In the Mood for Love - 5/5

In my mega-ass long review of 2046, I mentioned this movie, but wanted to give it an official post, since it’s such a great movie in its own right.

Set in 1962 Hong Kong, In the Mood for Love features Chow Mo-wan (Tony Leung) and Su Li-Zhen (Maggie Cheung) as neighbors who happen to move in on the same day. Both are married, but their spouses are often absent. Eventually they figure out that their spouses are having an affair with each other. Chow and Su start spending a lot of time together and fall in love… but they never admit it, nor do they consummate it. Because they are determined not to be like their spouses. Eventually, Chow flees to Singapore.

As with most Wong Kar Wai movies, the movie is visually sumptuous, the music stirring, and the acting superb. The chemistry between Leung and Cheung is fantastic and tension-filled. And if Cheung’s cheongsams aren’t a visual metaphor for the constricted and uncomfortable societal rules to which she must abide, I’ll be a monkey’s uncle.

In the Mood for Love is everything Remains of the Day wishes it could grow up to be. Beautiful, compelling, smoldering, and romantic. Plus, no ewwww Hopkins factor.

For ghostfinger - you’d love this movie, you must put it on your list. Wong is twice the autuer that Baz is, with none of those fucking jump cuts. It’s also a) in color and b) Chinese, so I’m preemptively cutting off your b&w samurai movie eye-roll.

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