Reviews by Vives Anunciacion
History figures prominently in recent releases of movies, with period pieces such as The Queen and bio dramas like the upcoming Last King of Scotland figuring significantly in the awards season. The History Boys and Curse of the Golden Flower, both opening this week, are both worth the watch despite the few recognitions they have.
Curse of the Golden Flower
(Man cheng jin dai huang jin jia)
Directed by Zhang Yimou
Starring Gong Li, Chow Yun Fat
R13/ 114 mins
Sony Pictures Classics/ Beijing New Picture Film Co.
*** 1/2 (3 1/2 sttars)
Nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design, Curse of the Golden Flower takes the costume drama genre to the extreme, literally dressing up thousands of extras whether live or computer-generated.
Set at the height of the Tang Dynasty, China’s golden age of poetry some 1000 years ago, Curse of the Golden Flower is a family drama about intrigue, in-fighting, deceit and murder within the fabled walls of the Imperial Palace.
Asia’s most famous actress (Gong Li) plays Empress Phoenix, the Emperor Dragon’s (Chow Yun Fat) ailing second wife, whom the Emperor suspects of having an affair with the Crown Pince Wan (Liu Ye), his son from his first wife. When the Empress discovers that the Emperor is clandestinely poisoning her through her daily medicine, she plots for the Emperor’s overthrow on the night of the Chrysanthemum Festival by means of their favorite son, Prince Jai, played by China’s pop prince Jay Chou.
Opulent, lavish and bloody gory to the end, Curse of the Golden Flower takes its theme of beauty on the outside and rotten on the inside to extravagant levels, at times reaching Shakespearean tragedy but told in uniquely Asian cinematic flair. Costing more than $45million (or P2.25 billion), China’s most expensive picture is ten times more colorful and twice more intriguing than Zhang’s last costume epic, House of Flying Daggers.
However, no amount of lavish sets and costumes can outshine Gong Li, who was probably robbed of Oscar acting nomination. Li asserts herself Asia’s premiere actress, combining beauty, fragility and deviousness – she is at once terrible and magnificent to behold. The movie should have been nominated for more awards than just for costume, but who cares, it’s one glorious opera.
The History Boys
Directed by Nicholas Hytner
Based on the Tony-award winning play by Alan Bennet
Starring Richard Griffiths, Frances de la Tour, Russell Tovey
R13/ 122 minutes
Fox Searchlight/ UK Film Council/ BBC
*** (3 stars)
Very much like previous inspirational classroom dramas such as Dead Poets Society, Emperor’s Club and Mona Lisa Smile, The History Boys is Britain’s stage equivalent translated to the screen and directed by Nicholas Hytner, also known as Lea Salonga’s Tony-award nominated director in the West End production of Miss Saigon.
Sharp, witty and full of energy, The History Boys features the original Tony-nominated cast as a group of smart but mischievous high school boys prepare for the collegiate exams for Oxford and Cambridge (equivalent to our UPCAT and Ateneo entrance exams).
The best part is that History Boys doesn’t make its drama pilit, even if its coming-of-age themes of sexuality, belonging, purpose and meaning present themselves in intelligent banter. There’s no need to shout O Captain, my Captain, here – but it does make me sorely miss my high school theater life. O high school, my high school, indeed.
History figures prominently in recent releases of movies, with period pieces such as The Queen and bio dramas like the upcoming Last King of Scotland figuring significantly in the awards season. The History Boys and Curse of the Golden Flower, both opening this week, are both worth the watch despite the few recognitions they have.
Curse of the Golden Flower
(Man cheng jin dai huang jin jia)
Directed by Zhang Yimou
Starring Gong Li, Chow Yun Fat
R13/ 114 mins
Sony Pictures Classics/ Beijing New Picture Film Co.
*** 1/2 (3 1/2 sttars)
Nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Costume Design, Curse of the Golden Flower takes the costume drama genre to the extreme, literally dressing up thousands of extras whether live or computer-generated.
Set at the height of the Tang Dynasty, China’s golden age of poetry some 1000 years ago, Curse of the Golden Flower is a family drama about intrigue, in-fighting, deceit and murder within the fabled walls of the Imperial Palace.
Asia’s most famous actress (Gong Li) plays Empress Phoenix, the Emperor Dragon’s (Chow Yun Fat) ailing second wife, whom the Emperor suspects of having an affair with the Crown Pince Wan (Liu Ye), his son from his first wife. When the Empress discovers that the Emperor is clandestinely poisoning her through her daily medicine, she plots for the Emperor’s overthrow on the night of the Chrysanthemum Festival by means of their favorite son, Prince Jai, played by China’s pop prince Jay Chou.
Opulent, lavish and bloody gory to the end, Curse of the Golden Flower takes its theme of beauty on the outside and rotten on the inside to extravagant levels, at times reaching Shakespearean tragedy but told in uniquely Asian cinematic flair. Costing more than $45million (or P2.25 billion), China’s most expensive picture is ten times more colorful and twice more intriguing than Zhang’s last costume epic, House of Flying Daggers.However, no amount of lavish sets and costumes can outshine Gong Li, who was probably robbed of Oscar acting nomination. Li asserts herself Asia’s premiere actress, combining beauty, fragility and deviousness – she is at once terrible and magnificent to behold. The movie should have been nominated for more awards than just for costume, but who cares, it’s one glorious opera.
The History Boys
Directed by Nicholas Hytner
Based on the Tony-award winning play by Alan Bennet
Starring Richard Griffiths, Frances de la Tour, Russell Tovey
R13/ 122 minutes
Fox Searchlight/ UK Film Council/ BBC
*** (3 stars)
Very much like previous inspirational classroom dramas such as Dead Poets Society, Emperor’s Club and Mona Lisa Smile, The History Boys is Britain’s stage equivalent translated to the screen and directed by Nicholas Hytner, also known as Lea Salonga’s Tony-award nominated director in the West End production of Miss Saigon.Sharp, witty and full of energy, The History Boys features the original Tony-nominated cast as a group of smart but mischievous high school boys prepare for the collegiate exams for Oxford and Cambridge (equivalent to our UPCAT and Ateneo entrance exams).
The best part is that History Boys doesn’t make its drama pilit, even if its coming-of-age themes of sexuality, belonging, purpose and meaning present themselves in intelligent banter. There’s no need to shout O Captain, my Captain, here – but it does make me sorely miss my high school theater life. O high school, my high school, indeed.
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