MOVIE REVIEW: Wong Kar-wai’s CHUNGKING EXPRESS (1994)

Another Wong Kar-wai film review… there will be many to come. I believe this is the first Wong Kar-wai film I’ve ever watched. Here’s my review:

“You gonna eat that?”

Synopsis and spoiler-free review portion:

Wong kar-wai’s Chungking Express (Chinese: 重慶森林 chung hing sam lam) follows two storylines, both revolving around heartbroken policemen. The first one, starring Takeshi Kaneshiro as the happy-go-lucky He Qi-wu, and also known as Cop 223. Qi-wu’s girlfriend, named May, recently broke up with him, a month before his birthday (May 1st). He resolves to eat a can of pineapples everyday before his birthday – and if he is able to complete this task, he will take it as a sign that he will be able to get over his ex. During his month of heartbreak, by chance, he encounters the unnamed “Woman in the Blonde Wig” (played by Brigitte Lin). We get to see her own story, which includes a run-in with the law.

The second story in Chungking Express follows our protagonists Faye (played by Faye Wong) and Cop 663 (played by Tony Leung Chiu-wai). After 663’s recent breakup, he finds himself frequenting a fast-food Chinese food stand, “Chungking Express”, where Faye has been newly hired. Because of their reoccurring encounters, they eventually form an unlikely friendship.

Brigitte Lin as “the woman in the blonde wig”, from story one.

“Cop 663” played by Tony Leung Chiu-wai (left) and “Faye” played by Faye Wong (right) from the second story.

Why I love this movie so much and why you should watch it even though I know you won’t:

Yeah so this review is going to be a little bias. Very bias. I love how a lot of HK films have this really indie feel to it – but a lot of them that I’ve watched aren’t really… that good. A lot of them have good things about them, but overall, the majority of HK films that I have seen weren’t “good” in my eyes. Maybe I’ve just been looking in the wrong place (feel free to leave suggestions). But a good place to look is in this film.

First off, I loved every single main character in this film. They all had these very endearing quirks about them that made me love them a lot. I felt that there was a lot of attention to details about the characters’ personalities that really stuck with me after the film, and a lot of small things that just makes you really remember a film. This includes the pineapple eating thing that Qi-wu does, as mentioned above, why Lin’s character wears the blonde wig, etc.

I love the dialogue in this film. Whether it’s narration or conversation (to other people, to themselves), the conversations were often really interesting and really funny. I don’t really know how to describe the type of funny I think it is though – it’s definitely not a really outrageous, shocking type of funny. It’s more like a chuckling type of funny. I don’t know – they warm my heart and they’re interesting. The chemistry between the characters are really good as well. Were they ever not friends? Who knows?

One of my favourite conversations in the film – 663 talking to his stuffed animals (Garfield in this one).

Recommended for:

I really love this movie, but I don’t think it’s for everyone. It’s similar to American indie films, in how some people just won’t like it because they don’t see the point in it. My brother’s friend described indie films to be like “two people pointing guns at each other for an hour and a half until someone finally pulls the trigger in the last two minutes of the film.” That’s fine – it’s not for everyone. But I think because it’s split into to halves, even people who struggle to see the point in indie films might be able to get into this. I would still say that it’s “exciting”, but not in the traditional way that American films are exciting if you get what I mean. There’s action – but this is by no means an action movie. There’s romance – but your heart isn’t going to be beating for the characters to fall in love and make out and such. It’s a very unconventional romance film, but I’d consider the characters to be quite “romantic”.

It’s an interesting film with intriguing characters, but don’t expect any really overwhelming emotions to bubble up as you watch it. I’d recommend it for anyone who can really fall in love with characters, and for anyone who can get sucked into interesting dialogues (maybe think Tarantino for the type of dialogues?) I wouldn’t recommend it to someone who only enjoys really epic movies. A lot of the things that are great about it are also really understated.

These scenes with Faye kinda weirded me out the first time I watched it, but I loved it nonetheless.

Specific scene analyses (spoiler alert!):

Just go watch the movie so that you can read this section already! Scroll down to the bottom for TLDR;

Which did I like better? Story one or story two?

Well, it’s hard to choose.

