The Banquet
Starring: Zhang Ziyi, Daniel Wu, You Ge, Xun Zhou
A loose adaptation of Hamlet, “The Night Banquet” is set in an empire in chaos. The Emperor, the Empress, the Crown Prince, the Minister and the General all have their own enemies they would like to finish off at a night banquet.[IMDB]
The film has a very interesting premise yet I found it not so engrossing. Despite the lavish set and powerful cast, the film didn’t really meet my expectations. Zhang Ziyi tried so hard to play the role but it just doesn’t suit her. I like her better in House of Flying Daggers and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
The film has a dark theme of raw ambition, betrayal, and jealousy. However, I find the presentation so theatrical that I failed to really connect with the characters. I just hope it would have been presented with more depth so that scenes would become much more engaging.
Rating: 3/5
April 6th, 2008 at 4:24 pm
I’m trying to keep away from reading posts like this. It is totally meaningless. Ain’t it shame to post rubbish like this?
April 9th, 2008 at 9:48 am
Sir, yes sir! I’m agreeing with you, but I don’t think everybody do. You should not be so rude, it frightens of.