In the Mood for Love

Feel the heat, keep the feeling burning, let the sensation explode.

Drama Romance
99 min     8.111     2000     France

Overview

In Hong Kong of 1962, Mrs. Chan and Mr. Chow, a journalist, move into neighbouring apartments on the same day. Their encounters are formal and polite—until a discovery about their respective spouses creates an intimate bond between them.

Reviews

CinemaSerf wrote:
This is a fine piece of cinema from Wong Kar-Wai that tells us a story of two people whom circumstance throws together - but not in a way you might expect. We start with two couples who move into a new building. One a newspaper man with his wife, the other a business executive and his wife. The businessman is rarely at home, nor is the journalist's wife - which leaves the other two at increasingly loose ends. It isn't long before a friendship develops - usually over some noodles - and though entirely platonic, their relationship becomes solid and trusting. Then, something entirely unexpected occurs that causes the two to refocus their relationship in the face of betrayal and disappointment - and well.... What helps this film stand out are the performances from both Tony Leung ("Chow Mo-wan") and the gorgeous Maggie Cheung ("Mrs. Chan") - it's a love story, and it burns intensely - but not physically - as their story subsumes both themselves and the audience. The film looks marvellous, is paced stylishly and uses quite a bit of Nat King Cole to set and keep the mood atmospheric, romantic and interesting. The photography offers us lingering close ups, we get a sense of them falling in love as if we, too, were undergoing the same experience and that all adds to the richness of the story. To give us a breather from the intensity, there are some fun scenes with their very close neighbours who love nothing better than to sit up all night playing mahjong!! Super film, this - flew by.

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