On the surface, Chungking Express (aka: Chongqing senlin) tells ironically interlinked stories about two Hong Kong policemen, lovesick He Zhiwu - badge #223 (Takeshi Kaneshiro) and despondent Chiu Wai - badge #633 (Tony Leung). Zhiwu narrates in hindsight without reducing the amusing impact of subsequent plot advancements or voiding character development. His pursuit of mystery 'blonde' drug smuggler, Lin (Brigitte Lin wearing a wig, raincoat and big sunglasses), segues into a subtly amusing urban adventure as uniformed officer Wai becomes involved with the delightful Faye (Faye Wong). Faye works a late-shift at the Midnight Express fast-food service, where the amiable manager (Chen Jinquan), dispenses matchmaking advice to the agonisingly infatuated cops. The glamorous Valerie Chow (Future Sport, Meltdown, Phantoms) plays the chic airline stewardess who is peripheral to the main storyline, but clearly the cause of more than one broken heart. Central to the entertainment value of the film's romance and winsome comedy elements is Ms Wong, who delivers a quirky yet captivating performance as the impulsive, though inherently shy, Faye.

The striking cinematography by Christopher Doyle and Lau Wai-keung makes use of impressionistic blurs of colour for key action shot on location, and expertly chosen freeze-frames to imbue the poignant drama with a dazzlingly chaotic sense of place, while cleverly distorting the narrative timeline. Miraculously, this film's breezy nonlinear affect is never confusing. Repetitive playback of classic US pop songs, and the knowing pastiche of themes from Blade Runner, helps cement the cultworthy reputation of Chungking Express, enhancing its variable moods of sulky isolation and almost irritating cheeriness...

REVIEW:
Chungking Express is really unlike any other film you've ever seen. Wong Kar Wai is known for his unique storytelling and visual techniques, and this is possibly the ultimate example of this. The film is a romance, and a drama - but not in the traditional sense. The way Wong Kar Wai brings this topic to a human level, while subtlely making some interesting points about lives and relationships really strikes a chord. This is a unique look at relationships that anyone who has any feelings about love at all needs to see, multiple times.

An interesting thing about this film is how much you notice each time you watch it. It may seem strange to say it's subtle when it pounds things like the expiration date analogy into your head constantly, but it really does make its true points subtlely. For example, while the aforementioned expiration data analogy is placed out in open view, how it reflects on the chracter's nature and view of love takes thinking on the viewers part. While both Kaneshiro's and Leung's characters seem to be similarly crushed on the outside, by the way they deal with their breakups - we see that they both have different views on love and relationships. There are also many points about relationshps in general that Wong Kar Wai makes, such as how we pass by many people every day without thinking about it, yet each of those people has a story. And, you never know, one of those people you pass by for two seconds may end up being an important part of your life later.

With all the different intricacies of the characters and the various points about life and love that are made, Chungking Express is a movie that begs to be seen multiple times. I honestly cannot say I really "got" it the first time, and probably very few people do. You get the big picture and you think you've got it figured out. But, multiple viewings really allows true insight into the characters and more of a chance to reflect on what drives them. At first, Faye Wong's character just seems obsessive and maybe even crazy. On further inspection, we see that she has as much depth to her character as the two cops, and has reasons for what she does. Just as importantly, you just plain notice things you don't notice the first time, and these things do matter. *Begin possible spoiler* I know people who watched the film many, many times before noticing that the main characters from the second story can be quickly seen during the first *end spoiler*.

The visual style of the film is as unique as the storytelling. We see the visuals go from motion-blurred slow-motion to a gritty, almost documentary style look and various other techinques thrown into themix. Amazingly enough, such drastically different styles work well together, as they work to add the right "feel" to a particular scene. It's almost like the visual equivalent of a musical cue, that when added at just the right moment, gives a scene that extra little impact.

Performances are flawless around the board. So flawless, that I really have little to say about them. They ARE the characters. That's it. Tony Leung is one of my favorite actors, but when I watch this - I'm not seeing Tony, I'm seing the cop. I really don't even know words that are appropriate for that.

Chungking Express is one of the great HK classics for good reason. It is truly unique, not just among HK cinema, but among all cinema. Anyone who has ever had a breakup, or anyone who loves at all (because everyone in love has thought of the what-ifs of a breakup) should appreciate these characters and what they go through. Watch it and watch it multiple times to really appreciate it. I still find myself thinking about relationships based on the viewpoints presented in this movie - if that doesn't speak for it, I don't know what will.

