HOME / the breakfast table: An e-mail conversation about the news of the day.

Katha Pollitt and Andrew Sullivan

Movie Report

Posted Thursday, May 14, 1998, at 11:09 AM ET

Dear Andrew,

Sorry for the late reply, life got away with me--arranging the new shipment of bottled water down here underground, checking the Viagra supplies, putting the champagne on ice to celebrate the Cruise Missiles' birthday. Lots to talk about...

Saw "Chinese Box" last night by Wayne Wang. What a stinker! Jeremy Irons anguishes and languishes as a reporter based in Hong Kong as it prepares for transfer to China. He has leukemia of the brain, which makes him look wan and spiritual, a sort of male Jenny Cavilleri--and this is a Love Story: he pines for Gong Li,who once again wins the Looks-Most-Beautiful-with-her-Hair-in-a-Bun Award. But she is in love with Michael Forgethislastname, her Chinese boyfriend, even though he won't marry her because she used to be a prostitute. Lots of thumbtwiddling about Hong Kong, the East, the West, journalism, love, death, sex, sexism--but none of it adds up to much. Ruben Blades is Jeremy's guitar playing neer do well reporter friend. He was the only person who actually seems to be playing a character. Other tidbits: the credits list a bit player with the wonderful name of Emotion Cheung, and one of the songs on the sound track is called "I Want To Be Your Underpants."

Katha

Print This ArticlePRINTEmail to a FriendE-MAILShare This ArticleRECOMMEND...Get Slate RSS FeedsRSS
Katha Pollitt is a columnist at The Nation. Andrew Sullivan is a senior editor at the New Republic.
What did you think of this article?
Join The Fray: Our Reader Discussion Forum
POST A MESSAGE | READ MESSAGES
TODAY'S PICTURES
TODAY'S CARTOONS
TODAY'S DOONESBURY
TODAY'S VIDEO
Hallo, Berlin.55/091106_TP.jpg
Cartoonists' take on gay rights.17/091106_TC.jpg
High praise.4/091106_TD.jpg