Emily Wang (Cheung) is an aging musician just out of jail in the wake of her lover's overdose. Her struggle to finally get clean finds her hopping across continents; she re-connects with old friends, her music, and, most importantly, her son Jay who lives with his grandparents. But Emily must prove to Jay's grandfather Albrecht (Nolte) that she's grown clean enough to truly care for her son.

French director Olivier Assayas's ever-whirling camera has never captured drama so tender. From a scenario riddled to the core with cliché, he spins movie gold, producing a profoundly moving meditation on growth and forgiveness. Hong Kong starlet Cheung is in nearly every frame, and her expressive face telegraphs the struggles, disappointments, and overwhelming desire to love that mark this fascinating creation. Nolte's shaggy dog Albrecht matches her note for note in one of his finest, most resonant performances to date. A superb minor-key drama by one of the world's greatest living filmmakers.