David O'ConnellIn the Mood for Love
September 23rd 2010 04:43
Hong Kong, 1962. Two people move into rented rooms in adjoining apartments on the same day. The lives of Mrs. Chan (Maggie Cheung) and a journalist, Mr. Chow (Tony Leung), are about to cross as their respective, and possibly cheating, spouses fade into the background; we literally never see their faces. Mrs. Chan’s husband is seemingly always away on business, whilst Mr. Chow and his wife seem to be on the verge of a rift.
A rapport develops between this lonely pair, bypassing one another on the stairs, in the tight hallways, as they so often do. A certain intimacy becomes almost inevitable. Each is trapped in a deeply unsatisfying marriage. They seem compelled to act upon a naturally evolving attraction. But do they ever consummate their love?
Wong Kar-wai’s In the Mood for Love (2000), an elegantly told and unconventional story of unfulfilled love, is perhaps his finest work. It’s certainly his most disciplined film: refined, poetic and sensual in understated ways. Gone are the frustratingly uneven narratives, the heady stylistic flourishes of his other rightfully revered films like 2046 (2004) or Chungking Express (1994). The camerawork of Christopher Doyle adds another hypnotically fluid dimension, as always, but here it seems more in harmony with the internal rhythms of Wong’s storytelling than ever before.
So much of the couple's relationship is built upon small details; glances, gestures and words are scattered like clues, imbued with elusive connotations. In essence we know what’s happening but intangible, unusual details still need to be inferred from what exists cryptically between the lines. The pair’s complicity has surprising boundaries and an admirable chasteness.
At regular intervals Shigeru Umebayashi’s main theme recurs, its seductive tango-like tempo accompanying moments in which time seems to slow down, wallowing in the music's soothing repetition. What can you say about the actors? The eternally beautiful Cheung is matched by the suave Leung; they're a perfect fit, expressive yet reserved, and perfectly in rhythm too with a director they've both worked with on numerous occasions. It's hard to imagine any other actors extracting nuance more deftly from these characters.
I imagine it almost impossible to avoid falling under the spell of this intoxicating piece of cinema and its resonant tale of two people who keep a seemingly inevitable fate at arm’s length. Their attraction is a painfully constricted affair, with little room to blossom and consume them due to the impediment of social strictures.
Time and place, then, become as infuriatingly oppressive as the good-intentioned concerns of Mrs. Suen and Mrs Koo, the owners of the apartments in which the couple reside. They yearn to cross a divide of dress rehearsals for how they might confront their partners with the truth, to a place in which they have the freedom to act them out. It’s a yearning, so delicately and beautifully portrayed that marks and defines them, creating feelings that are both fleeting and unforgettable.
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Comment by ShaunK
Screen Adventure
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
I've been a huge fan of Wong Kar-wai for years, ever since seeing Days of Being Wild at Wgtn Film Festival back when it was released. My favourite of his is Fallen Angels, in my top ten favourite movies of all-time. I also love Happy Together, another all-time fave. For me Happy Together might be his greatest work (even though I prefer Fallen Angels).
Nice review though, and I love the poster art for this movie.
Comment by David O'Connell
20/20 Filmsight
Screen Fanatic
Interesting to hear your favourites there Bryn. Fallen Angels is one very cool selection. I love the raw, chaotic nature of his earlier films, Chungking being my favourite. I've still managed to avoid the apparently horrible My Blueberry Nights. Did you ever see it?
Ashes of Time is the one film of his I can't stand!
Comment by ShaunK
Screen Adventure
Comment by David O'Connell
20/20 Filmsight
Screen Fanatic
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
I didn't mind In The Mood For Love but it did get a little wishy washy for my liking.
Would certainly rank Chungking Express higher too.
Comment by Bryn
Horrorphile
Ashes of Time, I know what you're talking about too, although I have his redux version sitting in a pile waiting for me to review ... I'm wondering if I might be able to sit through it this time.