I thought storyline one was more original. I really, really, REALLY love the pineapple thing that Qi-wu was doing to get over his heartbreak. It was just really… adorable, being fixated on pineapples as a cure for heartbreak, of all things. Qi-wu was my favourite character in this film too – I’m sure he’s a lot of people’s favourite though, for those who have watched it. He’s always smiling, despite being so hurt. His phone calls to his other ex-girlfriends were hilarious as well. He has a lot of great quirks.

What was happening with Lin’s character as a part of story one was really compelling as well. It offset nicely with Qi-wu’s happy-go-lucky personality. It’s also funny that he’s hanging out with her since he’s a cop. Her story alone fulfills the “action” part of the film very well. I found myself really fixated on her part of the story as well as Qi-wu’s, though I liked Qi-wu as a character more. Her part of the story added the most “uniqueness” in terms of visuals for the film, with the shaky camera movements trailing her. It’s a great opening to the film, as it really draws you into it, following her through such a shady area.

But I also really loved story two, because I loved the chemistry between 663 and Faye. It’s kind of a weird chemistry though. No one gets quirkier than Faye – she breaks into his apartment to clean. Who does that? And poor 663 is so heartbroken, he doesn’t even notice. Their whole relationship is just odd. I don’t know why 663 was just cool with it after – he’s a cop and someone broke into his home.

As I said before, I really loved the whole bit where 663 talks to his stuffed animals and other non-living objects. My “chuckles” turned really obnoxious while I was watching these parts. Aside from the pineapples, this was my favourite bit from the movie.

So which do I like more? It’s so hard to choose. Through the first time watching it, I was more excited for the first story, but I think I liked the second story more, because I just loved the chemistry between the protagonists, and I loved the romantic quality of it nearing the end. Objectively though, I think the first one is better because it’s more compelling as a story. Qi-wu wins as the best character.

My favourite bit from the movie.

Much yearning from my heart while watching this scene.

Visual style (and also the score which I never really talk about):

Stylistically, I felt this film was really strong for creating a clear image of what Wong Kar-wai’s films are kind of like to me – both with the visuals and with the score. The song which they first play as Lin’s character rushes through the alleyways of Hong Kong creates a great sense urgency at the beginning, that really captivates you right off the bat. The reoccurring playing of “California Dreaming” by The Mamas and the Papas as Faye danced to it in the second story helped cement Faye’s character really well.  In addition, I just like the whole colour tone of this film.

Faye loves to dance!

TLDR;

Recommended for: People looking for an unconventional romance movie, people who like indie films, people looking for a movie with great characters and memorable quirks
Not recommended for: People who like really epic or lovey dovey romances, people who really, really, really can’t survive without COMPLETE closure.

Visuals: 8/10 – The visuals of this film wasn’t anything too crazy, but they were really good at creating a style unique to Wong Kar-wai. The visuals matched really perfectly with the score.
Story: 9/10 – They were just absolutely compelling to me. I can’t really explain them here without giving too much away though.
Overall enjoyment: 9.5/10 – Yeah this probably seems too high to most people, but I LOVE Chungking Express. It’s my second favourite Wong Kar-wai film, or possibly my first (don’t make me get into this argument with myself right now please). The characters and all of their quirks made this film so loveable to me.

Also, for those of you who have watched the movie but haven’t seen this, Quentin Taratino gives a great talk about Chungking Express.

 

MOVIE REVIEW: Wong Kar-wai’s IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE (2000)

Hello folks!

This will be my first ever movie “review” (not intended to be taken very seriously in any way). It is of one of my favourite films, which I had just re-watched yesterday so it’s still fresh in my memory. I hope my review can do it some justice (though I doubt it). If you don’t want to read everything and you are just here for the final verdict, go down to the TLDR; at the bottom.

Maggie Cheung (left) as Mrs. Chan, and Tony Leung Chiu-Wai (right) as Mr. Chow (or Chow Mo-Wan)

Synopsis and spoiler-free analysis portion:

In the Mood for Love (Chinese: 花樣年華) is a HK film directed by one of my favourite directors, Wong Kar-wai. The movie is set in Hong Kong in the sixties, and it stars Maggie Cheung as Mrs. Chan, and Tony Leung Chiu-wai as Chow Mo-wan (also known as Mr. Chow). Mrs. Chan and Mr. Chow move in next door to each other in the same apartment building; they soon discover that their spouses have been cheating on them with each other (Chow’s wife with Mrs. Chan’s husband), and they start to develop a platonic friendship through this development. It is a widely acclaimed film (though I don’t know anyone who has watched it other than my parents) and it is considered to be one of Wong Kar-wai’s best, and most visually beautiful films.

