I understand why a lot of people dislike Hou Hsiao-hsien’s films but there is something about his style that gravitates me. I find his movies deeply moving even though he does not manipulate the audience with his detached style of filmmaking. This film in particular has such a poetic beauty that it never bored me. I’m not sure if this is his best film to date. I still love “Three Times,” the first Hou film I have seen. “A Time to Live, A Time to Die” is also a treasure because it is one of his most personal films. And “Flowers of Shanghai” is simply one of his most daring films. Hou Hsiao-hsien has become one of my favorite directors and his themes are as relevant as the films of the great Yasujiro Ozu. I think he deserves more accolades and credit for creating a new form of realist cinema. Hou and Jia Zhang Ke in my mind are the greatest Chinese filmmakers we have today.