Review of What Time Is It There? (2001) by Alfin N — 10 Mar 2013

This is the second film I've seen by Ming-liang Tsai and it shares the same rhythms with that later one (Goodbye Dragon Inn) -- that is, slow and still. The shots often feature "ugly" settings (e.

G., toilets, messy rooms) but are shot with colored lights or filters (and dressed with certain objects) such that the complementary hues stand out. The plot itself is about loss and lack of connection (a father/husband passes away, a girl goes on a trip to a country where she doesn't speak the language) but it doesn't feel as depressed or dejected as that sounds -- instead it feels rather mysterious.

This sense of mystery is heightened by the film's ending in Paris. What resonance might an object like the watch (transferred from one to another) hold, spiritually, psychologically? Is this the key to the puzzle? Deeper allusions to reincarnation (the wheel of time) abound and turning back time might be a very common human yearning.

Something to ponder.