Movie Haiku - 2046, Team America & Closer

2046
Dir: Wong Kar Wai
Cast: Tony Leung, Zhang Ziyi, Faye Wong, Gong Li

Playboy in hotel
lush lament on love and loss
inspires sci-fi pulp

This is a semi-sequel to In The Mood for Love (which I really wanted to like but found a bit too long-winded) that was stuck in the editing room for many months. The result is a slow, loosely structured journey through Tony Leung's past relationships as he reflects on his life and seeks inspiration for the sci-fi novel he's writing. It's a rich, moody film, with excellent cinematography - as always - from Christopher Doyle. Zhang Ziyi in particular stands out with a really strong performance. A perfect cinematic gem to get lost in.

soulmining rating: *****

Team America: World Police
Dir: Trey Parker
Cast: Trey Parker, Matt Stone (voices)

Puppets not actors
swear, sing, dance, shag, fight, save world
laugh at the panthers

Oh, if only the Thunderbirds movie had been like this. So the South Park team do their best to offend every minority group that they can whilst focussing their satire squarely at the American war on terror, Hollywood liberals, and the blockbuster action movie industry. Some targets work better than others; the use of songs to highlight every blockbuster cliche in the book especially hits the nail on the head, but sadly the political stuff is a lot more miss than hit. Worth seeing if only for the ludicrous fight scenes between Team America and the members of FAG (Film Actors Guild). Great marionettes too!

soulmining rating: ***

Closer
Dir: Mike Nicholls
Cast: Jude Law, Natalie Portman, Clive Owen, Julia Roberts

Natalie loves Jude
wants Julia weds Clive fucks
Natalie leaves Jude

This movie so makes me want to see the play performed live on stage. I love the way that it only shows us the beginnings and endings of each relationship, all the stuff in the middle is superfluous. The dialogue is superb - it actually sounds like what real people say to each other - and is backed up by four universally terrific performances. The first absolute must-see film of 2005.

soulmining rating: *****