Mountains May Depart

Another breakthrough by a director who has never stopped pushing either himself or his idea of what a Chinese movie can do and be.

So confident is this director's touch that "Mountains May Depart" holds you with the humanity of its telling rather than the gloom of its conclusions.

Like most of the indispensable Jia's work, this triptych film, which jumps from 1999 to 2014 and then to 2025, is intimately engaged in the push-pull between tradition and progress.

Director Jia Zhangke offers a work of poetic prophecy in this romantic and political melodrama.

Jia's languid style and exquisite framing complement his understated approach to the material, which opts for depth over melodrama. But "Mountains May Depart" is grounded in Zhao's delicate performance, which is her best.

There's a lot of heart here.

It's galling how much [the third act] deflates the exemplary first two acts of what could have been a truly great film.

Zhao Tao's awe-inspiring performance and the pure audacity of director Jia Zhangke make Mountains May Depart the auteur's best effort to date.

While it falls just short of [Jia's] best, it's still an excellent, accomplished film from a master filmmaker.

A reinterpretation of a classic Hollywood melodrama. [Full review in Spanish]

With narrative simpleness, the director gives us a surprising family portrait. [Full review in Spanish]

With insight and lots of emotion, the film depicts a new generation of people in China. [Full review in Spanish]