A visually beautiful film

First, I would just like to point out how much I love the Chinese title: 花樣年華 (pronounced fa yeung nin wa in Cantonese), which, literally, means something like “the time that the flowers are in full bloom”. There is just something so romantic about that title – and I think it represents the film better than the English title does (though the English title isn’t bad either). Like the Chinese title suggests, this film is a visually stunning masterpiece – without the help of crazy CGI and whatnot. From the smoke coming from Mr. Chow’s cigarettes as he smokes alone, to the various beautiful, floral patterned qipao (旗袍 – kei po in Cantonese), the traditional Chinese dresses that Mrs. Chan wears throughout the movie – all come together to create a beautiful film.

Maggie Cheung has never looked more beautiful – I guarantee that during the time that you are watching this film, you cannot think of any woman more beautiful than her as Mrs. Chan. But it wasn’t just her clothes and her makeup and her hair that made her that way, but Cheung portrayed her perfectly. From the way Mrs. Chan carried herself – in her posture, in her stride, in her facial expression – was really true to her character, a refined and restrained, professional and elegant woman who is unhappy with her marriage. Tony Leung Chiu-wai also embodied Mr. Chow pretty perfectly too – as a handsome, soft-spoken, lonely, and self-contained newspaper writer. The chemistry developed between these two characters was fascinating to watch, and very realistic (more on that below). The way they share their loneliness, pain, and anxiety together, their subtle flirting and courting, the way they talk to each other with their eyes… I can honestly watch their interactions forever. If you like Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung Chiu-wai, I think you’d really enjoy this movie. These characters they portray are at the height of being “subtly cool” and infinitely romantic.

Mrs. Chan walking down the hallway of a hotel. She is wearing a red coat over a white and black qipao. In this scene, the camera cuts between footage of the flowing curtains in the hallway and her pacing between floors.

The smoke motif used in the movie; Mr. Chow is at his desk at work, after hours.

Recommended for:

If you’re thinking about watching this film, I would definitely recommend it to you if you like films that are really focused on visual aspects – through sets, costumes, camera, and of course acting. It has a great score as well, that really highlights the loneliness of the characters and the longing between our protagonists. I will say the film progresses a little slow though, especially if you’re looking for a movie with a lot of passionate make-outs and a lot of sex; the title might suggest that there there will be a lot of amorous activities acted out in the movie – there won’t be. The beauty of the storytelling lies with the subtly of the acting.

Mrs. Chan thinking as she looks out the window from her apartment. She is wearing a blue qipao with a yellow daffodil pattern.

Longer analysis (SPOILERS AHEAD!):

You have been warned. Scroll down to the ratings and TLDR; if you don’t want to see this! These will be analyses of specific scenes.

The chemistry between Mrs. Chan and Mr. Chow:

Like I’ve mentioned before, if you were reading the entire time, the chemistry between Mrs. Chan and Mr. Chow is incredible and believable. They don’t talk a lot in the film – at least not compared to what I’m used to seeing. It’s not a film where the man comes up with an endless amount of witty lines to charm the woman, or where the woman’s enchanting personality captivates the man like no other beauty before her could (you know which movies I’m referring to…). It’s a film that starts off with a man and a woman, neighbours, wanting to be platonic friends. But as the film progresses, it becomes clearer and clearer that they aren’t simply friends. We are first made aware of this when Mr. Chow says the magical “hook-up” words, “Let’s not go home tonight” or “Let’s stay out tonight” (depending on what your translated version says); it is only seconds later that we realize they are reenacting a scene. As we move through the movie, we see Mr. Chow longing for Mrs. Chan more and more, and she eventually starts developing feelings for Mr. Chow as well.

