bleh

It was only a matter of time before I hit a lull in my Netflix viewing extravaganza as films like The Kingdom of Heaven, Proof, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, etc. have proven that it's not all peachy in the glorious world of Netflix heaven. I guess if nothing else, it adds some levity to 2005, but even then, it sucks when you're trying to relax and enjoy a film only to be sidetracked by dull characters, lobotomized scripts, and uninspired direction. I haven't seen anything that I really could get behind since maybe Nobody Knows and Serenity, but even those weren't spectacular and even then, I watched Chungking Express again recently just to be reminded of what moving, inspired filmmaking is like.

I know I already wrote my drunken ode to Wong Kar-Wai, but goddamn, when you compare how he is able to fashion a palpable connection between the audience and his characters by maximizing the potential of aesthetics and a minimalized script, it constantly amazes me that these other directors and screenwriters cannot do the same with bloated budgets and supposed "experts" at their craft tinkering with every aspect of production. While it's true that they don't get the benefit of utilizing the talents of such masters as Tony Leung, Maggie Cheung, or Christopher Doyle, you would hope that there's enough talent out there to create comparable work. Just look at someone like Orlando Bloom's character in The Kingdom of Heaven, who is someone that is so noble that you need a potent gag suppressant in order to tolerate some of his character's actions/dialogue that it's ridiculous to accept this person as someone to care about, let alone root for, for an entire 145 minutes.

While I am not someone who turns his nose up at "Hollywood" for the sake of being cool or "intelligent" (in fact, I am a consistent advocate for the merits that it has to offer), I can't help but feel disdain for the system that currently feeds Americans their cinema while Asian cinema continues to push the envelope and encourage all forms of meaningful filmmaking.

tribute to a modern day icon

Oh how do I love Wong Kar-Wai...let me count the ways:

- I love that he makes films out of pure, unadulterated emotion with no script.

- I love that he is perhaps the most visually gifted filmmaker of this (or maybe?) any generation.

- I love that he uses the same and yet, most gifted of asian actors for all of his films, including Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung.

- I love that he understands so well, maybe more than anyone, the sentiments of heartbreak as well as the feelings of love and loss. It is never some trite, contrived version of human emotion.

- I love that the last lines of Chungking Express are so simple yet so perfect.

- I love that he repeatedly uses pop songs throughout an entire film to emphasize their effect and context.

- I love that In the Mood for Love hits all the right notes and pains your heart just to watch the two main characters interact.

- I love that 2046 is so strangely compelling, yet heartbreaking.

- I love that when I am watching one of his films, I feel every sentiment he is trying to convey with all of the lucidity imaginable.

- I love that he is one the best filmmakers working today.