In the Mood for Love (2000, PG)

 

I love Wong Kar-wai’s films, and this is the one that did me in.  It wasn’t my first.  I’d actually already seen 2046 – since, unbeknownst to me at the time, it’s a sequel of sorts to this movie, I found it gorgeous and incomprehensible – which put its sumptuous predecessor on my radar.  It was quite some time before I got my hands on it, but when I did, I was absolutely bowled over.

 

In the Mood for Love, beautifully set in Hong Kong in the early 60s, is the quiet story of a profound connection between a man and a woman.  Neighbors Chow Mo-wan and Su Li-zhen go from acquaintances to confidantes when they realize that their spouses are having an affair with one another.  With the adulterers abroad together, Mo-wan and Li-zhen forge a gentle bond as they both muddle through the pain of being left behind.  In this time and place, neither can talk openly about what’s happened to them; it’s one of those things that Just Aren’t Spoken Of, and so they put on serene faces while they silently break in private.  Only with each other can they be sincere. 

 

It begins as a mutual means of coping.  They piece together details of the affair and contemplate its origins, they try to imagine what their spouses are like together, and they role-play confrontation scenarios.  As time goes by, however, their connection goes beyond shared pain as they discover shared interests, and suddenly, they start to feel secretive about their relationship.  Close friendships between married men and women in the absence of their spouses Just Aren’t Done either, and they can’t bear the thought of anyone thinking they’re the ones being unfaithful.

 

There is where In the Mood for Love distinguishes itself from so many romances.  Mo-wan and Li-zhen are undeniably entwined – theirs is a deep, emotional connection, a kinship of the soul, and there’s palpable electricity between them, but it’s all crackling just beneath the surface.  This isn’t a film about groping and clinging and sweating.  Rather, it’s about slight, soft touches charged with meaning and unarticulated wants.  It’s about restraint, not giving over.  Mo-wan and Li-zhen have been so devastated by their spouses’ betrayal that, despite their growing feelings for one another, they hold back the floodgates.  Their guiding mantra is “We won’t be like them,” and this emotionally-charged self-denial makes it the most understatedly sensual movie I’ve ever seen.

 

A big part of that is the flawless acting by Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Maggie Cheung.  Of their many collaborations I’ve seen, this is far and away the best, and that’s saying something.  They portray these reserved, sensitive individuals with such grace, and the tender connection between them is developed with exquisite care.  Both can speak volumes with their expressions and wonderfully handle the deep-running still waters of their characters.  Additionally, Wong Kar-wai’s direction drips with romance, and the evocative score, sublime costumes (oh my gosh, the costumes,) and thoughtful camera work are all impeccable.  Even among Wong’s other fine films, it’s in a league of its own; I am in love with this movie.

 

Warnings

 

Thematic elements, a little drinking, some language, and references to infidelity.