dir. Hou Hsiao-Hsien
writ. Hou Hsiao-Hsien & Francois Margolin
feat. Juliette Binoche, Simon Iteanu, Fang Song
It is a tribute to Binoche's charisma that this film holds the attention pleasantly enough for as long as it does. While intended as a tribute to the 1956 short film The Red Balloon by Albert Lamorisse, one can't help but wonder if Hsiao-Hsien paid much attention to that piece, either for its magic or narrative arc. Other than the occasional appearance by the mysterious red balloon, little comparison may be made. While Binoche's character's involvement with puppet theater may be intended to connect her more closely to her son's fascination with the balloon and his supposed boyish dreams, there is little evidence of this. Instead, we follow these characters through their daily lives, waiting for any of the suggested drama to unfold, for anything to actually happen. Perhaps the balloon of this picture is meant to represent the floating nature of life, how nothing truly matters, just as this film doesn't matter.
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