Café Lumiere (2004) Reviews

Indolent and deliberately so, CAFÉ LUMIERE may take some getting used to. There is almost no exposition; you learn about the lead character in halting stops and starts, many of which take place on and around trains. Even then, you've learned damn little. Trains are key, and by the end you may be, as I was, transfixed with their constant motion and repetitive sound. Plot is as close to nonexistent as possible: you discover one piece of news about the lead character, then see how her parents react to it. That's it. But throughout, life in a present-day Asian city is lived, and you follow along, hypnotized. This is the first film by critics' darling Hsiao-hsien Hou that I can honestly say I've enjoyed. It’s not mainstream, but if you like watching life's parade (or are taken with trains), go for it. The ending is so beautiful--a quiet dazzle of weaving motion astride a river--that I had to watch it over and over again. The framing here is perfection, and the concluding music nearly so.
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The individual who deemed the movie 'pointless’ just did not comprehend Hou Hsiao-Hsien's goal. He is a director known for showing the simple pleasures and beauties in everyday life, not going for outlandish plots, but visualizing everyday life. I personally enjoy such films, they are a nice change of pace from the mainstream. If you appreciate foreign films, and more specifically, films that take a slower pace and simply unveil the life of its protagonists, this film is for you, I truly did enjoy it!
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If you don't like art house films, this title may not be for you. However, if you like trains and watching people go about their uneventful lives, this movie is definitely for you. There's little dialogue, no real plot, intermittent piano music, a soundtrack consisting of ambient sounds from the filming locations and shots of people walking around Japan with trains coming and going. To correct the synopsis, Yoko's pregnancy is minimally relevant to the movie, there's no parental outrage and Yoko's friendship with the bookstore owner is like watching two bored people hang out together that have nothing to say to each other. The audio is in stereo. As for extras, there's a trailer for the movie, an "Interview with Yo Hitoto" (9:43 min), an "Interview with Tadanobu Asano" (8:37 min), an "Interview with Director Hou Hsiao-Hsien" (8:14 min) and a "Metro Lumiere" feature (59:28 min) containing a discussion on the film's production and the film works of director Yasujiro Ozu. Not recommended.
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Hou Hsiao Hsien has become one of my favorite directors. This film is most similar to his newest film Flight of the Red Balloon but was richer for me. It is in a different vein than studio films for sure - enjoyment comes from a more meditative viewing and will depend on how you relate to it. But it is not at all opaque so it does create some room for losing yourself (or escapism), and the characters/narrative are obvious enough that you don't have to work too hard to relate.
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Wow. The most pointless film I have ever seen. Camera work is very simple. Story is very simple. Acting is so real and the people are so real, but there is nothing else to it. The description of the movie is more exciting....
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