The film is comprised of two love stories that overlap in obvious and subtle ways. The film begins with He Qiwu (Takeshi Kaneshiro) brushing against a woman (Brigitte Lin) and telling of how, 72 hours later, he falls in love with her. The film resumes, showing Qiwu as a cop who is melancholy after being dumped by his girlfriend, May. His voice-overs are very poetic, as are his actions. After a small, very innocent encounter with Brigitte Lin’s character, he leaves her in a hotel room and returns to Midnight Express, where the owner (Chen Jinquan) tells him of a new, attractive employee named Faye (Faye Wong). Qiwu brushes lightly against her and the film’s focus quickly shifts to the romance between her and Cop 663 (Tony Leung). Cop 663 deals with his breakup with an air hostess (Valerie Chow). Faye soon falls for him. The air hostess leaves an envelope with keys to 663’s apartment and a letter at the restaurant. Faye uses the keys to get into the apartment and redecorates. Eventually she is discovered, and, after a couple more hurdles, we witness the very beginning of their romance.

Without the question the real star of the film is the camera. Wong Kar-Wai, as has come to be expected, uses of colors and shot composition are breathtaking. He takes locations and situations that are so normal to us, though terribly dramatic and beautiful when they actually happen to us, and make them epic and unforgettable. He also wrote the film, and the characters that he creates are very easy to identify with. Freshly dumped, starving for love, Kar-Wai shows us characters that are truly human. Their voiceovers are poetic and truthful. Wong Kar-Wai’s direction echoes this quality of raw yet poetic truth.

The performances in this piece are among the best for the stars. Takeshi Kaneshiro did this film early in his career, but it is still often considered his best work. Brigitte Lin’s part requires little range, but as usual she gives a performance that makes you forget that she’s just acting. Faye Wong is convincing in her role, and she and Tony Leung have great chemistry. Leung also does a good job, even though it is nothing compared to his performance in Hard Boiled. The most impressive thing about the acting across the board is the honesty with which the roles are performed.

Though the film isn’t perfect, it is a cornerstone of Asian filmmaking. It is lighthearted, honest, and beautiful. It holds your attention throughout and the characters draw you into the story. You want them to find love and to succeed because you can see parts of yourself in them. And when you notice how matters of life and love are as awkward, painful, and confusing to the characters as they are to you, it makes the film that much more personal and unforgettable. In America, it has recently been released in a new anamorphic transfer, original Cantonese language with great English subtitles by Rolling Thunder pictures. It’s not easy to find, but if you can, make sure to pick it up. This is one of the films any fan of Eastern Cinema should possess.

At first, I really did not know what to think about this movie. Like most of Wong Kar-Wai's works, it's at times obtuse and almost overly self-indulgent. However, there are so many scenes in Chungking Express which stick in your mind -- almost like fleeting images from a dream -- that by the end of the movie, or especially after repeated viewings, that it tends to grow on you, like the guy at the bar who you think is obnoxious at first but turns out to be a pretty good chap in the end. I will grant that there are some parts of the movie which seem totally silly and absurd. For instance, Faye has a habit of breaking into Tony's apartment and rearranging his furniture -- and Tony never seems to realize this. There are also parts which seem to translate into movie-making mastrubation, such as the seemingly infinite repeating renditions of "California Dreaming." The song is Faye's favorite and it plays almost every time she is onscreen at very high volume. I'm aware of what a musical motif is, but at times the repitition get ridiculous.

But, as I said before, there are a lot of scenes in Chungking Express which hold your attention and make the story more credible as a whole. Perhaps not coincidentally, these scenes are often those which feature the least gimmicks to them, the ones where the actors can simply work. The scenes where Takeshi tries to pick up Brigitte by asking her if she likes pineapple in five different languages, Tony berating his dishrag for not having enough absorbency, or especially the small scenes of Tony and Faye meeting up in a local market and awkwardly flirting, are both funny and powerful in a quiet way. It is in these scenes that Chungking Express transcends typical romantic movie territory becuase the characters become something more than cookie-cutter caricatures as present in most other movies of the type. Even though their actions seem "unreal/unbelivable" (in terms of the romantic movie canon) at first, the more we learn and see about them, the more you feel connected to them -- and more importantly, the more you care about where the movie will lead to.

