House of Flying Daggers

Hi All,
Put some chicken on the grill for me, alright? Meanwhile, I've got more films to review. I've been not wanting to go to bed lately so I've been watching movies on TV. The other night, 'House of Flying Daggers' was on. I love films that are visually pretty. Special effects are one thing (and Lord knows I love FX), but what I mean when I say 'visually pretty' is, something like what we see in 'Daggers.' This film is a feast for the eyes: bright red trees, blue mountains, stark white bamboo, emerald green fields, white wheat fields, and bright kimonos. And it stars everyone's favorite Chinese actress: 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' heroine Ziyi Zhang. That girl sure can kick a**! I've seen 'Daggers' before, and plan to pick it up on DVD eventually. It's highly recommended, if you like action and drama, and beautiful scenery.
The plot:
During the reign of the Tang dynasty in China, a secret organization called "The House of the Flying Daggers" rises and opposes the government. A police officer named Leo sends officer Jin to investigate a young dancer named Mei, claiming that she has ties to the "Flying Daggers". Leo arrests Mei, only to have Jin break her free in a plot to gain her trust and lead the police to the new leader of the secret organization. But things are far more complicated than they seem...

This film succeeds in that you start to trust the primary characters, only to learn that they, and their actions, aren't what they seem. It's equal parts action (lots and lots of classic Chinese fighting, complete with bamboo poles and darts, and yes, daggers), 'Romeo and Juliet' (there's an impossibly situated love story), and dramatic scenery (complete with slow motion, Matrix-style shots). I was amazed that even though I had to read the whole film (it's in Chinese, with subtitles), it translated very well. My favorite part was at the end, where there's a duel between several of our heroes, in the driving snow. The image of drops of blood falling on the pure white snow is awesome. It wasn't like those slasher films I mentioned before, where the blood was gratuitous. It was surreal, like they were in a fairy tale and someone had pricked their finger. Maybe they found another portal to Narnia? haha

Grade: A+

Have a great day with your families, or friends, or whoever. We here at CC are doing our duty should you need to call us. ;)

Cool Things About 'House of Flying Daggers'
1) Jin's royal blue kimono. I wanted to wrap myself in it. Hell, I wanted to wrap myself in HIM. He was gorgeous.
2) The snow. Who else wanted to yell, "Build a fort! Build a fort!"
3) Ziyi Zhang. Love her! She sure does kick some a**, for a tiny little girl.
4) The way these people could throw a spear and knock a dagger out of their path. I can barely throw a paper towel in the trashcan.
5) The Shakespearian plots. At times I felt like I was watching a Chinese version of various Shakespeare plays.

Have a few beers for me too, people. I'm not fond of beer necessarily, unless it's Guinness or Corona. But I'd take one today.
Have a good one!