Reviews

Just after seeing the movie I thought it was great, but felt that I couldn't understand everything about its' twisted story. I came to realize that there was nothing to understand, the script is flawed in many points or its explanations are in the final part of the trilogy. The movie does not stand alone. It is only the first half of a larger movie. From this perspective it resembles The Lord of the Rings.

Furthermore, I believe that Matrix Reloaded has exagerate scenes. Neo becomes some sort of a superman who can now do anything.

Final sentence: it is far from the quality of the first film.

Somehow I always feel that Willem Dafoe and the films he starrs in are drastically underrated. It is also the case for this exceptional movie set in pre-comunist China. A simple, touching story about tradition and the constrains that it sometimes brings.

The plot outline is simple. When Ailin turns 40, she decides it is time to retire from her husband's bed, the rich Mr. Wu. In order to do so, she finds a second wife, a woman that would take her place and pleasure the oral-sex-obsessed Mr. Wu. But the young new wife has trouble adapting to her role and the old pervert is not satisfied with her. Meanwhile, Ailin befriends her son's teacher, an American priest named Andre (Willem Dafoe). From here on, the story develops in various directions but I don't want to spoil it for you.

Very good acting and directing on a classical subject.

When a Steve Soderbergh movie has George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle and Andy Garcia starring in it, then the film cannot fail. Even though there is nothing deep about a group of `proper villains' robbing a casino, the acting and the imagination of the crew make the film worthwhile. They're funny, they're good-looking. Go see it!

Seeing performers like Gene Hackman and Morgan Freeman together is always pleasing. On this occasion though, it was also exhausting. Almost all of the action happens in an office; an endless crossexamine; a web of lies (some of them useless) and a series of flashbacks that interfere with the present action.

This film has us waiting for the ending. We die to know whether Henry (Gene Hackman) is guilty or innocent, but almost everything the characters say is a lie or a twisting of the truth. We can't be sure of anything. They surely have many things to hide. I believe not all of these things are revealed in this almost 2 hours long motion picture. For instance, you get the feeling that there is something going on between the lovely Chantal, Henry's wife, and the young detective Owens. This is just a hunch that doesn't lead anywhere. Then we must wonder why Henry lies about the dog. Maybe this is just a flaw in the script or maybe he really got things mixed up. Who knows?

To conclude, an extrapoint for Monica Bellucci, a gorgeous woman. They couldn't have found someone better for the part.

After the great roles he had gotten us used to, I can't understand why Sir Anthony Hopkins decides to take parts that do him no honor. If you want to see him wearing cheep sun-glasses and constantly chewing on a toothpick, then this is the movie for you.

Chris Rock does not do a good job either, but that's no surprise. He has the Chris Tucker type of humour but he is far less successful.

Bottom line is: the movie's plot is a stretch, it is not a comedy (not a good one, at least), but it is far from drama or even action, too. No special effects, no acting, no nothing.