Cannes | Somber silence at "Ashes of Time"
by Patrick Frater
Emotions were ratcheted up to a high notch Sunday night for the preem of "Ashes of Time Redux," Wong Kar-wai's revisiting of his 1994 martial arts fantasy.
Festival topper Thierry Fremaux was on hand to present the Wong and stars Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Carina Lau, Charlie Yeung and ebullient lenser Chris Doyle (pictured with Kar-wai).
Wong accepted rounds of applause as he entered and promptly called for a minute of silence in honor of victims of natural disasters.
The minute extended to two or three. Perhaps more. But nobody was in a hurry to bring it to an end.
Wong looked impeccable, immaculate and inscrutable in a tailored tuxedo, dark glasses and slicked hair. But his body language was all pain -- head hung, shoulders bearing the strain.
When the reverence came to an end, credits rolled on Wong's heady mix of desert action and hopeless love. Gaudy new package is heavily rescored, rechaptered and painfully romantic.
Screening also underlined another natural disaster. Pic is the career highlight of Leslie Cheung, the sorely missed Hong Kong star who killed himself five years ago.
Michael Jones is the film festival editor at Variety.com. 
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