Flight of the Red Balloon

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Audience Member Dang...I need to see more Hou Hsiao Hsien movies. I could have lived inside this. Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Juliette Binoche plays her part brilliantly, I guess, at least on the first half of the movie. Then I decided that I didn't enjoy the story and stopped. Rated 1/5 Stars •  Rated 1 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Audience Member Adored this film as it began to gain a little momentum, but with 2 plot points unresolved, weirdly, it just stops and kinda leaves you hanging. Life is set in Paris and it is portrayed as both beautiful and chaotic. You're led through the wear and tear of a single mother's life with her son - including the joy and the mundane - and her attempts to balance work with the stresses of a crappy neighbour - who is also her tenant - and supporting her new employee, Song, who's just been hired as a Nanny to the young boy. Binoche is just wonderful and supporting actors (non-actors I assume) work well with what seems to be a largely improvised script. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Audience Member This movie is the first to show me that a film doesn't necessarily have to follow a plot. Sometimes, movies are just meant to show something. The purpose of this film, as I gather it, is to demonstrate the wandering qualities of children and their somewhat aloof regard towards mayhem. Children emit a sense of lightness, as does a balloon. Flight is freedom. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/08/23 Full Review Audience Member If you like car chases and lots of explosions, this isn't the movie for you. Contemplative and subdued, this is a "slice-of-life" film that doesn't have anywhere in particular to go. I really enjoyed going along for the ride, though, finding the rhythms of daily life portrayed in the film hypnotic and authentic. I don't know what it's like to be a voice actress working for a Chinese puppet troupe, living in a cramped Paris apartment with my son, but I got a fascinating glimpse watching this film. I liked that when we first meet Binoche's character Suzanne, the shots are all medium or long, and it isn't until at least midway into the film that you get to really see her face and her expressions in close up shots. It's kind of like when you first meet someone, you get certain superficial impressions of them, but it takes time to really get to know them, and to maybe share quiet moments when you see glimpses of who they are underneath the surface. At first Suzanne kind of seems like a tornado of stress and frustration, but later, in quiet moments, we see how much she loves her son, and we start to understand what makes her tick. Song's presence in the film is muted but she has a quiet strength and gentleness that is compelling and calming. We know that she will take care of Simon and will create a thoughtful, beautiful film, too, just like filmmaker Hou Hsiao-Hsien. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/23/23 Full Review Audience Member first real attempt to sit through a hsiao-hsien hou film! great acting. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/22/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Flight of the Red Balloon

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