Movie Madness

Ah, I do enjoy turning a doubleheader! This morning started out bright and early, or foggy but early, as the case may be. Be that as it may, though it started slowly, this has been a good weekend for watching movies.

First up was Pirates of the Caribbean 3: At World's End. Now, I'll be the first to confess that I lack the visual acuity of virtually everyone I know, including the blind dog down the street, but I do have an eye and ear for inside jokes and casual allusions, as well as an appreciation of character development and narrative geometry. My overall impression of PotC3, then, is that a relatively slow start eventually picked up speed and actually did a beautiful job of bringing many seemingly casual bits full circle through the trilogy. I particularly love the use of language and vocabulary as part of characterization and sly digs. Visually, there were some awe-inspiring moments and an amazing attention to detail. Some might suggest that the narrative detail provided was more than the pacing could handle, but I don't see the need for everything to be a headlong rush, except that that is what we as audience have been conditioned to expect from any Bruckheimer production.

Next on the docket was Shrek the Third. Offhand I'd guess that the target audience for ST3 is actually perhaps five years older than that of PotC3. The latter is, after all, still courtship, whereas the latter is post-marriage mentoring in preparation parenthood. In each film the older though still youthful mentor gives way for the next generation, sacrificing glory and the limelight for the greater good. In each case the honor is dubious: becoming the immortal captain of the Flying Dutchman vs. becoming the high profile ruler of the fairytale land of Far Far Away. The difference, of course, is that Jack Sparrow yields reluctantly whereas Shrek actively seeks to sidestep the honor. It's actually kind of fun to think of the parallels as Mike Myers vs. Johnny Depp and Justin Timberlake vs. Orlando Bloom. For the females, of course, Keira Knightley is the clear winner over Cameron Diaz in terms of significance to the plot and in screen time. As far as characters go, Fiona is delivered of three babies, a numerical triumph over Elizabeth's one child. Mathematically, Fiona produces in one round the most Elizabeth will be able to produce, ever, given that she only gets one swiving per decade. Kinda daunting, that thought... Still, both films were fun romps, each in their own way.

A third film that has recently come my way is another Chow Yen Fat vehicle: The Curse of the Golden Flower, a historical drama set in the Tang dynasty that inspects and dissects the black corruption concealed beneath the opulent facades of the royal court. Gong Li is as gorgeous as the rest of the scenery. Chow Yen Fat, in contrast, is such a dark and villainous looking fellow beneath his makeup that it took me awhile to recognize him. Together they epitomize the point of the narrative. The narrative skein is as intricate and complex as the chrysanthemums woven by the royal ladies, and as multi-layered. You want corruption, this film has it: infidelity, incest, bribery, betrayals, polygamy, poisonings, plots within plots within plots. I only wish I could understand more of the Chinese being spoken, as that always adds yet another layer to the subtitled films I watch.

More, I want to see more.