Ni na bian ji dian (What Time Is It Over There?) (2001)
85%RT Audience Score: 79%
Awards & Nominations: 11 wins & 8 nominations
What Time Is It There? is a cinematic masterpiece that takes the viewer on a journey from Taiwan to France, exploring themes of alienation, loneliness, and the passage of time. Tsai’s direction is nothing short of brilliant, with his use of subliminal rhymes and deadpan humor creating a unique and unforgettable experience. While some may find the film’s pace slow, those with patience will be rewarded with a soaringly moving final scene that will leave them pondering the mysteries of life and death. This film is a must-see for anyone who appreciates intelligent and thought-provoking cinema.
What Time Is It There? is a movie that takes you on a wild ride from Taiwan to France, and from tragedy to deadpan comedy. It’s a one-of-a-kind film that will leave you feeling both confused and enlightened. The story may seem opaque at first, but if you have the patience, the rewards are great. Plus, the film’s final scene is so moving that it will make you want to cry and laugh at the same time. Overall, it’s a wise and deadpan humorous movie that will leave you pondering about the vagaries of time.
Production Company(ies)
Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar Animation Studios,
Distributor
Winstar Cinema
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Taipei Hesien, Taiwan
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
2001
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby Digital
-
Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
-
Runtime:1h 56m
-
Language(s):Mandarin, French, Min, Nan, English
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jan 18, 2002 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 20, 2002
Genre(s)
Comedy/Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Lee Kang-sheng, Shiang-chyi Chen, Chen Yi-ching, Miao Tien, Cecilia Yip, Jean-Pierre Léaud, directed by Ming-liang Tsai, written by Ming-liang Tsai, Pi-ying Yang, Comedy, Drama, Chinese language, Winstar Cinema, Dolby Stereo, Dolby A, Dolby SR, Dolby Digital, $193.0K box office, reviewed by Joshua Rothkopf, David Ansen, Kimberley Jones, Tony Rayns, Jamie Russell, Carrie Rickey, Yasser Medina, B Ruby Rich, Emanuel Levy, Derek Smith, Dennis Schwartz, Jason Anderson, loneliness, clocks, Paris, Taiwan, tragedy, deadpan comedy, alienation, desires, emptiness, loss, control, patience, elegant, haunting
Worldwide gross: $265,477
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $447,405
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,762
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 48,790
US/Canada gross: $195,760
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $329,912
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,429
US/Canada opening weekend: $27,936
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $47,080
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,231
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Shiang-chyi Chen – Shiang-chyi
Chen Yi-ching – Mother
Miao Tien – Father
Cecilia Yip – Woman in Paris
Jean-Pierre Léaud – Jean-Pierre, Man at the Cemetery
Director(s)
Ming-liang Tsai
Writer(s)
Ming-liang Tsai, Pi-ying Yang
Producer(s)
NA
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
11 wins & 8 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (54) | Top Critics (25) | Fresh (46) | Rotten (8)
Throughout, Tsai makes his rhymes work with an almost subliminal grace: from him to her, from clocks to hearts, from an ancient Paris graveyard to the modern passageways of locker-like columbaria…
March 16, 2020
Joshua Rothkopf
In These Times
TOP CRITIC
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.
March 7, 2018
David Ansen
Newsweek
TOP CRITIC
March 10, 2003 | Rating: 3/5
Kimberley Jones
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
Tsai may be ploughing the same furrow once too often.
August 8, 2002
Tony Rayns
Sight & Sound
TOP CRITIC
If you’ve the patience, there are great rewards here.
June 11, 2002 | Rating: 4/5
Jamie Russell
BBC.com
TOP CRITIC
While its careful pace and seemingly opaque story may not satisfy every moviegoer’s appetite, the film’s final scene is soaringly, transparently moving.
March 28, 2002 | Rating: 3.5/4
Carrie Rickey
Philadelphia Inquirer
TOP CRITIC
It’s very concise when Tsai dialogues with topics such as alienation, loneliness and the repressed desires of three people who refuse to accept what time takes from them. [Full review in Spanish]
January 28, 2021 | Rating: 7/10
Yasser Medina
Cinemaficionados
It’s a hilarious conceit, which Tsai carries through with smart cinematic wit.
February 25, 2020
B. Ruby Rich
The Nation
July 4, 2005 | Rating: 4/5
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
The film’s understated humor and relatable character’s steer us towards feelings of compassion and understanding, rather than pity.
October 24, 2004 | Rating: 3/4
Derek Smith
Cinematic Reflections
Wise and deadpan humorous.
July 2, 2003 | Rating: A+
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews
A funny and moving meditation on yearning, mourning and the vagaries of time.
March 25, 2003 | Rating: 4/5
Jason Anderson
eye WEEKLY…
Plot
A street vendor in Taiwan forges a connection with a young woman on her way to Paris, exploring themes of loneliness and the passage of time in the process.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Jean-Pierre Léaud, known for his role in François Truffaut’s “The 400 Blows,” has a small part in “What Time Is It There?”
Ming-liang-Tsai.jpg
