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Movies / On DVD / What Time Is It There?
What Time Is It There?

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What Time Is It There? (2002)

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84 %
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Reviews Counted: 50

Fresh: 42

Rotten:8

Average Rating: 7.1/10

Consensus: Though it requires patience to view, What Time Is It There?'s exploration of loneliness is both elegant and haunting.

Rated: Not Rated

Runtime: 1 hr 56 mins

Genre: Foreign Films

Theatrical Release: Jan 11, 2002 Limited

Synopsis: A lonely street vendor, Hsiao Kang (Lee Kang-Sheng), sells watches near a Taipei subway stop. The death of his father (Miao Tien) furthers his isolation as his widowed mother (Lu Yi-Chang) slips into an unhealthy mourning, hoping her dead... A lonely street vendor, Hsiao Kang (Lee Kang-Sheng), sells watches near a Taipei subway stop. The death of his father (Miao Tien) furthers his isolation as his widowed mother (Lu Yi-Chang) slips into an unhealthy mourning, hoping her dead husband's spirit will return to her. The street vendor encounters a woman (Chen Shiang-Chyi) seeking a watch for a trip to Paris--one that can display both Taipei time and Paris time. Unimpressed with his watch selection, the woman persistently attempts to buy the watch off the young man's wrist. After acquiescing, the woman presents him with a token gift that shines a loving light into the street vendor's dreary, solitary life. Unable to stop thinking about his obstinate customer, the vendor begins obsessively changing every clock he sees to Paris time, beginning with his own watches and culminating with gigantic clocks atop skyscrapers. His customer, meanwhile, endures a rather lonesome and difficult Parisian vacation. Writer/director Tsai Ming-Liang (THE RIVER; THE HOLE) meditates on obsession and loneliness with this enchanting unrequited romance that combines elements of deep sorrow and ridiculous slapstick comedy. The film makes great use of his strengths such as the lack of musical score and long, often comedic, takes. Jean-Pierre Léaud joins Ming-Liang's usual ensemble in a memorable cameo. [More]

Starring: Lee Kang-Sheng, Chen Shiang-Chyi, Jean-Pierre Léaud, Lu Yi-Cheng

Starring: Lee Kang-Sheng, Chen Shiang-Chyi, Jean-Pierre Léaud, Lu Yi-Cheng, Tien Miao, Chen Chao-Jung, Cecilia Yip

Director: Tsai Ming-Liang

Director: Tsai Ming-Liang
Screenwriter: Pi-Ying Yang, Tsai Ming-Liang
Producer: Bruno Pesery
Studio: Winstar

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Aug 20, 2002

[DVD Details]
 
 

DVD Features:

  • Region 0
  • Keep Case
  • Anamorphic Widescreen - 1.85:1

Audio:

  • Dolby Digital 5.1 - Mandarin

Additional Release Material:

  • Trailers

Interactive Features:

  • Scene Access
  • Interactive Menus

Reviews for What Time Is It There?

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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Ratings Image

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Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
12/30/06
Empire Magazine
N/R

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Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
01/26/06
Time Out
Ratings Image

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Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
12/06/05
Film Threat
Ratings Image

No review available.

comment Comment
07/04/05
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
Ratings Image

The film's understated humor and relatable character's steer us towards feelings of compassion and understanding, rather than pity.

Full Review Source: Cinematic Reflections | comment Comment
10/24/04
Derek Smith
Cinematic Reflections
Ratings Image

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
02/24/04
Film Threat
Ratings Image

Wise and deadpan humorous.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
07/02/03
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Ratings Image

A funny and moving meditation on yearning, mourning and the vagaries of time.

Full Review Source: eye WEEKLY | comment Comment
03/25/03
Jason Anderson
eye WEEKLY
Ratings Image

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Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
03/10/03
Kimberly Jones
Austin Chronicle
N/R

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Full Review Source: Denver Rocky Mountain News | comment Comment
08/09/02
Robert Denerstein
Denver Rocky Mountain News
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image

Tsai may be ploughing the same furrow once too often.

Full Review Source: Sight and Sound | comment Comment
08/08/02
Tony Rayns
Sight and Sound
N/R

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Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
07/11/02
Guardian [UK]
N/R

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Full Review Source: FilmFour.com | comment Comment
06/25/02
FilmFour.com
Ratings Image

If you've the patience, there are great rewards here.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
06/11/02
Jamie Russell
BBC
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
06/06/02
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall
Ratings Image

The careful compositions in the Taiwanese What Time Is It There? give us plenty of time to search for meaning and to wonder what the movie is trying to say.

Full Review Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press | comment Comment
05/02/02
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
St. Paul Pioneer Press
Ratings Image

Has moments of quiet power and others of almost slapstick charm, and it's so elegantly fashioned that it's difficult to take one's eyes from the screen.

Full Review Source: One Guy's Opinion | comment Comment
03/30/02
Frank Swietek
One Guy's Opinion
Ratings Image

While its careful pace and seemingly opaque story may not satisfy every moviegoer's appetite, the film's final scene is soaringly, transparently moving.

Full Review Source: Philadelphia Inquirer | comment Comment
03/28/02
Carrie Rickey
Philadelphia Inquirer
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image

Tsai's confidence in the deep power of silence drives home the film's inner convictions. Its surface works coolly, intriguingly and, happily, feebly in opposition to the heart of the matter.

Full Review Source: Detroit News | comment Comment
03/22/02
Susan Stark
Detroit News
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image

At times, Tsai's approach makes viewing this film like watching paint dry, but what a sublime design it makes.

Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
03/21/02
Eric Harrison
Houston Chronicle
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