AlternateViewpoint Reviews

House of Flying Daggers (2004)

Enter the fantasy & suspend disbelief

[8/10 · 14 May 2005]

The rakish hero, played by Takeshi Kaneshiro, & the perfect porcelain heroine, Ziyi Zhang, struggle bravely with the ancient human conflict between honor and love. A bonus for the 21st century is that this china doll is utterly self-sufficient and as dangerous and competent as her pursuers.

Embraced by the sensuous settings, the martial arts are more like dances and the dances like martial arts. Only the sex scenes bring us briefly down to earth, pleasantly heightening the contrast with the rest of the action.

The story is so timeless and the cinematography so entrancing that this film almost needs no English subtitles. Passion, danger, intrigue & taut direction - Yimou Zhang showcases his visual and cultural roots & his consummate skill as a director to hit the target spot on.

Did I like it?

I loved it!

Prelude to a Kiss (1992)

Does he kiss the frog? Do you care?

[7/10 · 8 June 2004]

Two very different people fall in love, get married and discover that one of them is even more different than the other imagined. What happened? Can true love triumph?

Watching this film reminded me of why I used to think Alec Baldwin was hot. Somewhere between then and now he forgot how to smile (what happened?); and in forgetting that, he hugely decreased his acting range (his nomination for Best Supporting Actor in *The Cooler* aside -- he doesn't smile in that film either!).

Back then, Baldwin was still capable of portraying whimsy & warmth, his character likable; Meg Ryan was still acting rather than playing her mid-90s formulaic "Meg Ryan" role.

Although its origin as a stage play kept peeking out in the style of dialog, the limited sets & the number of characters on stage at any one time, I like live theater.

Maybe that's why I LIKED *Prelude to a kiss*! Whatever. It snuck up on me. It's not *You've got mail*, but it's enjoyable entertainment, and a good chick flick.

Underrated.

Cold Creek Manor (2003)

Amazing how the major league critics can crush a good flick!

[8/10 · 10 April 2004]

I've seen way flakier movies that were smash hits. Most Hollywood thrillers & action movies have to be viewed with a willing suspension of disbelief anyhow. People do things they'd never do in real life. They ask stupid questions & accept answers that no one with a high school education and an IQ in even low triple digits would accept in real life. They walk away from falls, car crashes and burning buildings that would kill real human beings. They *split up* to look for the ghost/axe murder/evil demon! So, what's wrong with this one? I got involved. I got tense. I was on the edge of my seat.

I liked it.

The tension was built up without any reference to gory scenes, just creepy camera angles, shadows, the wind blowing curtains, the increasing feeling that Something Really Bad was just around the corner.

You get to see Sharon Stone looking almost like an ordinary human being. Dennis Quaid is his usual edgy self. Stephen Dorff does a great slide into madness.

If I'd believed everything I read about it, I never would've picked up the DVD. It's not Hitchcock, but it's definitely worth watching. Check it out.