ThiefHott Too much of everything

CrawlerChunky In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

Derry Herrera Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

Ortiz Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

kcfl-1 Don't believe the hype. "Picadilly" is visually splendid. The problem is that the pacing is so incredibly slow, it can give silents a bad name. Within a year, "The Last Command" and "Wind" were released. Those looking for a great film would be advised to see those, not this. I do admire Dupont's use of quick pans, tints, point-of-view shots and other directoral touches. But the script is lame. One example: the boss hires a fired dishwasher to be a star attraction without an audition, because he remembers seeing her dance briefly on a table. It seems to take forever to get to the few points it is trying to make. Example: Before the boss confronts the dishwasher, we see him accosting the waiter, the chef, and other bits of business before a story takes shape.

jadedalex "Piccadilly" features some Hitchcockian touches, and I was taken aback by the talent and allure of Anna May Wong as "Sho Sho"...Hollywood has always loved the curvaceous blonde, from Harlow to Monroe. No wonder brunettes Louise Brooks and Anna May Wong were passed over by Hollywood. Brooks by her own independent attitude...Ms. Wong, simply from prejudice....she was 'non-white'. She is lovely in this film. Unlike some, I was not put off by the 'modern' soundtrack. I am quite put off by the fact that we did not see Ms. Wong in more starring roles...I think of all of the terrible vehicles that Garbo and Dietrich starred in. Yes, they were lovely creatures, but Ms. Wong, without the prejudice, without World War II (doesn't matter if she was Chinese, she was perceived only as an oriental 'dragon lady'), had the beauty and talent to have been recognized as a true 'star' of her time.

crossbow0106 This is a British film from 1929 which is silent, but is about a nightclub. It is fairly incredible that a silent film about this could translate so well, but it does. The title of the film is the club where the dancers perform. The film stars Anna May Wong as Shosho, who at first works as a dishwasher in the club. Mabel, played by Gilda Gray, is the top dancer at the club. Shosho is picked to be a dancer when Mabel's act begins to wane. Anna May Wong looks beautiful and sexy in the role, wearing a costume probably not unlike Josephine Baker's at the same time. Ms. Wong went to Europe to make films and star on the stage when her American roles dried up. It was definitely our loss. In this film, she is both coquettish and a vamp. She steals the show, though Gilda Gray is very good also. One thing I also liked was the music, it was horn laden jazz. See it, its very fun to watch and an excellent introduction to the great Anna May Wong.

ferbs54 2004 was a very good year for fans of the actress Anna May Wong. It saw a Wong retrospective here in NYC's Museum of Modern Art, the first biography about Ms. Wong, by Graham Russell Gao Hodges, AND the rerelease of 1929's "Piccadilly," shown for the first time in decades. I so enjoyed this film when I saw it on the big screen that year that I decided to have another look at it on this fresh DVD, and my, how good it does look! A fascinating story of the rise of a young Chinese woman from scullery maid to feature dancer at a posh London nightclub, "Piccadilly" is a good introduction to Ms. Wong's many charms for those who have not had the pleasure before, or for those many who enjoyed her work in 1932's "Shanghai Express" and have found it hard to see her elsewhere. "Piccadilly," though a late silent, somehow feels strangely modern, and is beautifully shot and marvelously acted by all. The only disappointment for me regarding this DVD rental was with one of the many extras: a panel discussion about Anna May, hosted by B. Ruby Rich in 3/04 at San Francisco's Castro Theatre and including author Hodges AND another legendary Chinese actress, Nancy Kwan. The sound quality of this extra was so extremely echoed and garbled that it was impossible for me to decipher more than a few words of what I'm sure was a fascinating discussion. Doesn't anybody do a quality check on these DVDs before they're released? Whotta disappointment, indeed!