It was a single shot that would comprise less than a minute of screen time, but it was precisely what Wong's films are known for, the perfect distillation of an ineffable emotional moment.

("So What," the title of the number that opens Davis's 1959 masterpiece, "Kind of Blue," is a perfect distillation of his attitude.)

Chitarra pasta, with morels, goat cheese, and lemon, was a perfect distillation of spring, at once earthy and bright.

Vastly different at each of its edges, Georgia - the largest state east of the Mississippi River - is in many ways the perfect distillation of everything the South has to offer.

Of these, "Carousel (A Dance)" is a perfect distillation of emotion, a successful evocation of a story without actually telling a story.

This concert has more than a dozen songwriters aiming for that perfect distillation of incident, insight and memorable tune.

It is a perfect distillation of the playwright's intention: a view of his characters and their loveless marriages, broken hearts and secret yearnings from every angle.

The shop's beautiful glass wares are perfect urban distillations of winter, sophisticated city versions of icicles and frozen lakes.

There are two such works here; while they seem a bit simplistic, they also are the perfect distillation of the artist's sensibility.

Alas, Ms. Clarke's lovers are usually in a literal clinch rather than yards apart and her style has lost some richness without attaining a perfect distillation of emotion.