What Time Is It Over There?
Wellspring Media | Release Date: January 11, 2002 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
79
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 20 Critic Reviews
Positive:
18
Mixed:
1
Negative:
1

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum
Tsai builds this shimmering story with deft, deadpan wit and a warm, understated love of the absurd, both in life and afterlife. Read full review
100
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
Tsai's cinematic style is unique: He unfolds his stories in long, static shots that let you discover their surprises and mysteries on your own. And that's great fun. What Time Is It There? is perky, entertaining, and one of a kind. Read full review
90
NewsweekDavid Ansen
This wonderful, one-of-a-kind movie hops from Taiwan to France, from tragedy to deadpan comedy and, in its mysterious conclusion, from the worldly to the otherworldly.
90
The New York TimesA.O. Scott
Tsai not only gives the audience a chance to breathe but also lets us luxuriate in the mood of deadpan melancholy his movie evokes so beautifully. Read full review
90
The A.V. ClubScott Tobias
Tsai's latest, What Time Is It There?, runs his usual themes and obsessions through a whimsical premise worthy of Wong Kar-Wai, striking such an exquisite balance between humor and despair that the moods comfortably coexist, just as they do in real life. Read full review
90
Chicago ReaderStaff (Not Credited)
Tsai Ming-liang's most exciting and original to date. Read full review
88
Philadelphia InquirerCarrie Rickey
While its careful pace and seemingly opaque story may not satisfy every moviegoer's appetite, the film's final scene is soaringly, transparently moving. Read full review
88
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
It haunts you, you can't forget it, you admire its conception and are able to resolve some of the confusions you had while watching it. Read full review
80
Village VoiceJ. Hoberman
Filled with purposeful, if absurd, activity rendered gravely hilarious through Tsai's deadpan, distanced representation of extreme behavior. Read full review
80
Washington PostDesson Thomson
The story that emerges has elements of romance, tragedy and even silent-movie comedy. Read full review
80
L.A. WeeklyManohla Dargis
Takes raw grief as its point of departure only to play out as a comedy of deadpan heartbreak. Read full review
80
TV Guide MagazineKen Fox
More of the same from Taiwanese auteur Tsai Ming-liang, which is good news to anyone who's fallen under the sweet, melancholy spell of this unique director's previous films. Read full review
80
Rolling StonePeter Travers
The result is a film of surprise and wonder, lyrically attuned to the ticking intensity of romance. Read full review
80
SalonCharles Taylor
Tsai Ming-Liang's new movie about urban isolation reinvents the delicate, poetic shadow play of silent movies. Read full review
75
New York PostLou Lumenick
Very slowly builds to an emotional payoff in a devastating scene where the three main characters simultaneously seek relief in sex. Read full review
75
New York Daily NewsJami Bernard
This movie is not of a style that will speak to general audiences. It is nearly wordless, spare to a fare-thee-well.
70
New Times (L.A.)Andy Klein
Those with an interest in new or singular sorts of film experiences will find What Time Is It There? well worth the time. Read full review
67
Austin ChronicleKimberley Jones
Is nothing if not foreign, but not in the sense of national demarcations of language and custom. It speaks a different cinematic language, one that tosses off the usual rules of camerawork and narrative structure. Read full review
50
New York Magazine (Vulture)Peter Rainer
An art piece in which everything seems to be a metaphor for something else, and as pleasing as it is to watch, it's too pretentious by half. Read full review
25
San Francisco ChronicleSteven Winn
Things happen in a flat, deadpan way. Read full review
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