The Center of the World

that's precisely where the movie's problems start.....No blame should be attached to the actors..... ... Full Review

The natural rhythms of movement and speech make this feel like improv, while Wang uses quietly clever direction to give insight into thoughts and feelings. The performances are startlingly raw and emotional, and yet they're not entirely convincing. ... Full Review

With The Center of the World, Wang fulfills that ambition, creating an often unsettlingly frank chamber drama that will stir talk, even in this age when porn awaits at the click of a mouse. THE CENTER OF THE WORLD Rated:NR For movie details, please click here . ... Full Review

The Center of the World , unfortunately, loses focus as it progresses. More disappointing, the film tries, but fails, to get close to Florence, whose actions and motivations grow confusing toward the end. ... Full Review

In any case, The Center of the World is a brave and sexy film not easily forgotten or dismissed. The four of them give the story a perfect balance, distributing weight equally between male and female. ... Full Review

You can be aroused by her, but you can't touch her. At one point they practice something called "fire and ice," which involves ice cubes and hot sauce, and has been compared by credulous reviewers with the most famous scene in " Last Tango in Paris . ... Full Review

Wang's desire with The Center of the World was to have total creative control over his filmwithout the interference of lawyers and studio suits. But you'll be put off by the medium's unsightly clarity, which magnifies every imperfection on the actors' skin, making them look like victims of radiation sickness. ... Full Review

The dynamic in Center of the World is depressingly similar, in that it sets up a likely romance between unlikely partners, who are struggling to figure out what's real, about themselves and each other. But if porn is pretty much endlessly fascinating (deciding what's fake and what's not is only the first problem; the more substantive one is deciding whether it matters what's fake and what's not), The Center of the World gets simple early on. ... Full Review

The Center of the World, esteemed director Wayne Wang's foray into the realm of the erotic, is never foolish mostly due to Molly Parker's fearless lead performance but neither is it a great movie. While a ménage à trois scene between her and the weekend lovers strains credibility, it's riveting to watch from an acting standpoint. ... Full Review

The Center of the World The Center of the World Perhaps Wangs greatest achievement in this erotic wonderment is the avoidance of easy answers to complex personalities (and, for the matter, the avoidance of unnecessarily complicating simple ones). Parker and Sarsgaard are beautifully cast. ... Full Review