Eros (2004)

Directors:

Michelangelo Antonioni
Steven Soderbergh

Writers:

Michelangelo Antonioni (book) (segment "The Dangerous Thread of Things")
Michelangelo Antonioni (story) (segment "The Dangerous Thread of Things")

Release Date:

3 December 2004 (Italy)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Three visionary directors. One erotic journey.

Plot:

Three short films -- one each from directors Michelangelo Antonioni, Steven Soderbergh and Wong Kar Wai -- address the themes of love and sex.

Plot Keywords:

Anthology | Sex | Dream | Pressure At Work | Tailor

Cast

Li Gong	...	Miss Hua (segment "The Hand")
Chen Chang	...	Zhang (segment "The Hand")
Feng Tien	...	Master Jin (segment "The Hand") (as Tin Fung)
Luk Auntie	...	Hua's Servant - Ying (segment "The Hand") (as Auntin Luk)
Jianjun Zhou	...	Hua's Lover - Zhao (segment "The Hand")
Wing Tong Sheung	...	Tailor (segment "The Hand")
Kim Tak Wong	...	Tailor (segment "The Hand")
Siu Man Ting	...	Tailor (segment "The Hand")
Lai Fu Yim	...	Tailor (segment "The Hand")
Cheng You Shin	...	Tailor (segment "The Hand")
Wing Kong Siu	...	Tailor (segment "The Hand")
Kar Fai Lee	...	Tailor (segment "The Hand")
Chi Keong Un	...	Hotel Concierge (segment "The Hand")
Robert Downey Jr.	...	Nick Penrose (segment "Equilibrium")
Alan Arkin	...	Dr. Pearl / Hal (segment "Equilibrium")

Also Known As:

Eros (France)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong sexual content including graphic nudity, and for language.

Runtime:

104 min | Argentina:108 min

Country:

USA | Italy | Hong Kong | France | Luxembourg | UK

Language:

English | Italian | Mandarin

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Netherlands:16 | Taiwan:R-18 | Brazil:16 | Belgium:KT | Canada:14A | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Italy:T | Argentina:16 | Hungary:16 | UK:15 | South Korea:18 | Hong Kong:III | Japan:R-15 | Singapore:R21 | USA:R

Company:

Roissy Films

Movie Connections:

Featured in Autumn of the Magician (2009)

Soundtrack:

Concerto Alevta

Uneven

One part brilliant, one part so-so, one part utter crap. Guess which one is which. OK, I'll help you out. In the order of appearance:

"The Hand" by Wong Kar-Wai is a solid piece of film-making, but nothing special. Let's just say the Master does not break any new ground with yet another short story of unrequited love. We've seen these characters before, they are not that interesting, and the story itself veers too far into melodramatic to my liking.

"Equilibrium" by Soderbergh is a witty, clever little nugget... and you won't soon forget an unorthodox shrink who indulges in a bit of voyerism on the side while treating his twitchy patient (a great appearance by Robert Downey Jr.)

The Whatever It Was Called by Antonioni is so bad, I could not believe my eyes. Well, unless you enjoy watching gorgeous girls writhing on a bed or dancing on the beach - naked. Oh, you think quite a few people would enjoy that? So did Antonioni. The whole thing looked like an extended male fantasy of a Maserati commercial. No characters or plot, not particularly interesting cinematography...It was just boring.

Bottom line, it was a strange idea to bring together three allegedly great directors on a single ticket, and it did not pay off. Go see it for the Soderbergh piece if nothing else. Wong Kar-Wai fans will be slightly disappointed, and Antonioni fans are beyond salvation.