Flowers of Shanghai
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Movie Reviews of Flowers of Shanghai
Movie Review: Outstanding film. Mediocre DVD
Summary: 3 Stars
After seeing this in the theatre it instantly went to the top of favorites for the year in which it was released & remained there for the duration of the year. I enjoy films that pay attention to detail. And while I did read a few reviews before seeing, I found the film's ability to encapsulate the mores & behaviour to be very convincing. Don't know anything about how much research the director put into the project beforehand, nor do I have any knowledge of the time/location to assess the film's accuracy. But the sheer attention to detail had me convinced. While the film is one of the 10 best of the 1990s, this DVD issue is a bit lacking. There are no extra features (except for an unexceptional trailer). More information on the director's research & reasons for portraying things in the way he did would have been very helpful (or a doc on the time to go along with the film). The reason why I knocked off another star was for the poor transfer........although the picture seems free of dirt & scratches, the color seems distorted from what I remember in the theater. Moreover, this version is framed/letterboxed, which shrinks the image down on widescreen tv's/dispays. As this film is very dependent on the cinematography, this really hinders the ability to enjoy it in its full glory.
Movie Review: For the YOIDYS outthere....
Summary: 3 Stars
If you read the review from Yoidy and if you were looking for a skin fest in this movie, you'd be giving a 1 star, too. :) This one is your basic Asian Art House movie. Even to an Asian like me, it can be boring and slow from time to time. The brothel scene and the characters depicted in the movie were very close to what was happening at that time. If you read the book "Memoirs of a Geisha", the relationships and mannerisms depicted in this movie are very similar to the Japanese counterpart. High price hookers were always prized commodities among the bored whealthies and the second-generation masters. How the ladies secure their 'supporters/admirers' and accumulate money and connections are the main subject matters in this movie. So if you were into subtle emotional and gestural exchanges, opulent period pieces, languid pacing, and art house films, you'd enjoy this one. But for the Yoidys out there, don't bother. :)Movie Review: Art House Flick.
Summary: 3 Stars
This is an exquisite film that will appeal to those who are captivated by historical Chinese Culture. There's very little story line and make no mistake, this is an art house film. Not for those with a small attention span. We watched the first 5 minutes and determined that we must have a bottle of wine and take-out before venturing any further. Once those needs were taken care of, it was easy to watch the sumptuous beauty and subtle plot unfold. It truly is a beautiful film.
Movie Review: Winstar = 1 star
Summary: 3 Stars
Film: 5 stars/ dvd transfer: 1 star I would strongly urge anyone interested in purchasing this DVD to research if they can find another version rather than this version. Belive me, this film is worth it.
Winstar you've burned me yet again. I've bought 5 other titles from them, and all except one were total pieces of ..., transfer-wise. It's like they don't even care at all. Hou-Hsiao-hsien and Francios Truffault deserver better, and so do you.
Movie Review: beautiful movie, lousy transfer for the dvd
Summary: 3 Stars
i loved this movie in the theater--just really beautifully shot. But the color on the dvd is all washed out, with an overwhelming yellow tone to it that I don't remember. It's possible I'm just not remembering the original correctly, but I don't think that's the case. It might be worth asking the folks at your local video store to pop it in their player for a minute so you can see for yourself before you decide to pick it up.