PenGuhWin

Zhang Yimou's last two martial arts films had much to commend them, but, honestly, I'd trade ten such films for this. It was almost too much to hope for that the director would return to his earlier, humanist style of film-making that saw "The Road Home," "Not One Less" and "Happy Times" - but he has, and wonderfully so.

Ken Takakura, who has appeared in fine films such as "Poppoya" and "The Yellow Handkerchief," really shines here. It's his film all the way, and a wonderful tribute that Zhang chose to craft this film for him.

While the core of the film lies with the emotions of the characters, I should also point out that the cinematography here is splendid - there are shots that are as breathtaking as anything in "Hero" and "House of Flying Daggers."

Hou Hsiao-hsien's previous film, "Millennium Mambo," was filled with pulsating colors and rhythms - "Cafe Lumiere," on the other hand, offers us classical piano music, bookshops, and trains... lots of trains.

To me, the plot, and in some way the characters, seemed very fluid - you never knew where the film was leading you, and (as in many of Hou's films) it's left up to you to form your own opinion about the characters.

"Cafe Lumiere" is a very languid, soothing film, filled with marvelous images and memorable vignettes. It is not a good place for a newcomer to Hou's films to start (try "Mambo" for that), and not a good film for the impatient. However, if you approach it in the right frame of mind, you will find yourself somehow transported into another person's life for a couple of hours, and come out with the film rattling around your subconscious for days afterward.

Not quite the masterwork that "Chicken and Duck Talk" is, "Hero of The Beggars" is still a very enjoyable comedy, with Michael Hui playing the "Mr. Boo" character to a hilt and Sandra Ng mugging furiously. The overall plot involves Hui, as the leader of a group of Mainlanders, trying to survive in Hong Kong. There are some very creative visual comedy sequences, and - surprisingly - some well done action sequences as well.

Until recently, this film was not available with English subtitles - the recent Universe DVD, however, corrects that - looks great, and even includes a trailer with some gag shots not seen in the movie itself.

I've seen almost all of Mr. Hui's films now, and this is one of the best.