TopTenREVIEWS presents the movie reviews of Flight of the Red Balloon, The (2008)

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Flight of the Red Balloon, The (2008)

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RANKINGS:

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All Time

of 190,103

6,221

2000's

of 33,973

2,043

2008

of 634

44
Action
- Action All Time
  
  of 5,891
  
  684
  
  Action of 2008
  
  of 99
  
  12
  
  Action of the 2000's
  
  of 1,828
  
  224
Adventure
- Adventure All Time
  
  of 4,412
  
  648
  
  Adventure of 2008
  
  of 86
  
  13
  
  Adventure of the 2000's
  
  of 986
  
  189
Drama
- Drama All Time
  
  of 37,982
  
  3,156
  
  Drama of 2008
  
  of 249
  
  19
  
  Drama of the 2000's
  
  of 9,633
  
  1,035
Family
- Family All Time
  
  of 4,950
  
  379
  
  Family of 2008
  
  of 32
  
  4
  
  Family of the 2000's
  
  of 896
  
  120

Ratings and rankings are based on number of movie, review scores, awards & other criteria.

Flight of the Red Balloon, The (2008) is ranked overall as out of 4 stars

Overall Rating:2.5003

Avg Critic Score:2.7436

Flight of the Red Balloon, The (2008) Rank 3 Reviews

Expert Review Summary

Click on the numbers to the right of the graph to see reviews of that rating

23.40%

44.68%

29.79%

Fair

0.00%

(0)

Poor

2.13%

(1)

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Time Out (David Jenkins)

An exceptional piece of filmmaking, intricate, elaborate and exuding warmth and wisdom from its every frame. ...read the complete Flight of the Red Balloon movie review at Time Out (David Jenkins)

Christian Science Monitor (Peter Rainer)

Taiwanese director Hou Hsiao-hsien knows how to cast a spell of loneliness. ...read the complete Flight of the Red Balloon movie review at Christian Science Monitor (Peter Rainer)

Reeling Reviews (Robin Clifford)

It just goes to show what can be done with a quiet, reflective film that does not have car chases, shootouts or mayhem, just a strong dose of beauty and imagination. ...read the complete Flight of the Red Balloon movie review at Reeling Reviews (Robin Clifford)

Salon.com (Andrew O'Hehir)

CANNES, France -- I'm in the swing of things here. I've already consumed coffee after 10 p.m. and wine before noon, and I was able to summon up the right French word to mutter under my breath at the Russian TV reporter with a bad face-lift who shoved her ...read the complete Flight of the Red Balloon movie review at Salon.com (Andrew O'Hehir)

Sky Movies (Elliott Noble)

With a fondness for reflective surfaces and long takes, Hou picks up an everyday situation, observes it from various angles, gives it a gentle shake, then puts it down again, seemingly without comment. ...read the complete Flight of the Red Balloon movie review at Sky Movies (Elliott Noble)

Flight of the Red Balloon, The (2008) Critic Reviews continued...

Total Film ()

While nothing really happens in the leisurely French debut of lauded filmmaker Hou Hsiao-Hsien, it doesn�t happen in the most beguiling of ways. ...read the complete Flight of the Red Balloon movie review at Total Film ()

ReelTalk Movie Reviews (Donald J. Levit)

Flight of the Red Balloon/Le voyage du ballon rouge is like the hot air tricolor balloon with which Napoleon thought to impress Gallic glory on the Mamluks. In 1798 Egypt the latter crashed and burned on its maiden voyage, and the 2007 red-lead balloon ...read the complete Flight of the Red Balloon movie review at ReelTalk Movie Reviews (Donald J. Levit)

Los Angeles Daily News (Bob Strauss)

A frazzled single mother and her curious young boy are observed by his Taiwanese baby sitter and, yes, a hovering balloon in this engaging but plot-light look at everyday Paris life. ...read the complete Flight of the Red Balloon movie review at Los Angeles Daily News (Bob Strauss)