Longing – that’s the word for it. Long shots of Mr. Chow staring at Mrs. Chan as she broods over how she feels about this awkward situation that they’ve found themselves in with each other’s spouses; and she eventually broods about their own relationship. Long shots of Mr. Chow inching towards Mrs. Chan’s hand as they ride a taxi together, only to have her pull away, until finally, in their last car ride together, she holds his hand back. Their implied amorous activities finally release the sexual tension that is in the air between the two, but the longing doesn’t end their; we carry it until the end of the film (and beyond, for me) of wanting more, but never receiving. It really does create the “mood” of love, as we succumb to the pain of an unrequited relationship. It’s not even happening to us, yet we feel the pain as they do.

Mr. Chow and Mrs. Chan sitting inside of the taxi.

A visually beautiful film (part 2):

There are many notable visually stunning scenes here – my favourite is the one where Mrs. Chan rushes to the hotel where Mr. Chow is staying to write his story. She is wearing a white qipao with a black flower pattern, with a red coat over top. The contrast between the eye-catching red coat and the muted qipao alone is already so beautiful. But even more so is the way the camera follows Mrs. Chan up and down the stairs and through the corridors as she makes the decision to go to – or to bail on – Mr. Chow’s invitation. Her motions and emotions are frantic and afraid and uncertain and it made the audience (or me at least) feel the same. Flashing between the hotel structure and herself, the camera is barely able to follow up with Mrs. Chan’s movements – it is only when Mr. Chan opens the door to greet her do we feel release. Now that is storytelling by the camera done right.

The red curtains flowing in the hallway leading to Mr. Chow’s hotel room where he awaits Mrs. Chan.

 

Another scene which I’m sure a lot of people found really stunning was the final scene where Mr. Chow is in Cambodia, and he is talking into the hole. Long shots of the canyons and rocks are seen against a blue sky. Lovely, yes, and really the only “picturesque” landscape scene we get from the movie. However, I’m not a complete fan of this – I agree it’s beautiful, but for some kind of reason it doesn’t sit well with me against the rest of the film. It doensn’t look like it fits the sixties era very well… which the rest of the film excels at. It really does illuminate Mr. Chow’s loneliness though.

Favourite scene(s):

There are so many good scenes in this movie. One of my favourites is the scene where Mr. Chow first calls Mrs. Chan to “consult with her about his wife’s birthday present.” They play innocent as they talk to each other, each of them trying to get information from each other, each of them trying to say things without saying anything. It was really clever – and the second time around watching it, I picked up on some things prior to this scene that adds to this scene (like when Mrs. Chan asks her husband to buy two of the same handbags for her boss – one for his mistress and one for his wife).

Another thing I loved was their reoccurring “bit” to act out hypothetical situations, the first one being the scene where Mr. Chow suggests, “Let’s not go home tonight.” They then go on to reenact Mrs. Chan asking her husband if he has a mistress, and also to her reacting to Mr. Chow leaving to Singapore. I thought all of these were so funny – especially after the first time watching it, when I finally realized they were joking.

From the first time Mr. Chow invites Mrs. Chan out to a diner to talk.

TLDR;

Recommended for: People who like art films, fans of Wong Kar-wai, Maggie Cheung, or Tony Leung Chiu-wai, and the romantics

NOT recommended for: People who can’t stand subtly or “implied” actions, people who are looking for a lot of passion and making out and sex, people with little patience (the pacing is a little slow, and I can see it being a turn off for people who can’t deal with that), and people looking for a standard Hollywood rom-com

RATINGS:

Visuals: 10/10 – Truly a beautiful movie. I want to own all of Mrs. Chan’s qipaos. The camera was great at assisting with the subtle visual storytelling, where the dialogue was missing.
Story: 9/10 – I think it’s a pretty good romance story, but the first time watching it, I found that it kind of lacked closure. I’m okay now. I felt that it was INCREDIBLE at evoking mood.
Overall enjoyment: 10/10 – It wasn’t a 10/10 the first time I watched it (close, but it wasn’t) but I couldn’t get it out of my head. And the more I thought about it, the more I loved it. And it’s a 10/10 now. Even if you don’t know Cantonese and are only relying on subtitles (I will say that some of the subtitles in my version were not completely sufficient in terms of creating a sense of character through the dialogue) it’s still a really good watch if you’re looking for a mood-evoking, visually stunning romance film.

EXTRAS: Found this super funny clip on Critereon about a dancing scene that was filmed but cut from the movie. It is my new favourite thing:

https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/2499-in-the-mood-for-dancing