Eros (2004)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

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 | China | 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 Vaud) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Italy:T | Argentina:16 | Hungary:16 | UK:15 | South Korea:18 | Hong Kong:III | Japan:R-15 | Singapore:R21 | USA:R

Company:

Roissy Films

Soundtrack:

Slow dance For Loves-2

Two out of Three...

I saw this movie at the Toronto Film Festival, on the suggestion of friends who were very excited about Wong Kar Wai's short in particular. I had never seen anything by that director, but I was interested enough in the concept of the movie (three short films by three directors of different nationality) to go along.

The first short, Wong's 'The Hand', is excellent; it is touching and powerful. The acting is so good that the sub-titles are barely necessary; the emotion in their voices conveys meaning in itself. I enjoyed this enough to want to see more of the director's work.

The second is Steven Soderbergh's 'Equilibrium', and it's the sort of film that I sometimes think the West has forgotten how to make. It's a funny, fast-paced bit of banter between two excellent actors (Alan Arkin and Robert Downey Jr.), both of whose professional lives are thrown off balance by women. Also, despite its short running time,it manages to stick in a number of amusing plot twists.

Which brings us to the third short, Michaelangelo Antonini's 'The Dangerous Thread of Things'. As my friend put it: "Like so many directors, he got old and he got horny". This is a shocking combination of bad acting, pointless storytelling, and unnecessary nudity...and this is not just my opinion; by about halfway through, most of the audience was laughing with embarrassment and more than a few were leaving the theatre.

So, in conclusion, Eros is a film of contrasts: two excellent pieces of cinema and one piece of garbage. If you like the work of Wong or Soderbergh, I highly recommend this film. If you are an Antonini fan, stay away...it'll just upset you.