Eros collects three short films by three talented directors. Each director sets his 30 minute story in his native language and country (China, Italy, USA). Each piece is preceded by a 2 minute montage of gently erotic drawings depicting intimate scenes between lovers. These are "film poems" that are required viewing for fans of the directors or actors. "Spoilers" follow.The cover of the DVD may lead you to believe that this is an erotic movie festival or soft core porn. It's not. Each story raises some issues and makes some points about the romantic relationships shared by women and men, but there is only one brief sex scene.The first segment, THE HAND, is an accomplishment in short film-making. It is a sublime short story about lust, devotion, and the consequences of prostitution. Set in China, it is beautifully filmed and acted.The second segment, EQUILIBRIUM, is enjoyable for its acting. The story of a man having a dream within a dream, it is a comedic study of the human psyche, and hardly deals with romance at all.The final segment, THE DANGEROUS THREAD OF THINGS, tells the story of a man cheating on his wife and chronicles the disintegration of their relationship. That said, this segment is like being on vacation, as the scenery is breathtakingly gorgeous: forests, beaches, waterfalls, castles, and two women. One woman offers the man companionship and the other sex. Each woman's personality is suited to the task. A celebration of beauty, one hopes that this married couple will realize how good they have it and reconcile.I recommend EROS as a sensitive and subtle study of desire and relationships by talented and accomplished creative teams. Seven out of ten stars.

Michelangelo Antonioni creates a small masterwork. Steven Soderbergh and Wong Kar Wai, unfortunately, are not up to his standards. Still, one great work out of three efforts rewards the viewer The silence of Antonioni's work continues to echo the emptiness of our modern world. Behind the silence is that secret violence that shapes our lives. Soderbergh has declined a bit in his vision, but the old master retains lucidity and insight. The DVD is excellent. I recommend watching the Antonioni work first. Then put the DVD aside for a moment when you tire of commercial television and holiday parades and endless football scores. The non-Antonioni sections are worse than American football. Watching them will improve your appreciation of televised American football.

Wong's film seems to come from the same universe as In the Mood for Love and 2046, which does give you the feeling of been-there-done-that. But, still, it is beautiful and nearly as hypnotic as those two films. Soderbergh's film is slight, but highly amusing. Robert Downey Jr. and Alan Arkin are fantastic. Antonioni's segment is pretty worthless. It feels like European softcore art-porn. But, really, would it surprise anyone that his film is the least of this bunch? As far as cinematic history is concerned, Soderbergh shouldn't be mentioned in the same sentence as Wong, and Wong probably not quite in the same sentence as Antonioni. But, let's face it, Antonioni hasn't made a good film in three decades. I'd still suggest watching Eros for the first two segments. If you can keep your curiosity in check, just shut it off before the third begins.

Watching this movie was a strange experience. Going on the viewer was improving his vision. Antonioni puts on the screen too much difficulties and considering his episode as something good is not so easy. Too much rhetoric, but the content? It's not possible (even if Antonioni can, or better, he was able to) to build a story based only on landscapes and naked figures..Pretentious (and actors' voices are awful as the dubbing). Sodebergh makes his job (a little bit "squeaky clean"). The idea of "the character watched by someone invisible" is good but it tastes like a dejà vu. Also the photography is cool. But Sodebergh seems too often "cool" and nothing else. The real sensation is Wong Kar Wai, whose episode "the hand" seems a continuation of some "moods" seen in "2046". The way Gong Li and the tailor know themselves for the first time is something sublime.