This is
definitely an intriguing film, and there are elements of it that are really
interesting and impressive, but I’ll admit that, on the whole, it was a little
slow for me. My attention waned here and
there, despite a lot of technical proficiency.
The film
centers around several flower houses (elegant brothels) in Shanghai in the late
1800s. There’s less of a specific
narrative and more wanderings through the stories of several flower girls
(courtesans) working there. We jump back
and forth between different flower girls and their patrons in mostly
unconnected plots, although each thread follows its own loose throughline. There’s Crimson, who’s become a one-patron
woman but starts to worry when her client begins visiting another flower
girl. Pearl, older and more experienced
than many in her house, mediates disputes between younger women and tells it
like it is. And clever Emerald is ready
to move on, so she begins bargaining with her auntie (the madam) about buying
her freedom.
The plot
is quite slow and very meandering. Also,
notably, it’s a movie about brothels that contains zero sex scenes – zero kissing
scenes, in fact. (To be fair, I
understand that flower girls were equal parts courtesans, companions, and
entertainers, so much of their work isn’t strictly sex, but it’s interesting
that we never see any of the sex that is
going on, or even the preamble to it.)
Instead, it’s a lot of “in-between” moments – flower girls dining with
patrons, discussing personal or business matters behind the scenes, sitting by
while the patrons play endless drinking games, etc.
So, there’s
not much attention paid to the actual plot.
Focus is then placed on the formation of the film itself. The production design is predictably
exquisite – a period piece about beautiful women in gorgeous costumes? Come on.
And the structure of the film is also noteworthy. Each scene is filmed with one continuous
take, sometimes lasting upwards of ten minutes.
This is a credit to the smooth flow of the camera work as well as the
endurance of the actors. Speaking of
which, it’s definitely the actors that carry the film. All of the main courtesans are excellent and
keep you interested in what happens to them even when the onscreen story isn’t
all that gripping. Wong Kar-wai alum
Michelle Reis (Fallen Angels) and
Carina Lau (Days of Being Wild) are
especially good as Emerald and Pearl.
(Side note: the film also
features Rebecca Pan, Mrs. Suen from In
the Mood for Love.)
Tony Leung
Chiu-wai plays Master Wang, Crimson’s possibly-wandering patron. The situation between them is somewhat
tricky. As her patron, Wang isn’t
precisely obligated to stick with Crimson, but he’s a high-class client, and
when he started devoting his attention to her, a lot of her other customers backed
off – an arrangement he was perfectly fine with. However, now that he’s dividing his time
between Crimson and another flower girl named Jasmin, that puts Crimson in a
tough spot, because those other customers aren’t returning to make up for the
fewer bookings with Wang.
This is a
very absent sort of character. I bet he’s
onscreen for a good 15 minutes before he utters a single word, and that’s not
for lack of focus – other people are talking about him and speaking for him,
but he doesn’t say anything for himself.
Even though he’s the one making issues with Crimson by seeing Jasmin, he
feels very passive. Things happen to
him, and he reacts. You get the sense
that Crimson frustrates him – he seems to love her more than she loves him
(understandably,) and he feels she strings him along with promises of
commitment to get more money out of him – and he starts spending nights with
Jasmin, not to “punish” Crimson or to make her jealous, but just because he
thinks, “Well, that’s not working out. Guess
I’ll do this then.” His response to
nearly everything is muted, but he’s not as indifferent as he seems. When his veneer cracks, it does so pretty
significantly.
Recommend?
In
General
– I don’t think so. It’s a nice film,
and well-made, but I don’t feel there’s enough interest to really recommend it.
Tony
Leung Chiu-wai
– Not necessary. There’s nothing too
special about this character.
Warnings
Sensuality,
brief violence, lots of drinking/smoking (opium,) and thematic elements.
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