Seattle Times (Jeff Shannon)

More often than not, the red balloon appears as a silent, benevolent witness to ethereal moments that [director] Hou has taken great care to capture. ...read the complete Flight of the Red Balloon movie review at Seattle Times (Jeff Shannon)

Toronto Star (Philip Marchand)

The story of these people is certainly engaging. The conundrums of art and reality, of reflection and mirror images, presented by the movie are another matter � they seem at times gratuitous. But at least the movie does give us something to think about. ...read the complete Flight of the Red Balloon movie review at Toronto Star (Philip Marchand)

New York Post (V.A. Musetto)

Fans of Hou know just what to expect from his slow, contemplative films - and they won't be disappointed. ...read the complete Flight of the Red Balloon movie review at New York Post (V.A. Musetto)

european-films.net (Boyd van Hoeij)

Contemplative and at times poetic, but strongest when caught up in the whirlwind of conflicting emotions of Binoche's character, an overworked puppeteer and a mother of a son she mostly leaves in the care of a Chinese nanny. ...read the complete Flight of the Red Balloon movie review at european-films.net (Boyd van Hoeij)

HDFest.com (Gerald Wright)

It is wonderful to see a film use a combination of surrealism and exploration of poignant family issues to explore the problems surrounding coming of age. In this movie, filmmaker Hou Hsiao Hsien takes his well known style of poise and definitive ...read the complete Flight of the Red Balloon movie review at HDFest.com (Gerald Wright)

NewsBlaze (Kam Williams)

A slight, surreal cinematic experiment apt to enthrall the more discerning theatergoer, while leaving the mundane masses scratching their heads and asking, 'Is that it?' ...read the complete Flight of the Red Balloon movie review at NewsBlaze (Kam Williams)

Onion AV Club (Scott Tobias)

Nothing much happens in The Flight Of The Red Balloon, and that's all by design: [director] Hou means to evoke a city and a few of the lonely characters within it, and he does so with consummate grace, affection, and a subtle touch of magic. ...read the complete Flight of the Red Balloon movie review at Onion AV Club (Scott Tobias)

New York Daily News (Elizabeth Weitzman)

[Hou Hsiao-hsien] may well have created a future classic of his own ...read the complete Flight of the Red Balloon movie review at New York Daily News (Elizabeth Weitzman)

Metromix.com (Geoff Berkshire)

Receives a big boost from bleached-blonde leading lady Binoche, whose showy mood-swings qualify as action set-pieces. ...read the complete Flight of the Red Balloon movie review at Metromix.com (Geoff Berkshire)

Time Out New York (Joshua Rothkopf)

Flight of the Red Balloon fills its running time with leisurely gestures -- not unpleasantly if you can recalibrate your internal clock to what feels like a breezy Parisian summer full of uncertainty. ...read the complete Flight of the Red Balloon movie review at Time Out New York (Joshua Rothkopf)

EmanuelLevy.com (Emanuel Levy)

Despite some lyrical moments and graceful stylistic touches, Hou's first French-language feature is just as disappointing as his first foreign foray, the Tokyo set Cafe Lumiere; that said, film pays nice tribute to the 1956 French classic Red Balloon ...read the complete Flight of the Red Balloon movie review at EmanuelLevy.com (Emanuel Levy)

Oregonian (Marc Mohan)

Ultimately, it's hard not to feel like Hou is saying more explicitly and expansively in nearly two hours what Lamorisse managed to convey in only one-fourth as much film. ...read the complete Flight of the Red Balloon movie review at Oregonian (Marc Mohan)

TV Guide's Movie Guide (Ken Fox)

The best of Hou's films are quiet accumulations of hints and nuances that reward the patient viewer with an emotionally rich conclusion. Not so here. ...read the complete Flight of the Red Balloon movie review at TV Guide's Movie Guide (Ken Fox)

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