`Three Times' is more than enough for local audiences

By HO Yi
STAFF REPORTER
Friday, Oct 28, 2005, Page 17

Reputed to be Hou Hsiao-hsien's (侯孝賢) most enjoyable film to date, Three Times (最好的時光) finally hits the big screen this weekend for local audiences to check out the latest work by the native-born master. The film presents three love stories spanning almost one hundred years, from the early 20th century to present times.

Actors Shu Qi (舒琪) and Chang Chen (張震) play the lovers in each of the three periods.

Directly translated as `best of times' from the Mandarin title, the film is Hou's personal monument to his own past.

"The best of times are the times that are forever lost. We can only conjure up the ghosts of the past through our fragmented memories. The fragmentary images of life have hovered around my mind for too long now and I felt compelled to make a film of them," Hou said.

The film is not only a poetic collection of the director's memories but is also a synthesis of his filmic styles to date and a time capsule of his evolution as an artist.

Based on Hou's own youth, the first segment entitled `A Time of Love' (戀愛夢) is set in 1966, during the Cold War. The story evolves from the budding love between a boy who is about to go into military service and a girl who works at a billiards hall. The first section recalls Hou's realistic approach in All the Youthful Days (風櫃來的人) made in 1983 and A Time to Live and A Time to Die (童年往事) produced in 1985.

Three Times Directed By: Hou Hsiao-hsien (侯孝賢) Language: In Mandarin with English subtitles Taiwan Release: Today

Taking the appearance of a silent film, the second segment entitled `A Time For Freedom' (自由夢) is set in 1911, during the Japanese occupation. The unspoken love between a courtesan and a member of the Taiwanese literati is narrated through Hou's signature use of long takes and static cameras as seen in 1989's City of Sadness (悲情城市) and 1998's Flowers of Shanghai (海上花).

Festival Notes What: South Taiwan Film and Video Festival When: Oct. 29 to Nov. 5 in Tainan County; Nov. 6 to Nov. 13 in Kaohsiung City; Nov. 19 to Nov. 26 in Tainan City; Dec. 10 and 11 at Chiayi County Where: Tainan County Culture Center (台南縣立文化中心); Kaohsiung Film Archive (高雄電影圖書館) and Shiquan Theater in Kaohsiung (高雄十全戲院); Quanmei Theater (全美戲院) in Tainan City; Chiayi County Performing Arts Center (嘉義縣表演藝術中心) Tickets: NT$1,500 for festival pass to all screenings; single tickets cost NT$120 at the door and NT$90 in advance. Tickets available through NTCH ticketing outlets or online at http://www.artsticket.com.tw

Set in 2005, the third story `A Time For Youth' (青春夢) presents the tale of an affair between a bisexual girl and a man who works at a digital photo shop. Amid the anomic life and spirit of the contemporary section, the story can be seen as an extension of Millennium Mambo (千禧曼波) made in 2001.

Drawing applause and cheers from the international film festival circle set at New York, London, Pusan, Cannes and Toronto, Three Times also scored nine nominations at this year's Golden Horse Awards (金馬獎), including Best Drama Film, Best Director, Best Female and Male Actors and Best Cinematography.

Rumors have been swirling in local media that the film's stars, Chang and Shu are more than just colleagues. Hou reportedly stormed out of a Taipei press conference earlier this week when a reporter quizzed him on the veracity of claims that the two actors are having an affair.

Meanwhile, the South Taiwan Film and Video Festival (南方影展) opens this weekend in Tainan County, its first stop on a four-city circuit. Originally started by Tainan National College of Arts to screen students' work from the college's film department, the fifth annual film festival will present several programs of international movies and Chinese-language productions and will also hold a competition for local directors.

Showcasing 27 works by young local talent, the competition is divided into fictional film, animation and documentary sections. Acclaimed filmmakers including Zero Chou (周美玲) (Splendid Float (艷光四射歌舞團), Wu Mi-sen (吳米森) (Drop Me A Cat (給我一隻貓) and Lee Yun-chan (李芸嬋) (The Magical Washmachine (神奇洗衣機)) are all competing for the awards.

Movies in the "Films from the South" section include Basal Banar -- Sacred Ritual of Truth, an award-winning documentary, the first to be made by the Palaw'an tribe of indigenous people of South Palawan, Philippines. The winner of last year's Festival de Cannes Prix du Jury, Tropical Malady from Thailand tells the mythical story of a country boy and a young soldier, while Beautiful Boxer chronicles the life of a kick boxer who is determined to undergo a sex change operation to become a woman.

The Strait Story (南方紀事之浮世光影) by veteran female director Huang Yu-shan (黃玉珊) and The Passage (經過) by Cheng Wen-tang (鄭文堂) are among the must-sees flicks from the "Chinese-language Films" list.

The only X-rated movie in the section, AV from Hong Kong is about four college students who apply for a scholarship to hire a porno star from Japan to complete their secret project.

This year's festival also introduces a new section specially for children which includes fiction and animated films from France, Japan, Estonia, China and Taiwan.