Movie Review: Curse of the Golden Flower

I appreciated the stunning visual imagery of Hero, and I went to this movie expecting something similar, although (based on the reviews) significantly less powerful.

I got pretty much what I expected. Curse of the Golden Flower has some scenes that look simply amazing; grandiose in both scope and color. It has tragedy aplenty (think Hamlet, only add on that he's bonking Ophelia without realizing she's his sister, while he's also having a reluctant affair with his mother) and this was almost enough to make it worthwhile. But in the end, it is too long, too impersonal, and too overdone. It's definitely no Crouching Tiger.

I had only a vague interest in the outcome of the battles, who would win the throne, and who would commit ritual suicide. Curse of the Golden Flower is pretty but ultimately empty, and as such it's difficult to recommend.