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Three Times is a trilogy of short films that feel small by the standard of Hou's major works, but in bringing them together he makes some powerful points about the history of both Taiwan and the world. The theme is love, and in each segment veteran Taiwanese film hunk Chang Chen and crossover erotic film star Shu Qi are in love in different eras. A soldier romances a pool-hall hostess to the tune of Western torch songs in 1966, a wealthy revolutionary has an ambiguous relationship with a servant in 1911, and a photographer and a musician are drawn to each other in Taipei's edgy club scene in 2005. It would be hard to find two more striking faces in world cinema, and both leads give fine performances appropriate to the eras. Mark Lee Ping-Bin's great cinematography also changes to fit the times, always making brilliant use of light and focus. Hou's direction, as usual, demands patience and rewards it. Most remarkable is the 1911 sequence, mostly silent with the dialog in intertitles. Together the stories reflect on love rituals, the spaces we live in, and the role of women throughout nearly 100 years of recent history. Music -- where it comes from and the part it plays in peoples' lives -- is another powerful central theme. This is not only one of Hou's most accessible films, but one of his best.