Millennium Mambo
Picture: B-
Sound: B- Extras: C+ Film: C+
Hou Hsiao-hsien wants to do a series of films that show
the changing Taiwan, beginning with Millennium Mambo (2001) that has
neither anything about the new millennium or anyone dancing the mambo. What it does have is every cliché I have
seen before in Asian cinema imports as Vicki (Shu Qui) goes form hostess to
love triangle between her live-in boyfriend Hao-hao and real-life gangster
Jack. She also takes Ecstasy and is
self-destructive.
As I watched, I was more and more bored, not caring about
anyone or anything. The characters were
never fully developed, the organized crime part is lame and nothing of interest
ever develops. If the idea was to
create something atmospheric, I would have been better off watching Michael
Cimino’s Year Of The Dragon (1985) while running a few vaporizers in
front of the screen. The actors are
passively good, but really given nothing to do. Any changes here told me nothing about Taiwan. Anything that might one have been exotic or
interesting has been played out in a hundred other imports.
The anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image is soft and
drained of color throughout, continuing the purposely “ugly” look of current
music videos that is tired and off-putting.
If this played-out look actually said something, that would not be a
problem, but it tends to be as clichéd as the film itself instead. All it can do is echo the look of far better
motion pictures, not be the feigned “realism” it would like to stand for. The sound is also a surprise disappointment,
including the 5.1 DTS and Dolby Digital mixes that offer little in the
surrounds and too much up front sound.
The DTS is fuller, and is the better mix, by default. Extras include a brief interview with
director Hsiao-hsien, a few trailers for this film, a few more for other Palm
releases, weblinks, extended/deleted scenes that would not have helped
otherwise, weblinks and a couple of filmographies. This is only for the most interested.
- Nicholas Sheffo
