August 26, 2005
2046 / Broken Flowers.
Or, a lesser film by one of my favorite directors, shot by one of my favorite cinematographers, featuring a disaffected emotional cipher of a Don Juan who is unable to truly connect with people around him and is on a quest for something he is not entirely sure about, with laconic dialogue, strict attention to interior detail, and a series of stunning women who drift in and out of his life, all more interestingly wrought than the lead character.
I'd really like to hear what you thought of 2046. Do you think it stands on its own or must it be paired with In The Mood For Love? Was it fair to list Maggie Cheung in the credits? And is Zhang Ziyi a good substitute?
Saw Tony Takitani last night with my husband. Given your tastes in movies, I'd definitely recommend it.
Posted by: Rebecca on August 28, 2005 08:40 AMmy two cents: I thought 2046 was good, but even after a couple weeks I still need to see it again in order to digest it. I think it stands alone very well and in fact I'm not entirely convinced that the Mr. Chow character is the same in both films. Too much of a turn around for me.
Zhang was good, but her speaking Mandarin and he speaking Cantonese in Wong's wacky multi-lingual-but-everyone-understands-each-other Star Wars universe, kinda threw me off.
Tony Takitani, two words: right panning.
Wily, I remember you saying something about 2046 but that was three beers in and explain this "lesser work" business!
Posted by: Jesse! on August 29, 2005 03:00 PMRebecca: my comments on 2046 are here, from last year: http://www.thewilyfilipino.com/blog/archives/000646.html
And no, it wasn't fair to list Maggie Cheung since she only shows up in a barely-there "flashback." I'd recommend that one see "In the Mood for Love" first, though -- that opening shot of whispering through the hole wouldn't make that much sense without having seen the former movie.
However: after seeing Wong's "The Hand" (as part of that omnibus movie "Eros") I'm more convinced than ever that "2046" is a lesser work. "The Hand" is, at least, a convincing exploration of similar themes; "2046" seems more like a lukewarm retread.
One can read "2046" as more of a "what if?" film on Wong's part -- what if Mr. Chow wasn't such a romantic after all?