Synopsis
In three separate segments, set respectively in 1966, 1911, and 2005, three love stories unfold between three sets of characters, under three different periods of Taiwanese history and governance.
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Cast
- Shu QiMay / Courtesan / Jing
- Chang ChenChen / Mr. Chang / Zhen
- Su-jen LiaoHostess / Madam / Jing's Mother
- Mei DiMay's Mother / Madam / Aunt
- Chen Shi-ZhengHaruko / Ah Mei / Blue
- Lee Pei-HsuanYue / Mickey
- Mei FangOld Woman
- Lawrence Ko
Recommendations
- 100
TV Guide Magazine
It's simply one of the most beautiful films he's (Hou Hsiao Hsien) made to date. - 80
Salon
In these three potent miniatures, Hou Hsiao-hsien suggests that time passes differently when you're deeply in love. He captures the mystical quality of that time on film, making us feel as if we're living in it, rather than simply watching it. - 80
The New York Times
Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-hsien's hypnotically beautiful cinematic trilogy Three Times doesn't just illuminate faces and objects; it seems to fill them up, as if they were lighted from within. - 75
The A.V. Club
A sampler of novella-length films set in three different time periods and starring the same two actors, Hou Hsiao-hsien's Three Times resembles one of those delicate trios served at fine restaurants, each a fresh interpretation of a common ingredient. - 75
New York Post
Anchored by the performance of Shu Qi, who has come a long way from her days as a nudie pin-up. She's a first-rate actress. - 70
Variety
Less accessible than recent "Cafe Lumiere," picture will appeal strongly to fans. - 70
Village Voice
My first impression of Three Times was that it was high middling Hou--conceptually bold but unevenly executed. The movie's implicit themes of time travel, eternal recurrence, and the transmigration of souls seemed as muddied by the director's devotion to Shu as they were dissipated in the confusion of the final present-day section. But Three Times improves on a second viewing. - 63
ReelViews
Features minimal dialogue. It is mostly about mood and images, and it moves at a glacial pace.
