Ssang-hwa-jeom

Wow, what a terrific movie! I originally just wanted to see it because of the "hot Asian men in love" theme, but it delivered so much more than that. Palace intrigue equal to anything Shakespeare ever wrote, for starters. The relationship between the leads, the king and his bodyguard, is intense to watch but the story spins out beyond that in multiple directions. Aside from the story, the film is just beautiful in terms of gorgeous sets, vibrant colors and fabulous costuming. I wanted to pause about a dozen times just to get decorating tips, since I love Chinese furnishings! Add in beautiful actors (and let's face it, one with a particularly nice butt), and the visuals alone are compelling. Without giving away anything, suffice to say that the palace intrigues keep exploding until the probably-inevitable conclusion. Truly an interesting ride from beginning to end. And yet another refreshing break from the mountains of Hollywood drivel. I'd sooner watch this again than another "car chases and explosions" piece of garbage anytime.