A "Banquet" of Laughs?

[Berri]

A "Banquet" of Laughs?


More on the Banquet




It seems as though Feng Xiaogang's "The Banquet" has not been getting the kind of reaction during early showings in China that he might have hoped, with reports emerging that the film has left audiences howling with laughter. The film is apparently filled with moments of unintentional humour, mainly due to the use of modern vernacular in the period setting, excessive visuals, overwrought emotions, and the performances of actor Ge You, usually known for his comic roles, and starlet Zhang Ziyi, who is supposed to be playing a character known for great shrewdness and political cunning, but who is said to spend most of the running time pouting and fluttering her eyelashes. Critics have not responded particularly well to the high profile film either, calling it an obvious attempt to imitate the works of Zhang Yimou and describing it as shallow beneath the lush visuals. Some have even gone so far as to suggest that Feng Xiaogang may have been attempting to create a parody of the recent spate of big budget films such as "The House of Flying Daggers" and Chen Kaige's infamous "The Promise". The director has obviously not been too pleased with the film's reception, saying that he really doesn't understand the laughter or why it is not being taken seriously as a tragedy. Still, these are early days and "The Banquet" will soon be making its international debut at the Venice International Film Festival, so it will be interesting to see the reactions from Western critics - no doubt poor Feng Xiaogang will be hoping for a little less hilarity.
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