| A Trio Tries for Eroticism |
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| written by talltale |
February 11, 2006 - 5:16 PM PST |
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10 out of 10 members found this review helpful
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Kar Wai Wong fans should have a field day with EROS--the tri-part feature made up of roughly 40-minute segments (separated by erotic art accompanied by some lovely music) from three world-class directors: Wong, Soderbergh and Antonioni. (I don't rank Soderbergh nearly as high as the other two, but some of you may.) His episode is actually pretty good: a funny and rather surprising shaggy dog story involving a patient and his therapist, played respectively by Robert Downey Jr. and Alan Arkin, both of whom are terrific. I hated the ending, which seems to go on forever without saying more than it did in the first five seconds. Otherwise, this one's fun, though the least erotic of the three (sex, eroticism, desire, heat--none of these are much present in Soderbergh's work, and when they are, they tend to fizzle).
Michelangelo Antonioni has often given us heat and desire--quietly, allusively, sadly--and this time is no different. Although the maestro has suffered a stroke that renders him speechless, he still knows his visuals (oh, the sets, architecture and scenery on view here!), and his actors manage to create an interesting pas de trois. (Watch the 17-minute short on the DVD called "Eye to Eye" for a little more of Michelangelo).
And Wong's contribution? Wow. Perhaps the short form is best for this filmmaker who loves to linger over textures, moments, and longing. Christopher Doyle has again done Wong's cinematography, and it's crackerjack. This episode is the most erotic, tinglingly so, with Li Gong and Chen Chang gorgeous and heartbreaking as lovers who are never quite that. Rated individually, Wong gets nine stars, Antonioni seven, and Soderbergh six. Not a bad score when you average it out. |
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