Three Times

Aroview: Taiwanese great Hou Hsiao-Hsien rekindles the memory of three of his finest films, linking a trio of elegant, erstwhile love stories (across 100 years) through actors Chang Chen and Shu Qi.

Bathed in humid, natural light and shot through luscious, length-wise interiors, this is as formally rapturous as Hou’s most recent accomplishment, FLIGHT OF THE RED BALLOON, but with a palpable nostalgic pull. Songs ‘Rain and Tears’ and ‘Smoke Gets in Your Eyes’ are especially moving in the film’s first segment (a brief, unrequited romance between a conscripted young man and a poolhall beauty), and while the latter two thirds are less poignant and straightforward, they will hold particular relevance for admirers of FLOWERS OF SHANGHAI and MILLENNIUM MAMBO.

NZ International Film Festival 2006