Eros (Wong - Soderbergh - Antonioni)

This tripartite film was something I had been looking forward to for a long time. Just by hearing the word Eros in connection with the names Steven Soderbergh and Wong Kar Wai (I had never heard of Michelangelo Antiononi before), I envisioned extreme close-ups of sweat-skin twinkling in the morning sun, moments of doubled silence afterwards, waiting for the coffee machine to finish, and maybe even a turquoise skirt covering the camera lens. I was wrong.

While I've always been a fan of Wong Kar Wai's bittersweet poetry, but his contribution "The Hand" seemed to be a repetition of In the Mood for Love and 2046. Nothing bad about that of course, but as I said, the man has a tendency to repeat himself. I feel it is time to break your own tradition, Mr. Wong.

Moving on to Soderbergh, I truly enjoyed his interpretation of the "eros" theme as something in between dream and reality, a yearning as much as it is a frustration. Soderbergh definitely outmatches his colleagues here.

But oh my god, Michelangelo Antonioni's version looked as if it was made by a banned priest, trying to rediscover not only his earthly roots as a first year's film student, but also his penis.

My final judgment: take Soderbergh's wit, Luisa Ranieri's body, and Wong's photography. But whatever you do, do not use Antonioni's dialogues!!

Eros, WongKarWai, Soderbergh, Antonioni