Life of Pi (2012)

4.9/5

The film adaptation of Yann Martel's Life of Pi is one of Ang Lee's best films, and probably my personal favorite. The film hews closely to the book, giving us a story wrapped within a story. We are introduced to Pi (Khan) as he prepares a meal for his guest, a young writer (Spall) who has come to hear about Pi's miraculous tale. After a younger Pi (Sharma) gets shipwrecked while traveling to America, he somehow survives on a lifeboat alone with a tiger named Richard Parker. The writer has been told that the story will make you believe in God, although he has his doubts. But the more Pi recounts, the more we are drawn into his most unbelievable and incredible story.

I found the first 30 minutes of exposition intriguing but not quite fascinating enough given its lack of plot. After the freighter sinks, however, we are completely immersed in the story. And we let the movie take over. The special effects are without equal. I honestly had no idea how any of the scenes were filmed, what was CGI and what was real. Except for two shots with noticeable letterboxing (once vertically and once horizontally), every frame was a beautiful image to enjoy. And the 3D was used to perfection. There is one scene, one brief moment, that brings to mind the joy and exhilaration at the heart of movies, ever since the first film by the Lumière brothers. Everyone in the audience jumped out of their seats.

Irfan Khan is an exquisite actor; his performance is undeniably tender and moving. The rest of the cast, however, was not as impressive. But Khan is the heart of the story, and his telling is what's most important. Since seeing this movie, I have spent many nights pondering its meaning. It encourages and invites discussion. It sticks with you. It provides an open canvas on which you can put your own feelings and beliefs. And it is the best movie of the year so far.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0454876/

Taking Woodstock (2009)

3/5

Ang Lee's Taking Woodstock is a curious film because it seems to have an uncertain target audience. The plot follows Demetri Martin and his crazy mother Imelda Staunton who run a cheap hotel on the countryside. At risk for defaulting on their mortgage, they attempt to convince the music festival Woodstock to host in their city in order to gain heavy hotel traffic. Suffice it to say, the plot is not the film's strong suit. My favorite aspects of the movie were the characters and the acting. They were all fascinating personas, adeptly portrayed, but I feel like I have no idea why they did the things they did. I didn't really understand their motivations; their "complexities" remained wholly nebulous to me. I also enjoyed the comedy, but it felt very subdued and infrequent, as if it were not the main focus of the movie. I am not sure what the main focus of the movie was, in fact. Most of the filmmaking was not particularly memorable, including cinematography, editing, and music. All in all, I didn't find this to be a particularly impressive film, especially coming from Ang Lee, but it's not bad per se. I'm just confused as to its purpose.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1127896/

Hulk (2003)

4/5

Ang Lee's Hulk exceeded all my expectations. Going in, I wasn't particularly excited to be watching this unappealing and poorly-reviewed 140-minute adaptation of a comic book I never read. But Lee's expert direction quickly engaged me and all my self-imposed distancing faded. After an initially wobbly start (a habit of Lee's I now expect), I couldn't turn my eyes away. I lost track of time and got caught up in the story.

By far the best aspect of this movie is its story. Disregard the mediocre script and dull dialogue and instead focus on the characters and their motivations; you will find an epic, Shakespearean tragedy. The movie is a surprisingly mature examination of themes concerning familial relationships, love and sacrifice, and mistakes and second chances. Ang Lee allows the scenes to breathe; he lets silence and inaction talk, which went much appreciated by me. I was impressed by the honest performances by Jennifer Connelly, Sam Elliott, and Nick Nolte. (Eric Bana's titular performance left me underwhelmed.)

The visual style is unique; Lee is very aware of the movie's graphic novel roots. He uses moving panels, multiple angles, and special transitioning effects to create a one-of-a-kind viewing experience. Sometimes it was obtrusive, but more often than not it heightened the tensions and emotions. While such effects were fantastic, the computer-generated Hulk was (expectedly) a bit lacking. Even so, I think it held up rather well considering that it's 5 years old. The movie is (certainly) a bit overlong and not as tight as it could be, but at no part are you ever really disinterested. For that I am thankful, because I know a lot of 90 minute movies that feel a lot longer than this one did. If you know what you're getting into, I highly recommend this thrilling and serious action movie.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0286716/

The Ice Storm (1997)

4/5

I didn't know much about Ang Lee's The Ice Storm when I saw it, so it took me a while to internalize the time and place. But understanding the setting--70's suburbia in the midst of their own version of a sexual revolution--is integral to fully appreciating the film. The story looks at both the parents and children of a dysfunctional family, and each generation's exploration of freedom in sexuality and inebriation, both different and identical. It is a world so very far from ours, and at the same time so near, that we are able to laugh at the forgotten customs and traditions while simultaneously picking up on the tragic nature of their current expressions.

The Ice Storm examines the paradox of family: how we can distance those we grow closest to, how we can hate those we love most, and how we require security but want excitement. There is a sense of impending doom, a foreboding heaviness, that keeps you breathless in anticipation for the full running time. It is a testament to Lee's abilities that he can insert moments of laughter without cutting the tension. We always know that something will happen to these people, these people so desperate for release and escape. It is the inevitable outcome of human nature.