If you've read some of my reviews here, you can probably guess that I'm normally not a big fan of either romantic or "art-house" movies. But I feel that Chungking Express is so well-done that it warrants a viewing from anyone who considers themselves a serious movie fan. If you want to expand your Hong Kong movie horizons to something other than cops and robbers or kung fu, this is an excellent place to start.

A couple of notes about the movie:

"Chungking Express" is not a chop-socky flick, nor is it a "heroic bloodshed" film. I'd probably have to say it's more along the lines of a romantic comedy, but unlike most romantic comedies I've seen. And even though it's nothing like it's more action-packed cinematic cousins, it still bubbles with its own sense of energy. The film consists of two different stories of love lost and love found. Although the stories are, by and large, independant of eachother, they are slightly woven together (which becomes more apparent with repeated viewings). Characters from the second story appear in the first, and events that happen in the first story come around again, albeit in odd ways, in the second. And both stories hover around Chungking Express, a small restaurant whose owner dispenses words of wisdom concerning love and romance.

The first story is about He Qiwu, a young Hong Kong police officer on the eve of his 25th birthday. He broke up with his girlfriend one month ago and has been waiting for things to be reconciled. As such, he develops the odd habit of buying cans of pineapple (his girlfriend's favorite fruit) with the expiration date on his birthday. If she doesn't call him by his birthday, he'll eat all of the fruit and move on. Enter the mystery woman, played by Brigitte Lin, who is involved with a drug smuggling operation. When it goes awry, she crossed paths with Qiwu, who falls in love with her. After spending the night with her (but not in that way), he learns to move on.

The second story concerns another police officer (played by the great Tony Leung) who has recently broken up with his stewardess girlfriend and frequents Chungking Express. There, he meets the perky Faye (Wong), who has just started working there. She develops a crush on him, eventually gains access to his apartment, and begins to rearrange his life, slowly removing traces of his old girlfriend and taking her place.

Of the two stories, I found the second one to be the best. This is due, in no small part, to the two leads of Leung and Wong. Although I've only seen a couple of his films, I've really grown to like Leung's acting (he's excellent in "Bullet In The Head" and "Hard Boiled"). Especially amusing are the scenes of him talking to various items in his apartment, telling them to "cheer up" after his girlfriend has left him. However, it's Faye Wong who steals the show. This was her first movie, but she's like a breath of fresh air on screen. I hate using the word "cute," but I feel I can use it in this case and not be demeaning. The first story isn't bad, and in reality, may be the "deeper" story. Lin is pretty good as the aloof, no-nonsense woman, and Kaneshiro brings a certain desperation to his character, who is determined to woo Lin. However, it doesn't have the zest of the second story.

Most of the film's energy is due to the quirkiness of the stories. Although I've left out certain details, suffice to say, both stories (the second one especially) have a lot of whimsy and silliness. If that's not your cup of tea, they might seem silly and stupid. However, I thought it was a lot of fun. Not "laugh out loud" fun, but fun nonetheless. Another reason for the film's energy is the shooting style. If there is one similarity to be drawn between this film and more famous Hong Kong works, it's the camerawork which nevers feels like it stands still for too long. In the first story, it's used to show the seamier side of Hong Kong, especially as we follow Lin's character on her journeys through the alleys and streets. In the second story, it highlights the odd intentions of Faye, as she invites herself into Leung's apartment and begins to recreate his life. We often watch her cavort and frolic in his apartment to the sounds of "California Dreaming" and the Cantonese version of The Cranberries' "Dreams" (sung by Wong, no less).

All in all, this is a fun, offbeat little film that showed me there's more to Hong Kong cinema than heroic bloodshed and kung-fu. I don't think it's for everyone, simply because most people will dismiss its lighter moments as too silly and complain it's "darker" moments aren't "dark enough." I'll admit that some of the offbeat moments, especially some of Faye's antics, get a little out there. If there is one major complaint I have, it's that I couldn't really connect too any of the characters on an emotional level, and this is supposed to be lovelorn strangers and all that. Much of the emotional impact some of the scenes could have had is sacrificed for the sake of being quirky and offbeat. However, I still feel that quirkiness is able to carry most of the movie, and that works for me.

What I like about this movie is that it shows the other side of Hong Kong that we don't normally see i.e. the non-Chinese groups such as Caucasians and the Indians. The movie shows our reluctance to show our true image. Brigitte wears a wig and sunglasses to hide her true self. Faye Wong secretly cleans the apartment for Tony Leung. Kaneshiro refuses to see the truth that his girlfriend has left him. Tony Leung refuses to acknowledge the fact that his apartment is getting cleaner and cleaner.

