Miraculously, though, there is no sign of any of this in the film itself, a near-flawless jewel that blends immaculate performances (Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung, both among the most physically gorgeous actors currently working), ravishing visuals that infuse even the most mundane object with a weirdly erotic aura, and a story that's almost idiotically simple on the surface yet which has countless subtle undercurrents that make it one of the most rewarding repeat viewing experiences in living memory. Apparently the first cut was rather more explicitly plot-driven, but editor William Chang prevailed upon Wong to pare the narrative to the bone.

As a result, it's very hard to describe the story in any detail without giving away massive spoilers, since you'd probably have ample space left over on the back of a postage stamp. Essentially, though, it's about Mr Chow and Mrs Chan, both married, each living as lodgers in tiny flats next door to each other. In this crowded, cramped environment, they can't help but notice each other, but it's only when they discover that their respective spouses are having an affair with each other that they have a reason to communicate.

Every single thing about In The Mood For Love is well, the title says it all, and seldom has one been more perfectly chosen. The colours, clothes and décor ache with longing and even the most fleeting gesture by the two leads betrays an encyclopaedia of emotional information about how they feel for each other, but are too constrained both by their own inhibitions, their desire "not to be like them" (i.e. their partners) and their worry about how everyone else will react to do anything about it. Brief Encounter has been cited countless times, and it's a perfect comparison - 1962 Hong Kong isn't so different from 1945 Britain as far as the need to keep up appearances goes.

And just when you wonder whether the film's ever going to amount to more than just a hesitant series of inconclusive encounters, the film's second theme emerges, that of the fragility of memory and how entire worlds vanish with the passage of time. A coda set amongst the ruined temples of Angkor Wat in Cambodia seems to have baffled many, but I think it fits perfectly, by setting one person's memories of what might have been with the ruins of an ancient civilisation gone the same way. But one can analyse and re-analyse this till the cows come home - because what's so wonderful about this uniquely subtle, suggestive, delicate and fragile film is that it opens itself up to so many interpretations yet constantly eludes definitive ones. It's a masterpiece - and establishes beyond any doubt that Wong Kar-wai ranks among the most exciting and thrillingly original directors currently working anywhere...

Much of the discussion on this movie centers on the non-consummation of Wan and Shen's relationship. Meaning, they don't have sex -- or even kiss. And that seems to piss a lot of people off. One review I read called it "irritating." But I think many of those reviews missed the point of this movie, or maybe Wong Kar-Wai's works in general. His films -- despite the flashy camerawork, all-star casts and critical acclaim -- are more representations of slices of life rather than grand comments on the human psyche. Wong admits his plots and stories are not his strong points and concentrates more on characters in his movies, and that's what we have here.

In the Mood for Love creates a wonderful sense of '60's Hong Kong. From the old film stock, to the fashions, to the story that creates a sense of both the loneliness and loss of privacy that any large city can give to a person, especially when they are on their own. And if you are wondering -- yes, there is romance in the movie, but it is made up of small gestures, such as the simple touch of a hand. This gives In the Mood for Love a romantic sense that many other so-called romances (from all over the world, but especially Hollywood) miss. Love is oftentimes not about being with someone, but being without someone -- to never be able to touch them, to never be able to consummate the relationship. It is this "irritating" feeling which really creates (pardon the pun) the mood in the movie and makes it worth watching.

This film has generated a fair amount of buzz in the festival circuit. To be quite honest, I wasn't all that impressed. It looked promising for the first half, but then just became sludge... nothing was really going on and the spineless characters made me sick. I loved where the story was going, but it never actually got there in my opinion. It just felt as though they ran out of steam. I got rather bored with it near the end - and the ending itself really ticked me off... Well it would have, but by then I had somewhat lost interest.

Maggie Cheung was exquisite as usual - even more so than usual - beautiful and radiant. Tony Leung played his part well - he was less than charismatic, but I believe he was supposed to be a fairly rigid character. I found the cinematography to be quite excellent. It was well crafted and filmed and acted and even the score was great - reminded me of some Italian cinema or even Peter Greenaway-esque. The whole thing was very stylish and fresh. The score got old really quickly when they kept playing the same looped bit of song over and over and over... it sounded like it was supposed to be a small orchestra doing a live score, but it was totally a recording. Minor flaw. I was prepared to give it a 4 Star rating or better, but the ending stunk it up. Not just the very ending, but the last 20 minutes before that just dragged and then they leave us with "that".

