Jia and Yu have, unsurprisingly, made a movie of taciturn eloquence, always sure-footed in negotiating its discursive narrative construction, even as it sometimes wobbles at the level of performance.

Jia remains a major filmmaker, and this film is never less than bold and ambitious.

This is an extraordinarily beautiful film with lush, occasionally radical cinematography from Nelson Lik-wai Yu, profound things to say about the immigrant experience and a commanding performance from Zhao Tao.

Mountains May Depart tells a sweeping story of history and change, with pronounced feelings and big emotional scenes. And while its dramatics present an unexpected deviation in Jia’s filmography, they're also part of a mounting evolution.