Since many reviews cited this movie as a reflection of the director's perception of Hong Kong's handover on 1st July 1997, I will add my comments to this perspective based on the 1st story. At the start, Brigitte, the drug smuggler represents China whilst Kaneshiro represents Hong Kong. Brigitte prodded by the English bartender (also drug boss) cuts a deal with some Indians to smuggle drugs who cheated her by running away with the drugs. Hong Kong started off because the British East Indian Company wanted the lucrative trade with the Chinese and one of the main items traded was opium. Kaneshiro's girlfriend is May (Ah Mei) which is a common name for girls in Hong Kong who dumped him. It could mean that Hong Kong tried to make long-term relationships with other countries but failed. He make 2 phone calls to other girls, of which 1 was Japanese and the other girl was a girl he knew from childhood (This could be Taiwan). He counts the no. of pineapple cans that he has. Many Hong Kongers count the years, then months and then days to 1st July 1999. But why pineapple, pineapple is both sweet and sour. Before 1st July, Hong Kong will endure many happy and unhappy events.

Kaneshiro meets Brigitte at a Bar and tries to know her. Before 1997, many Hong Kongers tried to befriend the influential officials in China. Brigitte tells Kaneshiro that he is young. China has always placed emphasis on its history and ties to Hong Kong. Hong Kong is always younger than China. Kaneshiro invites Brigitte to his apartment. Some years before 1997, Hong Kong gets Beijing more involved in its activities. In the apartment, Brigitte sleeps and the only thing that Kaneshiro can do for her is take off her shoes for her and cleans her shoes. In the reality before 1st July 1997, China is already self-sufficient and the addition of Hong Kong affects China mildly as Hong Kong is only a fraction of what China can do. When it is a brand new day and another year in Kaneshiro's life, he gets a page from Brigitte. This shows that Hong Kong would like to be remotely controlled instead of directly controlled by China. Meanwhile, the English bartender gets very friendly with the Filipino waitress which shows that the West will be more friendly with other nations once Hong Kong's handover occur. Brigitte shoots the English bartender and throws away the wig. China tells Great Britain to hands off Hong Kong and removes all signs of British influence from Hong Kong.

He is concerned more with the materials of a story than with the story itself, and he demonstrates that by telling two stories, somewhat similar, that have no obvious connection. He sets the stories in the Hong Kong world of fast-food restaurants, shopping malls, nightclubs, concrete plazas and pop culture (one of his heroines wears a blond wig and dark glasses, and the other seems addicted to "California Dreamin'" by the Mamas and the Papas). His visuals rhythmically switch between ordinary film, video and pixilated images, often in slow motion, as if the very lives of his characters threaten to disintegrate into the raw materials of media.

As the film opens, we meet a policeman named He Qiwu (Takeshi Kaneshiro), who wanders the nighttime city, lonely and depressed, pining after a girl who has left him. He gives himself 30 days to find another girl, and uses the expiration dates on cans of pineapple as a way of doing a countdown. A new woman walks into his life, the woman in the wig (Brigitte Chin-Hsia Lin), who is involved in drug deals.

We expect their relationship to develop in conventional crime movie ways, but instead, the film switches stories, introducing a new couple. The first cop hangs out at a fast-food bar, where he notices an attractive waitress (Faye Wang), but she has eyes only for another cop who frequents the same restaurant (Tony Chiu-Wai Leung). He scarcely notices her, but she gets the keys to his apartment, and moves in when he isn't there--cleaning, redecorating, even changing the labels on his canned food.

Both of these stories, about disconnections, loneliness and being alone in the vast city, are photographed in the style of a music video, crossed with a little Goddard (signs, slogans, pop music) and some Cassavetes (improvised dialogue and situations). What happens to the character is not really the point; the movie is about their journeys, not their destinations. There is the possibility that they have all been driven to desperation, if not the edge of madness, by the artificial lives they lead, in which all authentic experience seems to one removed.

Tarantino loved this movie so much, indeed, that he signed a deal with Miramax to start his own releasing company, and his first two pick-up deals are "Chungking Express" and another Wong Kar-Wai film. There's a lot of interest in Hong Kong films right now, but it centers more on commercially oriented figures like John Woo and Jackie Chan. Wong is more of an art director, playing with the medium itself, taking fractured elements of criss-crossing stories and running them through the blender of pop culture.

-Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times.