Has a quiet, cumulative magic, whose source is hard to identify. Its simple, meticulously composed frames are full of mystery and feeling; it's an action movie that stands perfectly still.
88
New York Daily NewsJami Bernard
New York Daily NewsJami Bernard
A droll gem that celebrates movie love with feeling and deadpan humor.
80
The A.V. ClubKeith Phipps
The A.V. ClubKeith Phipps
It could all be done much more efficiently, but any other approach would lose Tsai's unique mix of stone-faced comedy and dewy-eyed lyricism.
75
New York PostV.A. Musetto
New York PostV.A. Musetto
A loving tribute to cinema by Tsai Ming-liang, one of Taiwan's most accomplished and popular directors.
70
VarietyDavid Rooney
VarietyDavid Rooney
This feels like short film material stretched exasperatingly thin but nonetheless casts a certain sad spell, graced by moments of droll observational humor.
Though the film's deliberate pace is sometimes frustrating, it casts a quietly powerful spell and the memory of its images lingers provocatively long after they've flickered into darkness.