2046 is not sci-fi. I was expecting it to be, but it's not.

It's more of a tone poem tribute to Ziyi's updo.

2046 is not sci-fi.

I disagree. While I wouldn't include it as part of my class 'This Is Sci-fi', I'd be much less likely to include it as part of my class 'This Isn't Sci-fi'. It has enough science fiction in it for one to safely group it with sci-fi, even if it isn't primarily sci-fi. Sci-fi, sci-fi.

ETA Rereading, those last two sci-fis make me look like a raving jackass, when they were meant to point up my overuse of the term.

For me, because he's just talking about one concept, and it occupies little futuristic story space (it's a simple metaphor), it doesn't make the skiffy cut for me.

I don't know, I think since 2046 is such a significant year, that the movie (along with a lot of other objectives) is trying to say something about our future (what, exactly, I'm not really sure). That's my definition of sci-fi (a story about a possible future/parallel society that comments on our own.)

Saw V. Liked. May see it again next weekend, since a friend who wanted to see it couldn't make it.

One person I saw it with thought it was lovely and well done and was quite discomfited by it. She understood that the things she found disturbing were supposed to be disturbing, but even so.

I found most of the changes fairly elegant -- I was sad about losing some of the subplots, but there was really no way to include them all. Overall I was impressed with how faithful it was, really. A lot of things that I'd assumed would be dropped were in there.

I have to ruminate on it, since it's just a blur of images at the moment. But I'm fairly amazed by my newfound feelings of respect for the Wachowskis.

I generally also like Zacherek's reviews, even when I think she's smoking monkey crack. I know she and Charles Taylor (back when he drew a paycheck from Salon) were very polarizing to some readers, but I appreciate their willingness to stake so much on rather idiosyncratic aesthetics, much like I appreciate Pauline Kael's willingness to do so, even when Kael was into the 1960s & 70s version of monkey crack (which was simian acid and primate blow, maybe?).

Saw V. Liked.

Likewise.

2046 was a room number before it was a year. I felt that they were talking about love, loss, regret and the things you can't get back.

I know she and Charles Taylor (back when he drew a paycheck from Salon) were very polarizing to some readers

Can anybody tell me where Charles Taylor has gone? I always thought he had a pretty interesting take. He still occasionally does book reviews for Salon but no films.

Fiona, read this interview with him--it goes into his leaving Salon, and other stuff about Salon's Arts and Entertainment department.