Three Times
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Movie Reviews of Three Times
Movie Review: More exciting than Goodbye Dragon Inn...
Summary: 5 Stars
Three Times is quickly becoming my favorite film, with each viewing I find a new favorite segment. At first it was the third, then the first, now the middle....and those were five viewings ago. In addition to picking a favorite segment, another difficult task is coming up with an overarching theme that connects the three pieces aside from the same two main characters. As a Taiwanese American, I'm partial to Hou's films, but I admit that they are not always easy to understand, or appreciate. Ultimately, it comes down to if the movie strikes a cord with you. For me it did, but I can understand why for some it is only less boring than watching paint dry.
There are so many wonderful moments in the film for me that I can easily fall in love with this film without having to cohere the three different stories. Whether it is the familiar roadsigns that distinguish the drab, nondescript little towns from one another on Chang's quest to find Shu in "A Time for Love," which remind me so much of my own frantic drives on the highway in anticipation of seeing a loved one, or the heartbreaking piano score that picks up its pace as Shu ponders the lamentable fate the little girl is about to enter in "A Time for Freedom," which can be heard on the trailer for the film on youtube by the way, this film immerses and tugs at you surreptitiously and from all directions.
The more I watch the film, the more I struggle to find Hou's message for this film. Is he trying to say that love is eternal, unapologetic and transcends time or that it is cruel, ever-changing and subject to interpretation? This film merits repeated viewing. Give it a chance, and another one, perhaps a third, and decide for yourself. Dare I say it, you don't have to be a fan of Hou's aestheticism and narrative style to enjoy this film.
Movie Review: Slow-burning, but brilliant
Summary: 5 Stars
One caveat: you have to be willing to read lots of subtitles if you want to get the most out of this film.
One theme that this director returns to is Taiwan's identity crisis, first as a Japanese protectorate, and then, as a landing base for the Nationalists (who lost the Civil War against the Communists in China.) The Nationalists took the remnants of their army and declared martial law in Taiwan, which was a huge social, linguistic, and financial upheaval to those already living on the island.
The three films show Taiwan in three different periods, with three sets of lovers (played by the same two actors). Each film is beautifully shot, and well-acted by the two leads, who are very intense, especially in the first two films. The third film loses some of the momentum, though, but perhaps that is fitting as it is about the confusion of Taiwan's youth (and the conundrum of Taiwanese national identity.)
Chang Chen, whom you may have seen in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Interest (as Jen's love interest), is brilliant and intense here.
Shu Qi, who's often underrated (and has not always chosen the best material), is luminous and does not over- or under-act here. She does an amazing job in the second film, relying primarily on body language to communicate her despair.
The first film is lovely and romantic, but may also be interesting to language buffs, as some of the dialogue is in Taiwanese, which (like Cantonese, is a "Sinosphere" language, but a distinct language. Mandarin speakers will find most Taiwanese unintelligible unless they learn the language separately.)
Movie Review: Great movie, but not for everyone
Summary: 5 Stars
This movie is three independent portraits of eras and different aspects of the human condition. The first is set in 1966 and is a portrait of the search for love. The second takes place in 1911 (despite the product description, this seems like a mansion, not a brothel) and tells the story of the need for freedom from a contract of servitude. The final piece demonstrates the heartbreaks and regrets of youth.
Each portrait is a reasonable attempt to match the style of movies of the period in which it is set. For example the 1911 piece is done as a silent movie.
The movie's greatest weakness is also its greatest strength. All of the scenes have a very pedestrian feeling which takes some time to get used to. However, the same slow approach immerses the viewer in the worlds of the characters in a way which other movies do not do.
Also the movie is short on dialog and the focus of the manners and facial expressions of the characters is central.
This is a great movie, but may seem a little slow for some. The acting is superb, as is the directing, etc. But not everyone will enjoy it. However, I would still give this 5 stars. I will probably watch it again and again.
Movie Review: A disturbingly romantic picture painting
Summary: 5 Stars
Three open episodes, three times a loving couple, and three times no happy ending. And yet ... The movie's one of the most beautiful I have seen so far. Three times a couple - or a man and a woman at the brink of becoming one - see their affectionate feelings for each other faced by the difficulties of their respective times - whether it is 1911, 1966, or 2005. Not only because of the different epoques is it nearly impossible for the movie to become boring. Because a thorough storytelling is waived, the film concentrates on creating pictures. And if you just concentrate on them, you can almost feel the desires dealt with here. I agree, this is not one of the easiest movies to watch, nonetheless I recommend: Get some chai for your beloved one and yourself and watch the episodes together by some candlelight.Movie Review: Three Times
Summary: 5 Stars
The brilliance of Hou's magnificently gorgeous meditation on love and longing, of course, is the conceit of using the same two actors in each sequence. And you couldn't ask for better performers than Chang and Shu, who are captivating regardless of the age they're portraying, particularly in the nostalgic, near-wordless "A Time for Love" segment, steeped in a sultry `60s atmosphere. Hou's other brilliant stroke is to make the next part, which unfolds in a brothel during the Japanese occupation of Taiwan, a short silent film, with hypnotic music and title cards. Taken as a whole, "Three Times" is nothing short of a rapturous, romantic masterpiece--in triplicate.