I'm not sure at what point it morphed from an aesthetically disciplined deadpan comedy to a devastating portrait of grief and dislocation, but the emotional wallop offered by the end surprised the hell out of me.

Don't hold me to this, but this might be my favourite Hsiao-hsien Hou movie - ever. I found Belmondo's cameo to be particularly poignant.

Starts out as a suprisingly funny film with many moments that carry with them a certain melancholy tragedy, or at least something honest about the character's emotional situation that would be painful if it weren't so darn amusing. And yet, as the film goes on the tragedy of the situation becomes more and more palpable and devestating. The ending offers us no solutions, but rather a quiet, calm break from the trials of the journey. A nice rest before we wake up and the confusion restarts again.

I don't really get the film as a whole but I like all the parts. The static camera, the lingering pace, the dark subtle situational humour are all very impressive and enough to keep my interest.

An interesting experience, despite the slowness all over. It is a good demonstration of this disease called loneliness...

"Tsai Ming-liang's ghosts are painfully aware of their not-being." - Ed Gonzalez

I found this to be A LOT more interesting and dynamic than The River. It also hit the comedic notes better, and had characters which I enjoyed following. The beautiful visuals are retained as well, but so is some of the droning atmosphere, which is bound to split viewers. That said, I didn't mind having to watch this.

Is This Movie Over Yet?

The most accessible and funny of Ming-liang Tsai's films to date, it still doesn't compromise his oblique take on human pathos. I saw this film in Chicago and the director was there. When asked what the significance was of featuring excerpts from The 400 Blows, he said it didn't mean anything; he simply liked the film. And I don't think he was taking the piss, either. That anecdote confirmed what I've always said: His films aren't pretentious. For him they're all natural. So, enjoy the silence.

Good Movie

Great.

What Time Is It There is my favorite Tsai film so far. Unlike the three others of his I've seen so far, which to me felt much more gimmicky, this one justifies its slow pace and "artsyness" very well. I suspect I may have saved the best Tsai for last, though, since three of the four movies of his that I haven't seen seem to be considered to be among his four best (What Time Is It There being the last of his four best).

I heard a really great description of this film. It's like when you are at a party at a friend's house and that friend has an odd painting. You're looking at it a few moments and eventually some friends come to look at it, too. You all make little jokes and quips about the painting. Then your friends leave and you are left looking at the painting going, "That sure is something." That's this film.

Interesting and intriguing portrait of three isolated yet oddly in tune characters. While the detailed and minimalist narrative kept me engaged, I would have appreciated more substance.

Even if you're not fascinated by Ming-liang Tsai in general like I am, there really aren't that many scenes where "nothing happens". And even those scenes are pretty brief. It's obviously not for everyone, but I think the whole thing is entrancing and meaningful and touching and damn funny at times, too.

Tsai's greatest film and an art film that is impossible to pin down. A movie that pines for missing love, both familial and romantic. Lingers in the senses.

There's a lot of raw talent here. It's something of a flash in the pan.

very powerful beginning, twice as powerful ending. In between - a calm, peaceful meditation upon melanchony and alianation. The denouement just before the end- lone and frigid sex after desparate searching for love. Bravo Mr. Tsai!

I got this to see an old Leaud. And man does he look old. This film is really beautifully shot but it is forgettable and slow moving. 2 minutes of screen time for Leaud, annoying!