Technically, the movie worked well. The editing especially was stellar, as it interwove multiple stories with such immaculate precision that we not only remember every complex character, but we also understand their motivations, their wants and fears. The acting brought to life already strong writing. Still, a lot of the movie was just flat-out weird and unconvincing. As in other films by Lee, the movie was peppered with unnatural angles, discontinuous blocking, and bizarre compositions. Much of the cinematography seemed drab and underwhelming, but maybe that is the point? Regardless of any minor flaws, this film goes highly recommended by me.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0119349/

The Wedding Banquet (1993)

4/5

Ang Lee's The Wedding Banquet is a bittersweet comedy drama about cultural traditions, hidden sexuality, and familial relationships--how these three things can easily and confusingly intertwine. The plot follows a gay Asian American who agrees to a marriage of convenience to satisfy his nagging parents, but it gets wonderfully out of control when they arrive and demand an extravagant wedding banquet to celebrate. It is a rare treat for a movie to have a story as rich as this one while simultaneously attacking the viewer from all emotional and thematic fronts, never letting up until the fantastically touching closing frame. It is the kind of movie that makes you glad to be human, in all our frailty and folly, because we are in the end capable of goodness and decency. It is both moving and hilarious, but more importantly the movie has a determined sense of purpose. It has universal messages and is never afraid to venture into territory that might appear beyond its scope.

I liked the movie, it seems, in every aspect except the technical one. The filmmaking felt quite amateurish at times, with bizarre blocking and blunt editing every so often invading my enjoyment of the story. (A remarkable thing considering the editing in his next film, Eat Drink Man Woman, was probably the best part.) As in his following film, the first 20 or so minutes were weakened by stilted acting and mechanical dialogue. These disappear after the introductory scenes, but their presence at all is curious indeed. Despite these technical imperfections, the viewer becomes quickly entranced by Ang Lee's exceptional storytelling ability. This film should not be missed.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0107156/

Eat Drink Man Woman (1994)

4/5

Ang Lee's Eat Drink Man Woman is a touching comedy drama set in Taiwan about an aging chef and his three daughters. The film follows their romantic lives, their familial ties, and their expression of love for each other in the form of gastronomy. Wonderfully paced and exquisitely shot, the film shows us the ins and outs, ups and downs, and broad strokes and subtle nuances of each of these individuals' lives. We are drawn in by the accuracy of the characters; while sometimes bizarre and unexpected, their actions and motivations are believable. Take, for example, the character of Mrs. Liang. She was without a doubt the most hilarious person in this movie. Every time she spoke, I was holding my belly laughing. Yet she was also so human and I was able to empathize with her and understand her, though I disagreed with her.

The editing is by far the best part about this movie. The first twenty minutes were absolutely incredible. The first five or ten were spent on food preparation--if I hadn't just eaten before watching the movie, I probably would have been salivating. After that it introduces us to the father and each of the three daughters in precisely choreographed cuts. Every piece of the puzzle fit together so effortlessly. Even on a more macroscopic level, the editing finds a thematic purpose. Every so often Lee would intercut the movie with traffic patterns, ending on a close up of a lone woman trying to direct the entire hectic mess. I liked what it said about us trying to control our own lives, and how futile that can seem at times. The entire movie sets up common expectations that are thrown back at us upside-down at the end. You think you know how these people's lives will turn out? You don't. Do you know how your own will turn out?

The movie also failed on some fronts. I thought a lot of the acting, especially in the beginning, seemed stilted and false. The fact that this acting introduced us to the characters hurt the movie much more than if it had been placed somewhere in the middle, after we already knew how genuine and true-to-life the characters were. The fault lies in part with awkward, mechanical dialogue. Also, the movie felt extremely dated. Even though it was made in the 90's, it felt like an 80's movie in fashion and hair style. These points are easily forgivable and can at least provide a healthy laugh. I highly recommend this film.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0111797/

Lust, Caution (2007)

4/5

Ang Lee's Lust, Caution is a magnificent film. Set in Japanese-occupied Shanghai, the story follows a college girl thrust into espionage and deception as part of the resistance movement. She pretends to be Mak Tai Tai, wife of a wealthy importer/exporter, in order to get close to their enemy Mr. Yee. She soon becomes his mistress, and their graphic intercourse is the cause of this movie's NC-17 rating. Although explicit, it is not extraneous; its inclusion is integral to the story, the style, and the message.

This film is a technical marvel. Visually, it's a masterpiece. The lighting, camerawork, and set and costume design are all expertly achieved. Never has a movie looked this good since Road to Perdition. The fluid pacing and editing make this two and a half hour movie feel natural and comfortable, not overlong. The music was well-composed and well-chosen and the acting was fantastic. Newcomer Wei Tang does more than just stand her ground against screen veteran Tony Leung. This is all to say nothing of the exceptional direction by Ang Lee. This film presents a fuller exploration of the themes touched on in Brokeback Mountain: people's secret needs, hidden lives, and aberrant sexual desires deemed socially unacceptable. The sex scenes were necessary; subtle details flesh out the characters and overall thematics. By combining eroticism with suspense and violence, Lee both involves us and increases our pulse. The startling, unexpected murder midway through is on par with the one in Hitchcock's Torn Curtain. And the haunting final shot is the perfect way to end the film.

Still, I am unsure about several aspects of this movie. The choice to use in media res was an interesting one. While it hooked the viewer, it simultaneously confused them. It starts with a four-player mahjong game, and we have no idea who the main characters are and therefore who to pay attention to (not to mention that we later find out that the main character is actually a spy and therefore someone else entirely). The fact that they all looked the same didn't help either. I saw the beginning of the film again immediately after finishing it and am quite sure it would have helped had we known this information beforehand. (Although I don't think a purely chronological timeline would have worked either.) Also, many scenes went on slightly too long or meandered purposelessly. And I was hugely shocked to see typos and inconsistencies in the subtitling. On such a major feature film? Please. Even so, I think this is a fantastic film and well worth watching if it interests you.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0808357/