Flight of the Red Balloon, The

Aroview: From Taiwanese grandmaster Hou Hsiao-hsien, this rhapsodic French sojourn evokes Albert Lamorisse’s enchanting 1956 short film, chronicling a seven-year-old boy’s fascination with an imaginary balloon, and his frazzled, over-committed single mother, played wonderfully by Juliette Binoche.

Radiating with lush, European hues, dir. Hou perfectly encapsulates his now-honed aesthetic - long, beguiling takes cast in natural, floating light - to observe the daily rituals of Binoche and co. Offering an unobtrusive and strangely involving glimpse into domestic Parisian life (and the splendour of the city itself), the film captures everything from puppetry rehearsals, to tenancy disputes, to walks in the park, with a resplendent curiosity and awe. The first in a series commissioned by Musée d'Orsay.

NZ International Film Festival 2008

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