SparkMore n my opinion it was a great movie with some interesting elements, even though having some plot holes and the ending probably was just too messy and crammed together, but still fun to watch and not your casual movie that is similar to all other ones.

Motompa Go in cold, and you're likely to emerge with your blood boiling. This has to be seen to be believed.

Bea Swanson This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

Bessie Smyth Great story, amazing characters, superb action, enthralling cinematography. Yes, this is something I am glad I spent money on.

Zen Bones I saw this last night and just can't stop thinking about it. This film is off-the-charts audacious in its blend of tragedy and dark humor, with cinematography that ranges from powerfully beautiful (the South African sequences reminded me of John Ford movies like "The Searchers"), to a seedy quality that subtly conveys the weirdness of its humor and unethical qualities of its characters. The film also never flinches from showing us such taboos as male nudity and the indignities of a terminally ill man. Like the movie "Babel," this movie contains three stories, two of which are set in far-off lands, all dealing with complex issues and tragic ignorance.The first story is about how practically an entire village in China acquires AIDS due to poverty-driven greed. The film's edge is in how it turns the tables on us psychologically; the people are not what they seem, and greed is not always clear-cut when it is a basic means of survival. The second story is a strange tale of a mother who handles the death of her husband and 'acceptance' of the fact that her son has AIDS in a way that leaves the viewer extremely perplexed and uncomfortable, which is actually a good thing. This film doesn't flinch from showing us AIDS stories we don't want to believe, such as those people who purposefully acquire it. It mixes dark humor with beautiful metaphors, such as the mother driving her sports car into an enormous pile of red leaves, until she's practically buried in it. The final seconds of that story leave a chilling print embedded on one's brain; what is this woman thinking?? The third story juggles a whole range of issues regarding ignorance, religion, greed, selfishness and selflessness, and balances them all on a head of a pin. One false move and the story would have come off as preachy or exploitational. Again, there is an iconic scene that stays indelibly in my mind; the beautiful and horrific sight of a woman's dead body lying under a thin blanket of mud.The entire film does has some rough edges, which may at first put some viewers off. I found Olympia Dukakis' narration a bit difficult to accept at the beginning of the movie (during a strange and fascinating African ritual of male circumcision), but it all comes together by the very end - in fact, quite powerfully. The film also jumps back and forth in past and present, which may at times seem confusing, but the ultimate effect makes us reread our initial assumptions. And the first film in particular is quite slow, although again, I think there was a point to its languorous pace. We all know that the disease in question in this film is AIDS, but the location used in China is so rural that one feels that the time period could be any time in the past fifty years. In fact the circumcision scene at the beginning of the film makes one unaware of even what century we are witnessing! That I think, is the director Thom Fitzgerald's genius. I read a review that criticized this movie for not mentioning the word AIDS, which actually I was unaware of. But the fact is; this movie could be about any disease, as even the Chinese initial reaction to SARS was one of denial. This film does certainly illustrate the stigma associated with AIDS, but the fallout is much deeper than sexual practices in developing countries. The reason it has spread, as this film so eloquently shows, is not because of people's sex lives; it's spread because of ignorance, poverty, superstition, fear and greed. If we can just focus on fighting those battles, then maybe … maybe we can win.

Shuggy Here's something new, a film about HIV/AIDS that doesn't use the words "HIV" or "AIDS", doesn't have any significant gay content, and doesn't focus on sexual transmission - or indeed on sexual relationships; the sex in the movie is mainly about exploitation of one kind or another. Blood and blood products feature prominently in each of the three segments, and non-sexual relationships between the sexes (mother and son, nuns and doctors).Since they are completely unrelated, except for that, the decision to untangle them was a wise one, and the version I saw, with a prologue flashing forward to the middle of the third segment, makes the three complicated plot lines about as clear as they could be. In each, greed and poverty feature strongly. The life of the shanty-dwellers in the third segment is particularly grim. I agree that the message (as old as Oedipus - those who try to avert disaster can bring it on) is spelled out, but when it's Olympia Dukakis' gentle voice doing it, I don't mind.Much of the scenery is beautiful but the initiation ritual at the opening is not, no matter how "age old" - it's leg-crossingly painful. With circumcision being increasingly touted as a way to prevent HIV transmission, it's useful to be reminded that it can also facilitate it.The film has some smiles, no laughs and plenty of irony, like The Green Shop, where hypodermic needles are recycled."3 Needles" will have you thinking about the issues it raises - and does not resolve - long after it is over.

Gordon-11 This film is about 3 groups of people in three different continents having to do different things in reaction to the spread of the HIV virus.This film shows excellent cinematography throughout. It shows a lot of beautiful scenery, such as breathtaking waterfalls, beautiful sunsets, new moons etc. The film is already worth watching just for the natural scenery! The 3 stories are spliced into one another, making it difficult to follow at times. It does show many disturbing images, both visually and metaphorically. It examines moral dilemmas and the evil side of humanity, especially in the latter half of the movie.In summary, the film is enjoyable, but it sometimes feels too long.

turtlematt Hi there, my first set of comments here...i just saw this movie at the Pusan Int'l Film Fest in Korea. got the tickets knowing nothing about the movie but its settings. sounded interesting at least, and since i'm Canadian, thought i would catch a movie from home...as the credits started rolling i was pleasantly surprised at how many names i knew attached to this film! and the drama starts early and really never lets down...this is a powerful film, both dramatically and aesthetically. a bit too "parental" in its narration -- i would like to have had the scenes speak for themselves a bit more -- but what happens in the film is memorable to say the least. a touch of lyricism mixed with very heavy, in-your-face visuals. you will squirm in scenes (ie. Lucy Liu giving birth alone on the side of a hill in a field... or the Chinese soldiers ripping apart bags of blood with their boots and rifles ... the body of an important character left in the mud...), but the squirming is part of the movie's overall experience. gotta love a movie that provides you with an "experience"! it packs a whallop, didactically speaking, and the story keeps you interested to the very end. i can't think of another movie that handles the theme of AIDS so well, so artistically. the actors should all get kudos for their work. keep an eye on this director my friends... he's someone to watch...