Fa yeung nin wa (In the Mood for Love) (2000)

I've been meaning to see a Wong Kar Wai film for so long, and I'm glad I finally did. In the Mood for Love is a drop-dead gorgeous, emotionally understated love story with an impressive attention to detail. Mrs Chan (Maggie Cheung) and her unseen workaholic husband move into a small apartment connected to an older couple's lodgings at the same time Mr Chow (Tony Leung Chiu Wai) and his unseen wife move in with the family down the hall. Both have day jobs, but are often left alone in the evenings due to their spouses' schedules. When Mrs Chan's husband goes away on business for several weeks, Mr Chow's wife is also sent away.

Left behind in rooms populated by overly-friendly, card-playing senior couples, the two slowly form a loose bond over lonely evenings and love of action newspaper serials. They soon realize their spouses are cheating on them with one another, and begin going through various stages of questioning, rebellion, and acceptance, resolving to never be unfaithful like they were. They spend most of their time together, beginning an unspoken and unclear romance in which they often imitate one another's partners. Of course their attempts to not fall in love are useless, but neither will succumb to the temptation to cheat, with even the few half-hearted attempts by Mr Chow to hold her hand shot down by Mrs Chan. There can be no happy ending here.

This movie is heart-breaking, slow-moving, and ambiguously scripted. I really loved it. It is one of the most exquisitely crafted films I've ever seen. Each shot is meticulously composed, and often set up as a voyeuristic recording of a partly unseen conversation. Wong's camera sees the clocks, the shelves, the trappings of every day life that surround and observe domestic rendezvous. It makes each scene quiet and private and tender in a way I can't quite explain. The story is minimalist, with very vague dialogue and unresolved plot points, but it really doesn't matter. The actors' delivery combined with the visual style and gorgeous music is so evocative that anything happening in this context is interesting and often moving.

I can't actually talk a lot about specific scenes or major moments in the story. I can't even really say how or why this film affected me the way it did. It just stuck with me. It's almost haunting. I really really enjoyed it even if it was a little unfulfilling. In the Mood for Love is a truly beautiful film, resonant both visually and emotionally. Also, Maggie Cheung's wardrobe is to die for.

4.5/5