film is for you.' In the Mood' is his most obviously venerated film, and while there are some truly wonderful moments,
I don't think it is necessarily his strongest work, relative to his other films, of course. It also won
'Best actor' at Cannes..apparently the first for an Asian male lead. I wonder what that means.
Oh yes, regarding your wife's request for something more European...WKW has been the darling of
Cahiers du Cinema since 'Chungking'..it may bode well for the project of reinstating Victor to the conjugal bed!Hope you enjoy the other films!
Regards,
A.
Thank you a bunch, it will give me good guidance. So perhaps I shall continue with the Express, maybe after a French film.
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