Review of 2046

What a nice surprise it was to discover last night that Ziyi Zhang had a role in 2046. She's not only an amazing actress but also one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen on screen. She reminds me of a young Kate Moss, but with more refinement -- perhaps a little like Audrey Hepburn. Yet, there's something about her that is all her own, that cannot be compared to any other actress or beautiful woman.

It was hard getting into 2046's pace, but once the story became clear it turned into a great film to watch. I loved how the main character (a pulp author) lived in Wanchai, a place still renowned for its seedy hotels and prostitutes (oh, how I miss Hong Kong sometimes!) I kept waiting for scenes on streets that I knew as a teenager, but there were none; Hong Kong has changed so much since 1967 (the time in which the film is set) that I can see how difficult it would have been to have exterior shoots that captured that lost period. Instead, the director concentrated the story in the rooms 2046 & 2047 of the hotel, and in the memories of the writer. The soundtrack was brilliant; it made me think of my mother and whether she listened to the same music at the time (she was 22 in 1967 and she collected classical records just like the owner of the hotel.) And how brilliant was it to have a science-fiction story whithin a story set in the 60s? It reminded me of the novel Cloud Atlas, specially with reference to the android lovers.

I need to see 2046 again and pay closer attention to the story's chronology (the jumps back & forward were slightly confusing). In the end, I wasn't sure if the pulp writer's return to Singapore was a search for the young prostitute or the Black Widow. Perhaps it didn't matter, or was left as ambiguous as possible since the writer himself didn't seem to know who he loved.

Minnesota: The Coldest Buttfuck in America

Milwaukee, Minnesota, the third film we rented from the library this weekend, is actually set in the crumbling suburbs near Milwaukee, Winsconsin. But, as one of the fucktards in the movies says, "it might as well be Minnesota" -- the middle of nowhere looks the same, no matter how far you drive.

It's one of those effective small films, about a cute retard who can win thousands of dollars in fishing tournaments, and who inadvertently attracts the attention of various charlatans and scammers. It was the perfect low-key film to watch on Monday evening after a day at work. Some cute twists, some cute one-liners, a few beautiful shots of the desolate white snow, but not at all a classic.

However, a neat synchronicity took place:

I finished reading Crime and Punishment over the weekend and was looking forward to picking up something trashy, disposable and fast. One of my co-workers had promised to lend me Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, but when I didn't hear from her I headed over to the second-hand bookstalls by the river and grabbed Naked Prey from the Crime section. The novel takes place in North Minnesota, amidst the same kind of desolate scenario and freezing Winter that was shown in Milwaukee, Minnesota. One of the scenes in the novel describes almost perfectly the last scene in the film:

"As they crossed the river, Lucas noticed a dense spread of ice-fishing shacks at a bend to the north. A few were simply flat-topped boxes with doors, while others were more elaborate, with pitched roofs and American flags on door poles. Then the river was behind them and they followed the railroad tracks past the pastel Cape Cods and the dwindling businesses and quickly were back on the prairie."

I imagine that this is the kind of scenery rebellemichelle is used to seeing when she drives down to America for gigs. Those roads lead into small towns filled with folk who will look at you and know you are not from around there (as selfish told me once.) If you step into their bars, you are likely to see a middle-aged woman, dressed in a leather skirt, face creased by too many cigarettes and one-night stands, dancing to an old juke box. You'll wake up in the morning, have your diner breakfast, and be ready to skid the wheels out of town before the church ladies have even had time to remember your name.

I'd like to rent a car one day and cross America, or Canada... or both. I'd like to do it in the Summer though; Winter in North America can be a bitch.