2046
by Kar Wai Wong
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DVD details
Actor: Faye Wong, Li Gong, Takuya Kimura, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Ziyi ZhangDirector: Kar Wai Wong
Brand: Sony
DVD: Region Code 99
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); Cantonese (Original Language)
Format: Color, Digital Sound, Full Screen, Import, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen, 2.35:1
Running Time: 129 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2005-12-26
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
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DVD Reviews of 2046
DVD Review: Why can't it be like it was before?
Summary: 2 Stars
I believe Kar Wai Wong is one of the greatest directors this planet has ever seen. His ability to bring images and characters together cannot be compared to any other living director. He is original, energetic, and all together poetic with his form and style. Wong's work is what those infamous directors of Hollywood dream about at night. I was impressed with his gripping tale of love in Happy Together and mesmerized by his emotionally draining film In the Mood for Love. Wong is brilliant behind the camera, creating some of the most beautiful visuals ever to grace the silver screen. Alas, I can spend all day here speaking about this master's work, but it doesn't conceal the fact that 2046 was not his best work released. As a man who enjoyed Happy Together and In the Mood for Love, I was expecting nothing short of perfection with this film, yet somehow, I did not get it. I believe I was duped by the marketing behind this film. I must warn others that if you are renting this film expecting a science fiction film, you will be greatly disappointed. I even thought that it would follow a path similar to Blade Runner, but again, I was wrong. After watching 2046 all I could think about was Wong's refrigerator. This film reminded me of all the leftovers in Wong's fridge. If you took all the elements that made his prior films extraordinary and slopped them together on one plate, threw it in the microwave, and watched it cook, than you would be experiencing 2046. This film was nothing more than Wong's leftovers handed to us in hopes we wouldn't see through the charade.
Harsh words, I agree, but I didn't feel the emotional strain, the power of the characters, or the challenge of the story as I did with his prior two films that I experienced. Kar Wai Wong is a brilliant cinematographer, capturing some of the most beautiful images in film, I believe though that he didn't quite know what to do with them all in this film. In 2046, we are handed, nearly pounded down, with image after glorious image of characters attempting to build their lives together. With pastels, blurred backgrounds, and off centered camera angles, Wong has created one of the most beautiful films of 2005! Yet, no amount of beauty can honestly disguise leftovers. Everyone in the house knows what you are serving, there is no need to literally color-coat it. One of the images that annoyed me greatly was that centered around Tony Leung Chiu Wai and Ziyi Zhang in a taxicab after a night of drinking. We even revisit it later in the film, but was annoyed me about this scene is that it is exactly the same scene from Happy Together, nearly cut and pasted onto another film. The final conclusionary remarks of this film were completely reused from In the Mood for Love, while breathtaking in its own sense, it just didn't work for me to have all of these repetitive scenes. I wanted creative Kar Wai Wong, but all I was handed was a poorly spliced reprint of his older films.
Science fiction is a difficult genre to handle. A GOOD sci-fi film is a rarity. 2046 is not a science fiction film. For those considering this film due to the sci-fi press that it received, you will be surely misguided. There are moments in the film that are supposed to be in our future, but they are so poorly crafted that they distract from the already budding story. I believe it is these science fiction "train" elements were cheap, dull, and completely underdeveloped. In fact, they stole from the rest of the film. In 2046, it is not uncommon for you to find yourself completely caught up in a character, learning about their mannerisms and challenges, only to be snapped into this random world which trains have apparently become the dominate species. While other praise Wong's work in these moments of the film, I believe them to be very unlike Wong. These paper mache science fiction elements were not the reasons I first fell in love with Wong's work. While changing genres may work well for the likes of Spielberg and Ang Lee, for Wong it doesn't. Wong does better with his character driven stories that are simple, yet beautiful enough to keep your eyes on the screen. 2046 was so poorly developed that sleep seemed like a better option, and I hate to say that about Wong's work.
The characters were decent with the material they were given. Ziyi Zhang gives a Nicole Kidman-esque performance that should open up more and more doors for her. Her range is amazing, and I think that Wong captured it extremely well. This was less of a character-developed story and more of an actual plot, which is where I believe Wong theoretically shot himself in the foot. Wong need to keep with characters and beautiful scenery and his stories will then just fall into place. I must admit, this was a confusing tale. I was intrigued one minute and befuddled the next. 2046 is not a film for the light of film watchers. It is not your "date night" film, but instead one that needs to be watched with microscopes attached to your eyes to ensure that you do not miss any elements. I, a novice film watcher, had trouble following this film. Wong didn't fully have his direction tied on tightly enough with this film.
Overall, I wasn't impressed. I could not watch this film again. I saw what Wong wanted to accomplish with this film, I do not think that he had enough control over the finished product. 2046 reminded me of my first thesis paper. I knew what my thesis wanted to be, but it was buried so deep within my paper that it ultimately ruined the entire body of work.
Grade: ** out of *****
Description of 2046
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