This film is everything that most HK films are not: it has incredibly high production values, it's lush, revolves much around Konqu Opera, the pacing is languid, costuming deserves every award imaginable and the performances are perfect! Oh, and there's actually a script that doesn't meander all over the place making you feel like a rat in a maze! WOW! IMHO this film deserves to be up there with such classics as "Farewell My Concubine" and I don't understand why it hasn't received a world-wide release (to my knowledge anyway).

The plot? Did you really want to know? Well, on a very basic level it's the story of two very different women, Jade and Lan, who become friends and then some during the 1920-30s (or so). We meet them both during the elaborate birthday celebration for Lan's cousin; Jade is his fifth concubine. Eventually we learn that before her marriage Jade was an opera singer/prostitute(?) and her performances brought her to the attention of both Lan and her cousin (who we never really see except once or twice at a distance). From here the story reveals much about Jade's trapped and unhappy life, despite the oppulance that constantly surrounds her. Slowly this world is beginning to disintegrate as her husband squanders all of his wealth, lying about smoking opium constantly.

In some respects the less said about the story the better. There are no huge twists in the plotline and as I mentioned, it strolls along languidly, much like Jade as she passes her time circling the garden, carrying a bird cage and evesdropping on the family butlers. Recommended if you're looking for something different in a drama. Wonderful performances from Joey Wang, Rie Miyazawa as Jade and Daniel Wu as Joey's brief but significant love interest.