CompleteMartialArts.com - Three Times
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List Price: $19.95
Our Price: $14.99
Your Save: $ 4.96 ( 25% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Ifc
Starring: Qi Shu, Chen Chang, Fang Mei, Su-jen Liao, Mei Di
Directed By: Hsiao-hsien Hou
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
Audience Rating: Unrated
Binding: DVD
Brand: WELLSPRING/GENIUS
EAN: 0796019795401
Format: Closed-captioned
Label: Ifc
Manufacturer: Ifc
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Ifc
Region Code: 1
Release Date: 2006-09-26
Running Time: 120
Studio: Ifc
Theatrical Release Date: 2005
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Editorial Reviews:
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Three Times is a Hou Hsiao masterpiece. A rapturous and beautiful love story set in three different eras, a pool hall in 1966, a 1911 brothel and present day Taipei. Stylistic and true to life of the times, Hou Hsiao Hsien brings to life the culture of each period as the tale unfolds. Critically acclaimed for its wisdom, cineamatic style and storytelling it is a must see for any true lover of cinema
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: unexpected
Comment: I got this film out of curiosity of good, non commercial Chinese cinema, but it was note quite my cup of tea; it moves extremely slowly, so the plot takes ages to be told. The second story is set in early 1900's and the texts are given as in the earliest movies, by writing them in a cardboard, so the movie is mute and only music is heard. My first attempt to watch this movie a Saturday night was unsuccessful as just starting the second story an extreme sleepiness took over. You must be in an extraordinarily artistic mood, or on high grade weed to really mind-climax over this film.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Three Times - Another Gem From Hou Hsiao-hsien
Comment: Three Times is not a conventional movie, and I can understand how the slow pacing might alienate some viewers. Art is always subject to interpretation. For those who enjoy films that provoke ideas, introspection and philosophical debate, this is one such film.
Shu Qi and Chang Cheng are the lovers in acclaimed filmmaker Hou Hsiao-hsien's latest work. The film is almost like a non-sci-fi version of The Fountain set instead in three different eras in Taiwan. The actors play three sets of lovers in different historical settings, including 1966, 1911, and 2005. While "The Fountain" had eerie implications of reincarnation and a science fiction element, this film is instead a commentary on the universality of love.
In each of the historical periods, we see a very different kind of courtship where physical interaction is very limited. Yet in the modern era, it is possibly true intimacy that eludes them despite their easy access to physical satisfaction. While I will spare you the plot synopsis, watch carefully and draw your own conclusions.
The acting in this film is very subtle and stylized. The storyline is also developed slowly in each of the scenes. This allows us to really reflect on the historical context of each vignette, but it also makes this an impractical movie for the impatient and those looking for the simple pleasure of a movie instead of homework.
The real emphasis here is on the framing of the actors in idealized scenes. In that sense, the director uses all of his skills to strip away as much of the characters so that what we see most is their romantic interaction. These scenes approach photographs and the effect was intentional.
Conclusion
While I do believe this film is beautiful and well made, this is definitely a niche movie that is not for all audiences. I highly recommend this movie to students of Chinese culture and history as well as lovers of independent film.
If you are looking for a movie to be enjoyed at face value, look elsewhere as this may move too slowly for you. If you are willing to dig a little deeper, there is a lot of thought provoking material here. Give it a try.
Enjoy!
Customer Rating:
Summary: i would fain watch again
Comment: what a nice movie. i love how the relationship is replicated through the years. i like how the movie is not so overt as to thrust the relationship onto you, but only seems to be showing you natural happenings.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Maybe the most boring movie I ever saw
Comment: If you look at this movie, make sure you do while you are very awake. It is slow and very boring. There's no storyline, the camera shows no notable movement for long periods of time, it is a movie for critics, not for regular folk. Unless you are a film critic, stay away from this. It is NO MASTERPIECE, forgive my saying it.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A haunting film that just won't let go
Comment: "Three Times" is much more than it appears on first viewing (as I also find to be the case with "Millenium Mambo"). While little appears to transpire on screen in any of the film's three stories, each segment worms its into your subconscious where they do their work over days, even weeks. There is a haunting quality, especially in the performance of Shu Qi, where she alternately enchants and seduces before, in the end, breaking your heart. In this film she is simply enthralling. What a long way she has come since her Category III days in Hong Kong; in "Three Times" she shows herself to be one of Asia's great actresses.
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