With great performance of Juliette Binoche

Nothing much happens in this film, but what happens, happens so well. Not quite fantasy, not quite a slice of Parisian life, this film charms effortlessly. The leads are nice, interesting people and it was a pleasure to spend a few hours in their company. The balloon is nice too, but, really, did not have all that much to do.

Hou's feature is ravishing in its sedate patience. It captures the little struggles in a normal life with a watchful, concerned eye. He structures scenes so that they play out without an edit. The camera slowly tilts or pans, taking it all in like a languid, quizzical animal. The film has a lulling quality, but any time it threatens to become too slow Juliette Binoche jolts it to life with a performance that's as broad-ranging and unique as anything I've seen from her.

If Ozu had directed "Amelie," it might have gone something like this. "Flight" exudes a muted cuteness, though overall, despite its length, it's not as substantial as, say, Hou's "Café Lumière." It *is* pretty though, and Pin-bing Lee's cinematography is well-executed without being conspicuously so. This would have been a wonderful short.

Apparently this film is meant to say nothing, thus explaining the absence of a plot or anything that might conceivably sustain one's attention for longer than the time required to realize this fact. Saying nothing can work when it provides some other benefit, perhaps amusement, money, or satisfaction. Nevertheless, art that says nothing is now a dull cliche. By demanding attention for hours instead of seconds unlike most art that says nothing, Flight goes beyond dull to entirely irritating.

I think one of the primary messages is the meeting of two cultures. The red balloon could be associated with the red prominent in Chinese culture, floating through and discovering Paris much in the same way as the director himself. Binoche practicing the art of Chinese puppet theater, and Song, a Chinese nanny. These characters interact and even have moments of tenderness together, but they are detached, not quite involved in each other's lives. Lovely photography and a gentle score.

With the only exception being Jonas Mekas, the mundane has never been made into such an extraordinary film, reflective surfaces and the floating haze of early development contextualized through daily activities and memory. Hou's craft has evolved throughout the many periods of his life, but this is, for me, his most gorgeously textured and most emotionally moving films of his impressive oeuvre.

"Hou Hsiao-hsien's trademark long takes call attention to the passage of time, and as such they're intimately attuned to his ongoing thematic interest in the bonds between the past, present, and future." - Nick Schager

Like Terry Gilliam's 12 Monkeys (a two-hour adaptation of Chris Marker's 28-minute La Jetée), Hou's Lamorisse remake lasts longer than the original -- but says less.

This is life. Red is our fantasies, hopes, lived memories. Everything high above us, we cannot reach. Or do not want. Green is also an important color in this story. Green is reality, this, concrete, material. I like balloon like cinematography. There's lots of non-cut scenes with one camera. Even extremely small apartment feels like cosy and roomy place filled with good emotions. Excellent acting. Boy is good as well. Timeless story. Past, now and future. This movie put me into harmonic state.

A beautiful, albeit sad effort from Hou. The transition to Paris works okay, though the film seems less compelling than some of his earlier work. However, he's able to communicate the chaos of Suzanne's life in a minimal way, and he balances that with moments of beauty, joy, and transcendence in her life.

Juliette Binoche gave a great performance as a single mother here and the film has more to it for those willing to watch carefully and make their own interpretations. However, what it doesn't offer, is entertainment - after leaving the cinema, I was too tired and bored to think much about it, which makes all the subtleties go amiss. Sadly, much of this fatigue came from the cinematography - a lot of shots obscuring the characters introduce a feeling of discomfort without apparent reason.

If watched under the right circumstances, it could very well restore your faith in cinema.

A keenly observed slice of life paired with some contemplative poetic imagery. Slows to a snail's pace at times, but Juliette Binoche is wonderful as always.

You know, with the right cuts and a change of music, this could be quite the scary thriller/suspense film.

"Red Balloon has only one thought on its mind, revenge on the boy that let him go. No matter where he runs, Red Balloon is just a whisper away. Taking a nap, Red Balloon is peering through the window, think the train is a safe bet, Red Balloon is waiting at the next stop. Red Balloon is out for blood, and nothing will stop Red Balloon."

a masterpiece in gesture, 'flight...' drifts away from its kiddie classic ancestor along with its balloon, existing self-reflexively about that departure, tapping the rhythms of nostalgia and dislocation with simple, almost invisibly subtle impressionist strokes. it softly buffets and ultimately inhabits, touching much like simon's nanny's own remake of 'the red balloon' upon "very deep things i thought i'd forgotten".