January 2007 (PDF) - Antigravity Magazine

PROJECTIONS In Pan’s Labyrinth, Mexicandirector Guillermo del Toroseamlessly weaves betweenthe fantastic world come tolife inside a young girl’s headand the all-too-real horrorof Franco’s fascist regime in1944 Spain. Young girl Ofelia(Ivana Baquero) and her ailing,pregnant mother arrive at a remote military post under thecommand of her barbarous new step-father (Sergi López ina monumental effort), Captain Vidal. Aided by the Captain’smysterious housekeeper (Maribel Verdú), Ofelia fi nds escapein an ancient overgrown labyrinth behind the compound.Here Ophelia fi nds a whimsical faun (Doug Jones) who givesher three formidable tests she must pass to regain her lostimmortality. Pan’s Labyrinth is an adult fairy tale. The fascistCaptain’s despicable cruelty stamping out a rebel uprising isrivaled only by his lust for a son to carry his name. Whilethe acting is impressive and the shifts from the real to theunreal truly remarkable, it is del Toro’s fearless fi nal scene thatproves the most extraordinary of all.—J.W. SpitalnyZhang Yimou’s Curse of theGolden Flower is a visualfeast set during the decadentChinese Later Tang Dynastyand centering on a dysfunctionalroyal family whose numerousskeletons tumble from theircollective closets for full display during the Chong YangChrysanthemum Festival. Chinese superstar Chow Yun Fatreigns as the Emperor, while his beautiful, ailing Empress GongLi carries on an illicit affair with her eldest stepson, the CrownPrince Wan (Liu Ye). Trouble is, Prince Wan is in love with theImperial Doctor’s daughter Chan (Li Man), who happens tobe ministering the Empress with an hourly medicine meant todrive her mad at the Emperor’s behest. What’s an Empress todo but embroider 10,000 chrysanthemums and plead with theEmperor’s second son, Prince Jai (Chinese pop star Jay Chou)to stage a coup. The art direction and costumes are stunninglybrilliant with battle sequences that evoke both Hong Kongaction and Busby Berkeley brilliance. The colorful gilded palaceand ceremonious calling of the hour so overwhelm the sensesthat you feel the Empress isn’t the only one affected by badmushrooms. And just how bad ass is Chow Yun Fat’s Emperor?Think on this: he purposefully makes his woman a crazy assbitch. And she’s Gong Li, in fever sweats. Never before have Iwatched a picture where I turned toward another critic as wegave each other simultaneous thumbs up. Curse of the GoldenFlower is that kind of fi lm. If this were an episode of CSI: LaterTang Dynasty, the Emperor would have the CSIs dispatched byninja assassins before the fi rst blood test kit even opened. Thatsaid, this fi lm is not for everyone: another viewer who left thescreening early said “It’s Japanese, and they’re speaking Englishat the bottom.” It’s in Mandarin Chinese with English subtitles.Thank you for playing.—J.W. Spitalnyantigravity: your new orleans music and culture alternative_25