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Three world-class directors put their auteurist stamps on this anthology of films dealing with sex, desire, and obsession. First, and best, is "The Hand," Wong Kar-Wai's ravishing drama set in 1960s Hong Kong. Chang Chen stars as an apprentice tailor who becomes enthrall to an imperious, tragically downwardly mobile courtesan (Gong Li). During their first meeting, she takes a hands-on interest in his sexual initiation, explaining that the memory will inspire him to make beautiful clothes for her. Steven Soderbergh lightens the mood with "Equilibrium," starring Robert Downey Jr. as a very anxious 1950s adman relating a curious dream to a very distracted psychiatrist (the always wonderful Alan Arkin). Last, and sadly, least, is Michelangeolo Antonioni's "The Dangerous Thread of Things" about an estranged couple, a tryst, and dancing nude on the beach. A world away from such towering masterworks asL'Aventura, it's elusive and pretentious, almost like anSCTVparody of 1960s foreign films. But here, for the more prurient viewers, is the earthy, gratuitious nudity and frolicking sex for which one might desire in a movie titledEros.--Donald Liebenson
An open letter to Antonioni and his two director pals "Dear Trio of Top Directors:
Women in see-through blouses do not an erotic film make. Eros depends on desire, excitement, passion, or the suggestion of same. The suggestiveness in your short features is to genuine eros as a sneeze is to a hurricane.
I've had more erotic moments than those depicted in your films in my travels. Heck I've had more erotic moments in my marriage than what is shown here (and my marriage is past the decade mark). Please spice things up next time.
Sincerely, This [Female] Reviewer."
My open letter above is not to say that these three short features don't have their positive aspects, but really, both the title and the cover art for this DVD lead you on, into thinking you are about to get some real heat, not talk-talk-talk and women in see-through blouses.
Now, some positive words. Feature 1, where Gong Li stars as a washed-up courtesan -- this feature is well-crafted, though a downer, and predictably so. At least it starts with an explicitly sexual situation.
Feature 2, with Alan Arkin and Robert Downey Jr., has a wondrous mid-1950s feel, but pretty much nothing erotic happens or is even talked about.
Feature 3 is by Antonioni and is called "The Dangerous Thread of Things." At first, this seems to be more talky-talk in Italian, see-through blouses, and off-point meanderings (visits to waterfalls, a restaurant, and a mysterious and lovely seaside fortification converted to an artist's retreat). While watching this feature, I at first thought, it's pretty auteur stuff, but pointless.
Upon reflection, I do think Antonioni is trying to show us something important about love. This feature depicts a man bickering with his wife, who is beautiful but frowning, and the same husband enthralled with a mysterious mistress, who is also beautiful, but also carefree and confident. For those men keeping score, you can compare their equally attractive naked bodies in the closing scene. The director's point appears to be to show something obvious (when love works, it works, and when it doesn't, it doesn't) and perhaps suggest much more ... WHY does love work? How much of love is in the attitude of the husband, and the attitude of the wife vs. that of the mistress? How do we break the donkey-trudging-around-a-well routine of many years with a spouse, and keep a smile? Can the wife adopt the joyous pose of the mistress and re-excite the husband?
Is love magic and ethereal, or does a happy confidence quite simply beget and nurture love?
It's too bad an auteur director such as Antonioni couldn't explore this theme a bit more clearly. At the risk of sounding like a Philistine, I would think a bit more Hollywood-style clarity for the Antonioni short would have helped his audience follow what I am only guessing is his point.
Boring and quite uneven The three stories are quite uneven, being the Wan Kar Wai's segment the most interesting: well acted, well photographed and with a kind of catchy story line. However, the other too are a wonderful invitation to sleep. The Steven Soderbergh tale is awfully dull and nothing really interesting happens. The Antonioni piece is the most disappointing one, not only for being the worst but for being Anyonioni's. It's absolutely pointless and confusing; in many instances, it seems to be an amateurish test from a lazy cinema student. It's a pity it's Antonioni's since his reputation deserves more than this. Only for the Wan Kar Wai piece, I give this movie 2 stars.Steven Soderbergh's is the Best "Eros" is three segments of short films by three directors. Two of the shorts are foreign, one is not and all center around the same theme: Erotica. The three stories are all unrelated, they're all told differently. And some are better than others. The three stories are titled "The Hand", "Equilibrium", and "The Dangerous Thread of Things" and I'll begin my synopsis of the film with "The Hand". It's directed and written by Wong Kar Wai and is either Chinese or Japanese, I can't really tell. This short I'm not going to bother explaining. It involves a tailor and a woman, and a certain thing she does with her hand. The film is strange and in my opinion not that good. The plot is barely there, it looks like Wai started with an idea that he lost along the way. The art direction and score are beautiful though. "Equilibrium" is written&directed by Oscar Winner Steven Soderbergh (Best Director, Traffic) returning to his indie film roots. "Equilibrium" is in English and stars Robert Downey Jr. and Alan Arkin. This film is also strange and after it was over it took me a second to figure out what the hell had happened, but it's great. It's about a guy (Downer Jr.) who's been having dreams about a womann and talks to his shrink (Arkin) about it. This short film is funny however due to Arkin. Arkin's character is completely uninterested in anything Downey is saying and spends the whole time Downey tells his story, looking out windows with binoculars or making airplanes and throwing them out the window and apparenntly waiting for someone to throw it back. This film is so demented and wacky, it's hard not to like it. Then we have the final short "The Dangerous Thread of Things" written and directed by Michaelangelo Antonioni. I'm in a bit of a stupor over where this takes place, but this film annoyed me early on because of the fact that it's already in a foreign language and is being dubbed in another foreign language. Even though I was reading the subtitles anyway, it still bothered me. But, anyway...This film is the most erotic of the three in terms of nudity and sex. This short doesn't really have a plot either, but is merely a series of meaningless events strung together. But, in a way it's quietly poetic. So, there you have it. But, look...If you're just some person who's looking to get a movie that's as close to porn as it can get...This movie is not for you. If you're a film buff who wants to watch a film that's gonna make them think. I guess this would be it. Frankly, I think they should just release "Equilibrium" separately because it's in a leauge of its own. Not everyone is going to like this movie, I myself will never watch it again. But, if you want to see it and you're intrigued by my review to see it, I would suggest renting it.
The Hand: C- Equilibrium: B+ The Dangerous Thread of Things: C+
