Three...Extremes
Variable Ratings
Rated R for Strong Disturbing Violent Content, Some involving Abortion and Torture, and for Sexuality and Language
"Three...Extremes" is aptly titled. An anthology of three Asian horror films from famed directors Miike Takeshi, Fruit Chan and Park Chan-Wook, they are designed to push all sorts of buttons. And they do. Asian horror has a reputation for being insane. One need look no further than "Three...Extremes" to see why. This is a movie designed for those with a love of the genre, an appreciation for the offbeat, and an affinity for the macabre.
"Dumplings"
3/4
Starring: Miriam Yeung, Bai Ling, Tony Leung Ka-fai
Some people will do anything to stay young. That includes Mrs. Li (Yeung), a former actress who is desperate to ward off aging. Any sign of sagging skin or wrinkles, and she freaks. She has turned to a woman named Mei (Ling), whose expensive dumplings can stop the aging process. As for what's in the dumplings...
"Dumplings" does what it sets out to do. It tells a simple story with a few legitimate shocks and scenes of dread. The premise doesn't sound like it would lend itself to horror (or any genre, really), but trust me. This one is as gross and depraved as they come. I'm surprised that the MPAA didn't hand "Three...Extremes" an NC-17 rating for this segment alone. Special praise has to go to the actresses, Miriam Yeung and Bai Ling, who convincingly play women who do things that no Hollywood film would dare approach. Warning: do not eat before, during or after "Dumplings."
"Cut"
2.5/4
Starring: Byung-Hun Lee, Won-Hee Im, Hye-Jung Kang
A hotshot filmmaker (Lee) comes home to find his house broken into. Before he knows it, he's tied up with a giant rubber band, his pianist wife (Kang) is tied to the piano with piano wire, and his captor (Im) knows everything about him. He's about to learn that being the nice guy can get you into trouble.
"Cut" takes a familiar genre staple (the talking killer) and expands it into a thoughtful, if grisly, morality tale. It bears more similarity to movies like "Saw" and, believe it or not, "The Dark Knight," than something by Edgar Allen Poe. Or "Halloween." There is a morbid, almost Tarantinian sense of humor that runs through this movie which offsets the horrific things that are going on. I imagine QT would get a kick out of this movie. Until it flies off the rails into meaningless metaphor (I guess), it's a good, if warped, little tale.
"Box"
1.5/4
Starring: Kyoko Hasegawa, Atsuro Watabe, Mai Suzuki, Yuu Suzuki
"Box" is a mess. Instead of a straightforward telling of a tale about guilt and paranoia, Takashi Miike elects to insert unnecessary gimmicks like flashbacks and surrealist dream sequences. None of his excesses have any point and only add confusion to a rather simple story. Worst of all, it's not shocking or scary. Just self-indulgent and boring.
What's consistent throughout these three films is how good they look. They're awash in color and creative lighting. So much so that they're worth seeing just to look at the images that are created. Surprisingly, there were three different cinematographers working on this project (one for each film). You could have fooled me.
"Three...Extremes" is not for everyone. Nor was it designed to be. This is a movie for hardcore horror fans who know that true shocks come not from gore or torture, but from how these things are presented. We've seen a mad slasher or torturer time and time again. But when emotions like desperation and jealousy are taken to psychotic extremes, then a movie can begin to live up to its genre standards.
I appreciate movies that push the boundaries and go outside the familiar. And for that, "Three...Extremes" gets a positive review from me.
Rated R for Strong Disturbing Violent Content, Some involving Abortion and Torture, and for Sexuality and Language
"Three...Extremes" is aptly titled. An anthology of three Asian horror films from famed directors Miike Takeshi, Fruit Chan and Park Chan-Wook, they are designed to push all sorts of buttons. And they do. Asian horror has a reputation for being insane. One need look no further than "Three...Extremes" to see why. This is a movie designed for those with a love of the genre, an appreciation for the offbeat, and an affinity for the macabre.
"Dumplings"
3/4
Starring: Miriam Yeung, Bai Ling, Tony Leung Ka-fai
Some people will do anything to stay young. That includes Mrs. Li (Yeung), a former actress who is desperate to ward off aging. Any sign of sagging skin or wrinkles, and she freaks. She has turned to a woman named Mei (Ling), whose expensive dumplings can stop the aging process. As for what's in the dumplings...
"Dumplings" does what it sets out to do. It tells a simple story with a few legitimate shocks and scenes of dread. The premise doesn't sound like it would lend itself to horror (or any genre, really), but trust me. This one is as gross and depraved as they come. I'm surprised that the MPAA didn't hand "Three...Extremes" an NC-17 rating for this segment alone. Special praise has to go to the actresses, Miriam Yeung and Bai Ling, who convincingly play women who do things that no Hollywood film would dare approach. Warning: do not eat before, during or after "Dumplings."
"Cut"
2.5/4
Starring: Byung-Hun Lee, Won-Hee Im, Hye-Jung Kang
A hotshot filmmaker (Lee) comes home to find his house broken into. Before he knows it, he's tied up with a giant rubber band, his pianist wife (Kang) is tied to the piano with piano wire, and his captor (Im) knows everything about him. He's about to learn that being the nice guy can get you into trouble.
"Cut" takes a familiar genre staple (the talking killer) and expands it into a thoughtful, if grisly, morality tale. It bears more similarity to movies like "Saw" and, believe it or not, "The Dark Knight," than something by Edgar Allen Poe. Or "Halloween." There is a morbid, almost Tarantinian sense of humor that runs through this movie which offsets the horrific things that are going on. I imagine QT would get a kick out of this movie. Until it flies off the rails into meaningless metaphor (I guess), it's a good, if warped, little tale.
"Box"
1.5/4
Starring: Kyoko Hasegawa, Atsuro Watabe, Mai Suzuki, Yuu Suzuki
"Box" is a mess. Instead of a straightforward telling of a tale about guilt and paranoia, Takashi Miike elects to insert unnecessary gimmicks like flashbacks and surrealist dream sequences. None of his excesses have any point and only add confusion to a rather simple story. Worst of all, it's not shocking or scary. Just self-indulgent and boring.
What's consistent throughout these three films is how good they look. They're awash in color and creative lighting. So much so that they're worth seeing just to look at the images that are created. Surprisingly, there were three different cinematographers working on this project (one for each film). You could have fooled me.
"Three...Extremes" is not for everyone. Nor was it designed to be. This is a movie for hardcore horror fans who know that true shocks come not from gore or torture, but from how these things are presented. We've seen a mad slasher or torturer time and time again. But when emotions like desperation and jealousy are taken to psychotic extremes, then a movie can begin to live up to its genre standards.
I appreciate movies that push the boundaries and go outside the familiar. And for that, "Three...Extremes" gets a positive review from me.
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