Episodic film collaborations, in which a number of directors each contribute a short segment, can be great entertainment, especially if the collection allows the viewer to compare and contrast how each director’s distinct style is applied to the common theme, be it love (Eros), disaster (September 11), change (Visions of Europe), a place (the upcoming Paris, je t’aime), people in a place (Four Rooms), a central character (The Hire series), or even a collection of work of a playwright (the Beckett on Film project). This type of collaboration is also often a great opportunity to get exposure to an unfamiliar director.
Three… Extremes introduced me to Chinese director Fruit Chan, whose segment “Dumplings” plays first here, followed by “Cut” by Korean director Park Chan-Wook (Old Boy, Joint Security Area) and finally “Box” by Japanese director Takashi Miike (Audition, Ichi the Killer). The tagline, “From the Nightmares of 3 Horror Masters,” should be fair warning that there isn’t much creative glue holding these three shorts together, other than someone’s desire to capitalize on the surge in popularity of Asian horror films.
The little I read before watching the DVD suggested that Chan’s “Dumplings” would be the strongest entry. Granted, “Dumplings” is beautifully photographed. I am convinced that Christopher Doyle could shoot drying paint and make it seem compelling. He probably has. And the score is effectively tense, perhaps exceedingly so. The story — one woman’s quest to regain youth by knowingly consuming the titular delicacies, which we quickly learn are stuffed with a truly revolting filling — has tremendous potential, like the best of the horror genre, to provoke and disgust while providing layers of social commentary. Unfortunately, the storytelling could not be more, well, bland. (Apparently the second DVD, which I did not rent, contains a feature-length version of “Dumplings.” I’m not up for seconds, though, thank you.)
Park’s entry, “Cut,” is also a disappointing effort from a talented filmmaker. Here a poor, disgruntled (and clearly disturbed) actor abducts and tortures his director, all because the director has displayed the unforgivable flaw of being both successful and good-natured. That is meant to be funny. This story could very well be inspired by one of Park’s nightmares, if for no other reason than, like most dreams, the film ends abruptly an absurdly.
But Miike’s “Box” contains real cinematic treasure, much to the credit of the writing and editing, which are essential to the beautifully elliptical, emotional way the story unfolds. I regret that I can’t say more, because to do so would spoil the experience. The film employs some of the J-horror staples: a creepy long-haired girl, dank institutional-looking settings, blue-green hues, and a suspenseful score. But even if you don’t care for the genre, this “Box” is truly worth opening.
Here are this morning’s Oscar-nominated films, alphabetically. The nominees for foreign language film and documentary feature are compiled at the end of the list. (Short format nominees are listed in a 
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