Somewhere, J.D.’s laughing at me, I feel fairly sure.
Okay, I get the premise of this film. Princess Raccoon is actually a raccoon spirit trapped in a human body who falls in love with a human prince with typically dramatic results. It’s a fairy tale!
It’s got singing and dancing and huge musical numbers. It feels a lot like a lot of film productions of The Nutcracker do where it seems to be shot on a theater set. But mostly…my head hurts.
My head hurts from the talking golden frog and the weird raccoon masks. My head hurts because of the weird scenes in which the Prince and Princess go sailing down a stream that’s straight out of a Japanese watercolor. My head hurts because that was an awful lot of pretty costuming and scenery to jam into my brain in a very short time period.
My brain can’t quite churn through it all. I liked the story, but it feels like the plot takes a distinct back seat to whatever the director can shove into the movie like golden raccoon traps and an enormous palace full of singing guards and simpering handmaidens. The costumes are to die for. The makeup’s exquisite and Zhang Ziyi is awesome in this (I can see why J.D. loves her so).
I really, thoroughly enjoyed it. It was out of my comfort zone, but in a great way. The problem is, I’m not quite sure to put into words exactly what Princess Raccoon is because I’m not quite sure there’s been anything in my memory, at least, that can even serve as a reference point for this movie.
It feels odd that a movie should leave me stricken and at a complete loss for words, but Princess Raccoon managed to do just that. It’s…almost indescribable.
It’s pretty, but it felt like such a mind-bender. It’s the cinematic equivalent of having a double shot of warm sake with a peyote chaser. It’s a bizarrely beautiful movie. In its oddity, there’s a lot of awesomeness there.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to lie down and take a few aspirin. I have a feeling this movie’s going to give me some fairly weird dreams.
*giggles*
Thank you, Caitlin – you’ve proved to me that this is the movie that I will force everyone I know to see until the end of time just to mess with them.
And FYI, the Princess is actually a tanuki, who are a major staple of Japanese folklore, and they aren’t actually raccoons. But since we’re westerners, we can’t understand that, so they lie to us. Yay.
Zhang Ziyi is awesome in this (I can see why J.D. loves her so).
*swoons*
But since we’re westerners, we can’t understand that, so they lie to us. Yay.
Okay, I feel like I understand this movie perhaps a LITTLE bit more now, thankfully.
Thank you, Caitlin – you’ve proved to me that this is the movie that I will force everyone I know to see until the end of time just to mess with them.
I knew it, J.D., I knew it! God, I was eating while I was watching this and I was so confused by the movie that I had to stop eating. I kept missing my mouth with the fork because I was so focused on figuring out what in the goodness was actually going on.
Be-yoo-tiful. <3
Now, I’m trying to think of something more weird, but I can’t think of anything… maybe Mulholland Drive with a Cantonese language track? Just thinking out loud.
But since we’re westerners, we can’t understand that, so they lie to us. Yay.
Yes, but those of us who grew up playing Super Mario Bros. 3 know exactly what a Tanuki is! (It’s a little Italian guy in a racoon looking costume, right?)
This movie sounds pretty incredible. I think I might have to give it a go.
Now, I’m trying to think of something more weird, but I can’t think of anything…
I have no idea. I’d say anything David Lynch made in general in any Asian language would be brain-hurting.
Seriously, though, thank you for recommending it, because as hurt-y as it is, ( ;) )it was really pretty and I enjoyed it.
This movie sounds pretty incredible. I think I might have to give it a go.
I wish I could describe it for you but…it really has to be seen. I don’t know whether you’d like it or not. I think you could definitely appreciate it, if that makes sense.
It is! See it, everyone. It’s sort of madcap! ZIYI!
You’ll never see anything like it, and if you do, may God have mercy on your soul.
I don’t know whether you’d like it or not. I think you could definitely appreciate it, if that makes sense.
I like just about everything. Good, bad, weird….it’s all kosher.
andrew, I’d vote that you give it a whirl, then, see what you think.
I’d suggest you have some of that home-brewed beer on hand, though, just in case. :D
I’d suggest you have some of that home-brewed beer on hand, though, just in case. :D
I’ll keep that in mind. Chase it with a little mescalin….we’ll be having fun in no time.
Chase it with a little mescalin….we’ll be having fun in no time.
Beware of the flashbacks, andrew!
Beware of the flashbacks, andrew!
Story of my life, man.
Anyways, speaking of kooky flicks. I watched Kontroll last night. It’s a Hungarian film. From the guy who directed Vacancy. Anyone here seen it? I thought it was bitchin’ ass rad.
andrew, I’ve never even heard of that! I’ll have to check it out!
andrew, I’ve never even heard of that! I’ll have to check it out!
I’d recommend it. It’s got a bit of the look/feel of Daywatch, except that it’s not a special effects tour de force. Just very atmospheric. Good mix of comedy/suspense/and even a little action.
This looks crazy. But the second I read “It feels a lot like a lot of film productions of The Nutcracker do where it seems to be shot on a theater set” I decided this wasn’t the movie for me.
andrew, I will totally Netflix that. Thanks for the rec! Disappointing that the same dude made Vacancy, though. (God, how depressing is that?)
But the second I read “It feels a lot like a lot of film productions of The Nutcracker do where it seems to be shot on a theater set” I decided this wasn’t the movie for me.
Yeah, it really does have that stage feel to it, and I’m not going to lie to you, Scott, a lot of people would probably really dislike this movie and/or be in a lot of discomfort from it. :D
Disappointing that the same dude made Vacancy, though. (God, how depressing is that?)
Heh, I didn’t even bother checking Vacancy out. Is it really as bad as I keep hearing?
Kontroll was the directors (his name’s Nimrod! How awesome is that?) debut. Maybe he just got in over his head with vacancy.
Is it really as bad as I keep hearing?
I never saw it, but the reviews I read were atrocious. Terrible, terrible stuff, apparently.
I keep meaning to subject myself to it, but I haven’t worked up enough courage yet.
Maybe he just got in over his head with vacancy.
First time director States-side? I’d be willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, as I feel certain that the studio and others interfered quite a bit.
I’d be willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, as I feel certain that the studio and others interfered quite a bit.
And that infernal Luke Wilson. He probably didn’t help much.
Just kidding, I got no beef with him.
To join this conversation… really, really liked “Kontroll” which has mood and atmosphere in spades. The best thing about “Vacancy” were these little shrieks of music that popped up on the soundtrack during some scenes. Pretty unnerving, but the film amounts to very little. I’ll def look for this guy’s next film though.
“it really does have that stage feel to it,”
Huh? It should — and also be visual in that regard — because there are scenes which are obviously performed on a stage.
All in all, this film is a must-see. But be forewarned:
1. You must watch it more than once.
2. The more often you watch it, the more you fall in love with it.
3. Ziyi is the 8th wonder of the world, but knocks the other 7 down a notch. YUM!