Curse of the Golden Flower from Azeroth
Pardon the lack of updates, I have been adventuring the lands of Azeroth of late and haven't really sat down to blog. Haha.
Azeroth aside, one movie I caught of late which is worth a mention is Curse of the Golden Flower.
Curse of the Golden Flower
Curse is, to some extent, similar to The Banquet (yeah, the Ziyi Zhang one). It is everything that The Banquet should have been but wasn't.
I liked Curse for its over-arching theme of keeping up with appearances.
It is an all-too-typical picture of an Asian Family - a Happy and Harmonious caricature blanketing tumultuous emotions and hidden demons within. This is reflected in the garishly-colored setting of the Palace.
While watching the movie, I was thinking, "Wah lau, the Palace is supposed to be opulent, not psychedelically corny!" However, it is precisely the effect that director Zhang Yimou wanted to create. It is a mockery of the lush and opulent facade which hides rot and filth on the inside.
Effective story-telling combined with commendable acting from a stellar cast make Curse a must-watch movie. Kudos especially to Gong Li who portrayed a tormented Empress, torn between her circumstances and her schemes; tough yet ultimately, vulnerable.
Do catch it soon!
Azeroth aside, one movie I caught of late which is worth a mention is Curse of the Golden Flower.
Curse of the Golden Flower
Curse is, to some extent, similar to The Banquet (yeah, the Ziyi Zhang one). It is everything that The Banquet should have been but wasn't.
I liked Curse for its over-arching theme of keeping up with appearances.
It is an all-too-typical picture of an Asian Family - a Happy and Harmonious caricature blanketing tumultuous emotions and hidden demons within. This is reflected in the garishly-colored setting of the Palace.
While watching the movie, I was thinking, "Wah lau, the Palace is supposed to be opulent, not psychedelically corny!" However, it is precisely the effect that director Zhang Yimou wanted to create. It is a mockery of the lush and opulent facade which hides rot and filth on the inside.
Effective story-telling combined with commendable acting from a stellar cast make Curse a must-watch movie. Kudos especially to Gong Li who portrayed a tormented Empress, torn between her circumstances and her schemes; tough yet ultimately, vulnerable.
Do catch it soon!
