Friday, April 29, 2005

Tribeca Film Fest 2005 - Day 7

Just a patron today. Which is a nice change, actually.

The first film I saw was The Tulse Luper Suitcases Part 2. Apparently these three films are actually part of a larger multimedia project that Peter Greenaway is working on. I don't exactly know what it's about, but it involves the number 92 and the history of uranium. Also, there's a lot of things about collecting stuff (particularly in suitcases), sex (of course), and imprisonment. I forgot to mention the way that he has made reference to several of his other films. The narrator has already mentioned "Belly of an Architect," "A Zed & Two Noughts," and "The Draughtman's Contract." There's also a character named Cissie Collpitts (which was the name of three women in "Drowning by Numbers"), and a play whose name was "The Baby of..." something, I can't remember, but apparently this is a reference to his film "The Baby of Macon". Again, probably more evidence that this is a self-indulgent project. But the fact is, if you aren't a Peter Greenaway fan already, you probably aren't going to sit down and watch three 2-hour movies by him. I don't think I liked part 2 quite as much as part 1. I'm hoping it picks up again in part 3 (which I'm seeing tomorrow).

Then came the film I've been anticipating for weeks, Wong Kar Wai's 2046. WKW wasn't there (busy working on the next project), but in his stead he sent... Tony Leung!! This photo is for Barbara :) Man, he was adorable. It didn't even matter that what he said didn't make a lot of sense.

The film was beautiful. A lot to take in, so I definitely want to see it again. It's sort of a sequel to "In the Mood for Love" (one of my favorite films ever) and, to a lesser degree, "Days of Being Wild." Despite what you might think from the name, it takes place in the late 1950s/60s, with the possible exception of some sci-fi scenes which take place in 2046 - which could be a time or could be a place. It's ambiguous.

The film is a little confusing because the story doesn't always unfold in a chronological way - sometimes characters or plot elements are briefly glimpsed, though they aren't really introduced until much later. Also, the characters travel between various places (like Hong Kong and Singapore), but because the story is jumping around in time, it's also a little difficult to figure out where they are at certain points. There's a lot more going on than in "In the Mood for Love", but it still has atmosphere aplenty. The movie was totally engrossing. I mean, I actually forgot where I was for a while. My only complaint is that Ziyi Zhang can't hold a candle to Maggie Cheung, so sometimes her performance seems to be a pathetic attempt to copy the older woman. In retrospect, though, I think that may actually be an intentional part of the character she portrays.

If you like Wong Kar Wai movies, I recommend 2046 very highly!

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