WKW is fantastic. OTOH, Ang Lee is not a filmmaker you can dismiss off-hand. Despite completely absorbing Hollywood tendencies, his films can still be interesting and meaningful. I didn't hate Brokeback, but it's not one of my favorite films either. Considering what else was around that year I don't think the critical reception was surprising at all.
HAPPY TOGETHER chronicles the stormy affair of a gay couple (Hong Kong superstars Tony Leung and Leslie Cheung) living as expatriates in Buenos Aires. The two possess very divergent ways of dealing with the world; Lai is more responsible, holding down a job at a tango club, while Ho turns tricks for a living. Inevitably, they grow apart painfully, but when Lai finds Ho beaten severely by a bad trick, the pair set about making another try. Stunning camera work by cinematographer Christopher Doyle.
Posts: 2173 | Location: n/a | Registered: May 06, 2003
Are you calling the people that hated Brokeback "homophobics"? Holly ****. I´m straight and I think that Happy Together and Brokeback Mountain are two beautifull movies.Different but with a inspiring cinematography. Many of the most important films in Film History were made by gay people: Kiss of the Spider Woman, Gerry, Gattopardo, Almodovar´s work, Passollini´s Work,VISCONTI´s work, etc. Doesnt make you gay to like some films about homosexuality. Many gay people work in arts with brilliant results. You dont need to make a furious statement.
Posts: 309 | Location: lisbon | Registered: August 17, 2006
I generally only watch Tony Leung movies in which he shoots himself in the stomach at the end, but I'll make an exception for this. Looks excellent, and I really like the work of Chris Doyle, the self-proclaimed antithesis of Mel Gibson.
Edit: I didn't know Almodovar was gay, though it definitely makes sense now, given the, shall I say, "atypical" sexuality in his films. Interesting.
Posts: 598 | Location: Mobile, AL | Registered: May 10, 2005
and as far as the whole gay/not gay thing, I was merely implying that this is one of the few films that hasn't really acted like it was breaking ground, breaking walls, both with the film itself and publicity. its just a tale about ppl and love in a basic sense, which sadly is not how many films are made, especially for me coming from the type of place where sex and sexuality isnt generally discussed openly or even love in associated with emotions, its just too bad that i dont discover a film like this until 10 years after its been made
Posts: 2173 | Location: n/a | Registered: May 06, 2003
Just for clarification, my post was a joke. I don't pretend to be colorblind - but I'm not sure how the leads in HT being Asian configures anything.
Haha, my ex was Japanese, and for some reason she has this unhealthy obsession with J-rockers being homoerotic. I know neither of those guys are J-rockers, but I think it's just asian males in the throws of homoeroticism in general that make her little gears turn, or possibly anyone being homoerotic. She loved Brokeback Mountain for ALL of the wrong reasons.
I can't figure it out, and I just say to each his/her own. It wasn't meant as a racist remark or anything. Sorry if it came across as such.
Posts: 805 | Location: Jersey | Registered: September 07, 2004
I donno bout this man. Seems like this love story is the main premise here, why do these movies w/ homos have to be about their romantic affairs? The title "Happy Together" seems like a joke. I thought it was a joke at first. I'm not gon dig some movie like "Before Sunset" or some chick flick, so why would I watch this? Why can't these movies be original? Here's a good movie imo that just so happens to have gay people in it:
Posts: 389 | Location: Kansas City USA | Registered: June 23, 2005