| 2046: The latest film from Wong Kar Wai needs no introduction. Kind of a sequel to his previous feature, In the Mood for Love, 2046 tells the story of Chow Mo Wan (Tony Leung), an author who pens the science fiction story of the movie's title, in which the protagonist (Takuya Kimura) boards a train to 2046, a place where nothing ever changes. Cutting between the past, the future, and the present, the bulk of the movie lies in the exploration of Chow Mo Wan's various failed relationships with women played by Zhang Ziyi, Carina Lau, and Gong Li, with brief glimpses of a character played by Maggie Cheung, presumably the same one from In the Mood For Love.
As expected, the cinematography and music are absolutely outstanding, and the entire film is, without a doubt, a technical marvel. However, the pace is at times, a little slow, and admittedly, Tony Leung's Chow Mo Wan is one of Mr. Wong's least likable lead characters (very different from the Chow Mo Wan of In the Mood For Love, although the differing characterization makes sense from a story standpoint).
For me, it's probably one of my least favorite Wong Kar Wai movies, but that really doesn't mean anything, considering I've loved every single one I've seen up to this point. There's really nothing particularly better or worse about 2046, and I'm sure someone will find this to be their favorite, depending on what they take from the experience. In any case, it's not to be missed. - Iuxion
In The Mood For Love: Exquisite. From the lush hues of the set design, to Maggie Cheung's seemingly infinite supply of cheongsams, to Shigeru Umegayashi's haunting music, to Tony Leung's performance, to Wong Kar Wai's direction--everything about "In the Mood For Love" is exquisite. And while I've praised the beauty of a film's cinematography ("House of Flying Daggers"); the beauty of its performers ("Hero"); the beauty of its performances ("Oasis"); and the beauty of its story ("Il Mare"); I've yet to see a film that was completely beautiful, from the costuming to the acting to the direction to the story to the score. Simply, "In the Mood For Love" is the most beautiful movie I have ever seen. - Alexander |
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