Steve Rhodes Reviews:
Chinese Box

A film review by Steve Rhodes

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"There are moments [when you] see your life very clearly—things left undone," John laments to himself over his long unconsummated love affair with Vivian. They've always known they wanted each other, but they've let circumstances and spouses get in the way. (In Vivian's case it is not exactly a husband but rather a rich live-in lover named Chang whom she hopes to marry.)

From the wonderful director of THE JOY LUCK CLUB and the more recent SMOKE, Wayne Wang's new film, CHINESE BOX, is part romance and part homage to Hong Kong. His intentions are good, but the delicate story, which he cowrote, is never allowed to blossom. And the insubstantial script feels like it has "first draft" written all over it.

The story is set during the Hong Kong handover from Great Britain to mainland China. Full of the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong, the handsome cinematography by Vilko Filac suffers from excessive pixilization during long video tape sequences that cut into an otherwise luscious picture.

"Money, money, money—that's all you hear," John complains, which is ironic considering he is the author of the old book, How to Make Money in Asia. (He is shown scratching out the word "make" and putting "lose" in its place.) A journalist now, John is played by Jeremy Irons, who won the Oscar for best actor for his role in REVERSAL OF FORTUNE. John has a rare form of leukemia and is expected to die about the same time as the handover—one of the movie's many metaphors.

Gong Li, who was so radiantly beautiful in SHANGHAI TRIAD and so moving in one of my favorite films, TO LIVE, plays Vivian. Vivian, who escaped from the mainland, sees Chang as her future. But as she is an ex-prostitute ("hostess" to be more precise), he will live with her but never marry her. He "generously" arranges for them to be photographed in wedding clothes, but that's his limit.

The story's best scene has Vivian and John dancing close together at a New Year's party. Their tension is palpable as both are uncomfortable about their unrequited love. Vivian's eyes dart about the room, unable to look directly at John.

Maggie Cheung plays a con artist with a tragic background, whom John becomes obsessed with interviewing. Although Cheung's acting is intriguing, her character serves only to confuse an already unfocused narrative.

Two people enter the picture only to immediately commit suicide, to remind us of the potential tragedy of the handover. But the historical portion of the movie is given even shorter shrift than the love story.

Like John and Vivian's love affair, the movie generally leaves you feeling unsatisfied. I would have liked to know them better. The theme of two people who love each other deeply and who want to have an affair but can't has promise, especially with such strong leads.

CHINESE BOX runs 1:49. It is rated R for language, brief nudity, and some sexual content and would be okay for teenagers.

The film has already opened in much of the world and is just starting to open in the United States.

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