Hey Folks... some suggestion from the Asian market again...
THE BANQUET... one of the best films Ive seen all year and if this marvellous chinese adaption of HAMLET (yet very losely) doesn't win any oscars in the costume, art design, photography and music then I don't know what else should win. This movie is so breathtaking to look at I hope it will get released in Germany on the big screens so I can see it there again (after the huge and deserved failure of THE PROMISE the studios may be a bit careful now in what chinese import they release).
The story is fantastic and very intriguing and there is still enough of Shakespear in it to make the poet's fans happy, but also enough things changed to keep them guessing how this all will end... well, as usual wil Shakespear's drama not many will survive, if any... or in one piece.
Zhang Zhiyi is marvellous as the cold hearted empress and as always a beauty to behold.
There are many action scenes in it, but done very artistically, which may be a bit too much for some... but I just loved it. Especially how the theater group danced to fight the evil troops... you may find that silly or boring, but I thought it was definitely something new and very very nice to watch.
Add the best score Tan Dun may have ever written (which would be my oscar fav so far this year, including best song, which is incredible, especially in connection with the scene/end credits)... the score however may not work on CD that great as you need the visuals to appreciate what the score is doing there... nice that someone tried to score such action scenes in a new way and succeeded.
Well, I can't praise this movie enough and you should do yourself a favor and check it out. Yesasia.com and cd-wow.com have it very cheaply as hongkong imports.
It is not an action movie! It may have many many fight scenes, but still, it is very much a quiet, intimate drama, where people don't speak fast, don't move much and long shots go on seemingly forever. Still, it glued me to my seat!
Just plain wonderful!