Unsatisfying.

Not tragic, not happy, just "blah". Plus, it made me realize how pitiful the characters were for allowing their spouses to cheat on them and not do anything about it except fawn over each other while treating it as forbidden territory. I understand the time and location at which this was supposed to take place and all - but still... I cry at movies sometimes - I'm not afraid to admit it - but I felt nothing for these characters... I wanted to and I kept waiting to, but nothing. Oh well... different strokes for different folks I guess since most people seem to really love this film.

The Mei Ah DVD is adequate. They have been improving the way they make DVDs lately. This one has an aspect ratio that may be too close to a normal TV to be considered widescreen. The print is not without flaws, but the dust and speckle are very minor and the color saturation is good as well. It comes with a DD5.1 soundtrack which is a little bass heavy during dialogue, but there's also a stereo option (for both Cantonese and Mandarin). The subtitles leave something to be desired... they were very easy to read and fairly accurate (and removable now that Mei Ah has started to wise up), but they neglected to subtitle some Chinese text between some scenes in the film. You - as a viewer - won't be lost without them, but it would've been nice to have. Mei Ah has made a few better DVDs than this one, but this one is just fine. If you were able to play Region 2 discs, there is a French DVD version of this film coming out that is supposed to rival what the US did with Fight Club - but it carries a hefty price tag and the Mei Ah disc is All Region as well as good enough (especially for the money) - the French version should only be considered by huge fans of the film.

Mr. Chow (Leung) and Mrs. Chan (Cheung) move into the same building on the same day. Their spouses are always absent; Mrs. Chow works late and Mr. Chan works abroad much of the time. Being neighbors, the two constantly encounter eachother and strike up a minor friendship. However, their relationship becomes more than tangential when they discover their spouses are having an affair together. This revelation leaves them shocked and hurt, and unable to confide in anyone else, they confide in eachother.

Soon, they're spending much of their free time together, trying to figure out how to confront their spouses. Naturally, they discover something within eachother that was missing from their marriages. However, bound by tradition and their own sense of honor, they're reluctant to act upon it. As such, their entire relationship develops in silence and half-shared glances. Rather than lapse into a passionate affair, their relationship is expressed in the slightest of terms; a glance or a simple brushing of hands conveys as much emotion, hurt, and longing as any passionate embrace.

And even when it appears as if things might intensify between them, the reality of the infidelity in their lives sets in. It could be a sudden memory of their spouse, or a moment spent practicing for the inevitable confrontation. And it is painful to watch; as wrong as it might be, there is a part of you that wishes they would get together, if only to ease their loneliness. It's hinted at in the final moments that, perhaps, they did just that. But the core of the film is this awkward intimacy of their's, which they fan and try to smother at the same time.

Even though they rarely talk to eachother, and rarely let their gazes meet, the longing in each scene is thick enough to cut with a knife. And Kar-Wai's direction lets the viewer experience it as well. Much of the movie is shot through doorways, hallways, windows, or with the couple obscured in some way. By distancing the viewer from the characters, it mirrors, in some way, the distance that exists between Chow and Chan. He lets the characters express their longing by gazing at eachother in the mirror. The fact that they can only smile at eachother's reflections, when captured by Kar-Wai, speaks volumes about their stifled love. At certain moments, he literally freezes the characters, and lets the camera drift over their faces, their bodies, and slowly through the room. Any sudden motion suddenly feels out of place, even wrong, in those preserved moments.

As beautiful as Kar-Wai's direction can be, it's matched stride for stride by the performances of Leung and Cheung. Their character's chemistry is palpable and intense, even though they can never express it. Leung is able to make something as small as a vacant stare and fill it with frustration and longing. Cheung is simply radiant. Although most might recognize her name from manic action films, her performance is refined and repressed. As tightly wound as she is, it makes any emotional outburst devastating.

"In The Mood For Love" is a trying picture to watch, and it does feel like it goes slightly longer than it should. And in keeping faithful to the story, and to his character's lives, there is no "happily ever after", no running into eachother's arms. Even though it's hinted that they finally consummate their passion, it's still treated as chastely as possible. For them, there really can be no real resolution. As deep and real as their love was, it doesn't fix their lives or heal their hearts. The final moments make it feel like the whole movie was more of a memory than anything else, a memory filtered through years of regret.

And If you've ever experienced unrequited love or ever wanted a relationship to exist so badly and yet knew that it never could, the feelings splashed across the screen hit remarkably close to the heart.