Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles

RIDING ALONE FOR THOUSANDS OF MILES (2005) - Sept. 28, 2006
The Zhangster strikes again! This was a really moving film about a Japanese father, estranged from his dying son, who journeys to China in order to film a Chinese Opera in the hopes of reconnecting with his son. This was a really good looking film. I was just mentioning how John Huston is right up there with Kubrick in terms of his visuals; Yimou is even better (than Huston, not Kubrick, though he's close). Though the version I saw, infuriatingly, was partially out of focus. Along with Yimou's stellar direction was a really remarkable performance by Ken Takakura, who is pretty much perfect as the father who has a hard time expressing his emotions. It was a really really good performance, at a level you don't see too often. And man, towards the end... I don't think a movie has so thoroughly moved me to tears since Titanic. ***1/2