In the Mood for Love

Over the next week or so I'm taking a look at some films that have made some best-of-the-decade lists by critics that I haven't seen before. I start with Wong Kar-Wai's In the Mood for Love, a dream-like meditation on unrequited love set in Hong Kong during the 1960s.

Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung star as neighbors. Each is married to a spouse who works irregular hours or travels a lot. Leung and Cheung pass each other on the stairs or see each other at the local noodle shop but exchange only the briefest of pleasantries. Eventually they come to the realization that their spouses are having an affair with one another. They bond out of support for one another, and then fall in love, but do not consummate their affection.

I was impressed with the skill involved in the making of this picture. The photography is exquisite, with brilliant use of color (particularly red). The music and costumes do a great job of setting the time period. A waltz borrowed from a Japanese film is used as a cue for whenever the two leads meet, which only adds to the dream-like qualities of the film. However I felt at arm's lengths from the characters. Films like this make me feel dumb, because they are so circumspect I'm never quite sure if I missed something. I read the plot summary on Wikipedia and realized I missed a few things.

From some of the supplemental materials on the DVD (a handsome Criterion edition) I learned that Wong has no script, and improvises on the go. Maybe I'm prejudiced, since I'm a writer, but this film might have done well to have a more concrete script. The story meanders and moves slowly, as if it hadn't made up its mind where it wants to go. I did like the touch that the spouses are never seen, only heard in off-screen voices (though Wong originally contemplated having Leung and Cheung play both roles--it's a good thing he dropped that idea).

I do leave the film a certified fan of Maggie Cheung. I've only seen her in one other film, Hero, though she's a big star in Asia. She grew up in England, so I wonder how she's managed to avoid doing any English-language films yet. If I were a Hollywood bigshot I'd be shoveling money her way. She's that good (and beautiful).