Tiawanese director Hou Hsiao-Hsien's first European production is an affectionate but dramatically inert homage to Albert Lamorisse's beloved 1958 short
The Red Balloon, a touching fantasy in which a lonely Parisian boy befriends a red balloon that appears to have a life -- and feelings -- of its own.
In Hou's much longer -- and more complicated -- version, the little boy is Simon (Simon Itaneau), the son of actress Suzanne (Juliette Binoche), who performs all the voices at a small puppet theater. (Their current production is an adaptation of an ancient Chinese legend about a man who tries to turn the sea to steam by boiling it, hoping to rescue his ...
Released:
2007
Rated:
NR
Length:
113 mins