Café Lumiére is deliberate, painstakingly detailed, and without much narrative thrust, but it may be the film that Ozu would have made if he lived in the modern age. Beautifully shot by Lee Ping-ping, the film allows us to view the world the characters inhabit, providing extraordinary details of Tokyo life, including outlying districts such as Jimbocho, known for its many bookstores, and Kishibojin with its look of old Tokyo. Millennium Mambo may be considered minor Hou and Café Lumiére transitional Hou but whatever category it is placed in, Hou's work, for me, is illuminating and unforgettable.