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The online film magazine Combustible Celluloid offers new movie reviews, DVD reviews, film reviews, actor interviews, actress interviews, director interviews, film books and all things cinema related for the thoughtful and passionate. Online for ten years! Over 3000 reviews!

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Curse of the Golden Flower (2006)

Rating: 1 Star (out of 4)

Making Matters 'Curse'

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

Buy Curse of the Golden Flower on DVD

We're witnessing the death of the martial arts movie, and Zhang Yimou's slow, ridiculous Curse of the Golden Flower is one of the first -- and perhaps one of the last -- coffin nails. Frankly, not even Chow Yun-fat and Gong Li, two of the world's most impressive actors, can inject any dazzle into this dud. The main problem here is that Zhang is a staid director, best known for his use of colors, and more suited to still, quiet images than to action. Zhang's Hero was divided up into neat, color-coded set pieces that worked beautifully, but Curse of the Golden Flower is a confusing sludge. This problem is exacerbated by the fact that it's based on a play (by Cao Yu), and Zhang has decided to remain slavishly devoted to its pages rather than having a bit of fun. It's like a droning, extended Hamlet, when it could have had a bit of bounce.

(Please read my full review at cinematical.com)

Starring: Chow Yun Fat, Gong Li, Jay Chou, Liu Ye, Chen Jin, Ni Dahong, Li Man, Qin Junjie
Written by: Zhang Yimou, Wu Nan, Bian Zhihong, based on a play by Cao Yu
Directed by: Zhang Yimou
MPAA Rating: R for violence
Language: Mandarin with English subtitles
Running Time: 114 minutes
Date: December 22, 2006