Eros (2004)

Correct. . .four stars for a bit more than 2/3 excellent

Two well-crafted erotic tales sandwiched around a cartoon intermission directed by Steven Soderbergh.

The first, and best of the short films, "The Hand" is both moving and erotic. The third, "The Dangerous Thread of Things" is muddled. . .but it steams, and thus deserves its place in an collection of erotica. The second, well. . .

(Sssh. I enjoyed it. It made me laugh. It is insightful. It is a sketch of two interesting, memorable characters. But here's my theory: the producers asked each filmmaker to make something erotic. Soderbergh simply misheard and made something neurotic.)

Each film is introduced by captivating, surreal animation--a tie that binds the collection--a joy to watch themselves.
August 10, 2008

Antonioni's segment isn't that bad, but in fact, rather good....

I may be the only one on this review thread to say this, but I think the trashing of Antonioni's segment is very short sighted. The Dangerous Thread of Things (a great title) is very Antonioni like, with excellent compositions and some really beautiful, haunting moments. The dialogue isn't the greatest (and the actors are dubbed into Italian, which doesn't help), but visually it's superb. Many have said that Antonioni's use of nudity was gratuitous, accusing Michelangelo of being a dirty old man (he was 94 when he made this). Similar accusations were leveled at Stanley Kubrick following Eyes Wide Shut (which had many similarities to Antonioni's work). It didn't feel like an exploitation film at all (as some have said). Wong Kar-Wai's segment is very much like his other work, haunting, sad, and quite moving, even though there isn't any real nudity. Soderbergh's segment, while occasionally amusing (Arkin and Downey give good performances), doesn't belong in a film about eroticism. There's nothing remotely erotic about it, other than Downey's character has an erotic dream of sorts (which isn't very erotic). So, I think Antonioni's segment is just fine, and Kar-Wai's is very good too. Like another reviewer said, the segments are too short, and it would have been nice if they were longer. This is worth renting for The Hand, The Dangerous Thread of Things, and the short film by Antonioni called Eye to Eye. August 21, 2007

Obsessive Love

I am going to cut to the chase and talk about my favorite out of the three -
which would be "The Hand."

I am fully aware of the fact that human beings have the tendency to pursue the unattainable with the utmost intense passion that sometimes, the term "pedestal" does not even begin to scratch the surface. If I were to compare this young tailor's obsession to something chemical, it was like watching a hollow heroin addict hopelessly devoted to the possibility of achieving his ultimate fix of love - from someone who was completely incapable of reciprocating such organic emotion.

We see it over and over again.
This type of "tragedy" takes up a huge chunk of the "love department" in the entertainment industry -
or at least among us melodramatic Asians...

But aside from the story -
it's worth it to watch just because the visual and emotional impact of this movie alone is indeed a work of art.
However, I would like to emphsize that my 5 stars only applies to "The Hand."
Sorry... May 29, 2007

Three Faces of Eros

"Eros" (2004) is the collection of three short films directed by Michelangelo Antonioni (segment "Il filo pericoloso delle cose"), Steven Soderbergh (segment "Equilibrium") , and Kar Wai Wong (segment "The Hand"). Each film explores the always exiting and mysterious subjects of love, sexuality, and desire.

My favorite is "The Hand" - a sensual, emotional, powerful and very sad story about a young tailor who put the years of unrequited love for a beautiful call girl in an exquisite dress he created for her. He knew the exact measurements from touch. This segment is so great that I am ready to buy a DVD just to be able to see it often. It is a brilliant work of art from one of the greatest working directors now.

Steven Soderbergh's "Equilibrium" is a funny duet between two excellent actors, Alan Arkin as a voyeuristic shrink and Robert Downey Jr. as his patient who has a reoccurring dream about a beautiful woman.

Michelangelo Antonioni's segment "Il filo pericoloso delle cose" aka "The Dangerous Thread of Things" has been called the weakest in the trio. Many posters call it garbage, the total waste of time, the soft -porn made by a man who "got old and got horny". I personally did not find it a waste of time and if the man at 92 wants to make a little film that celebrates beauty and femininity - so be it. I feel that Michelangelo's segment is much deeper than it seems - even on the surface it is very attractive to look at.

3.5/5 or 7/10
April 15, 2007

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. December 24, 2006

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