The Auteurs #28: Wong Kar-Wai

One of the most visually-entrancing filmmakers working today, Wong Kar-Wai is a man who creates films filled with dazzling and exotic images with a sense of romanticism in his characters. Known for his broad ideas as well as unconventional techniques in the realm of filmmaking, he’s an individual that refuses to play by the rules while trying to refine his language and technique. After finally making his return in 2013 with his bio-pic on Ip Man in The Grandmaster, it is clear that there is no filmmaker like Wong Kar-Wai working today who can bring an Asian sensibility to his stories with the cinematic techniques of the French New Wave.

Born in Shanghai, China on July 17, 1958, Wong Kar-Wai spend his early years in Shanghai before moving to Hong Kong when he was five with his mother while his father and two siblings stayed in Shanghai. In Hong Kong, Kar-Wai would spend much of his time with his mother who wound introduce him to many different films ranging from the Hong Kong films of the time to the French New Wave films of the early 1960s. After spending two years studying graphic design at the Hong Kong Polytechnic College in 1980, he enrolled in the Hong Kong Television Broadcast Limited course for production training where he learned the art of screenwriting. Though Kar-Wai would work in the medium of television writing scripts for shows, he would use this period as part of an apprenticeship where he got the attention of renowned Hong Kong producer Alan Tang.

More can be read on this link.

© thevoid99 2014

Fallen Angels

Written and directed by Wong Kar-Wai, Fallen Angels is the story about a disillusioned killer who deals with the affections of his partner while a mute wanders around Hong Kong trying to find his way in live. Set in an urban, neo-noir style, the film is an exploration into two men who both go into different journeys where they finds themselves entangled with the women in their lives. Starring Leon Lai, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Michelle Reis, Charlie Yeung, and Karen Mok. Fallen Angels is a stylish yet rapturous film from Wong Kar-Wai.

The film follows two different strands of narrative both revolving two different men and their encounters with women. One is a hitman who rarely meets his contact as they have a relationship that is professional as the contact has feelings for him yet he’s become tired of his role as a killer. The other story involves a wandering mute who takes on many odd jobs and such while meeting a woman who had just lost her boyfriend to another woman. Though the two narratives would collide briefly, it is all told in very different styles ranging from silent-romantic comedy to gritty film noir. Even in a mixture of the two styles where the hitman Wong Chi-Ming (Leon Lai) meets a strange woman called Blondie (Karen Mok) when he is unable to tell his partner (Michelle Reis) that he wants to terminate their partnership. In the other story, the mute called He Zhiwu (Takeshi Kaneshiro) meets a heartbroken woman named Cherry (Charlie Yeung) as he would listen to her as she is going after a woman named Blondie.

Wong Kar-Wai’s screenplay doesn’t play into any kind of conventional narratives as his approach to voice-over narration showcases a sense of melancholia in the character that revolve throughout the film. Notably as Wong is a man who enjoys his work but all of the killings and his partner’s affections for him have troubled him. His encounter with Blondie is quite off where Wong is confused about the relationship yet it becomes his escape. In the story about Zhiwu, here’s this man-child who only speaks in his voice-over narration as he likes to do all sorts of things where his encounter with Cherry has him dealing with love for the very first time. It’s a story that plays into the idea of love in all of its wonderment and unpredictability. Especially as Kar-Wai would infuse a lot of humor and drama into the story that also includes Zhiwu’s relationship with his father (Man-Lei Chan).

The direction of Wong Kar-Wai is just intoxicating in not just the way he presents Hong Kong in all of its beauty. There’s also this air of looseness that is present throughout the film as it is shot with hand-held cameras where it’s constantly moving but always showcase what is going on. Notably as the camera isn’t shaking where it wanders around as if it is another character in the film where it follows everything that is happening. The scenes involving Wong is presented with some very dark moods in its cinematography where there is that sense of grit in the way the violence is portrayed. The scenes of his contact longing for Wong is quite sensual where it also goes to a bit of extremes to showcase how much she is fond of him.

The direction also has Kar-Wai creates some very stylistic shots that includes scenes of Zhiwu riding on his motorcycle through the tunnels as it is among some of the film’s most entrancing moments along with shots in black-and-white photography that adds a certain element of style. The moments the two narratives collide would be in these small moments where it only serves as developments for these characters to find a way to move on. Especially as its third act would force Wong and Zhiwu to embark into new destinies while also deal with the women in their lives. Overall, Wong Kar-Wai creates a very ravishing yet evocative film about two men dealing with love.

Cinematographer Christopher Doyle does incredible work with the film‘s photography from its use of colored lights for the scenes in Hong Kong in many of its interiors and exteriors as it has a certain mood and style that is just gorgeous to look at in every frame of the film. Editors William Chang and Wong Ming-lam do phenomenal work with the editing as it is very stylized with its approach to frame speeds with its flurry of images fluttering in the film to the use of jump-cuts and montages as it‘s another of the film‘s highlight. Costume/production/makeup designer William Chang does amazing work with the look of the film in its set pieces from the hotels and bars the characters are at to the clothes the women wear in the film along with hair that Blondie has.

Sound mixer Raymond Mok does fantastic work with the film‘s sound from the way gunfire is presented to the atmosphere that goes on in the various locations in the film. The film’s music by Frankie Chan and Roel A. Garcia is superb for its mixture of low-key electronic music with a sense of rhythmic music as its soundtracks a lot of Asian pop music and some electronic music as well as a brilliant cover of Yazoo’s Only You by the Flying Pickets.

The film’s excellent cast includes some notable small performance from Toru Saito as a friend of Zhiwu, Fai-hung Chan as a man Zhiwu forced to eat lots of ice cream, and Man-Lei Chan as Zhiwu’s father. Karen Mok is wonderful as the very kooky Blondie as this woman with big blonde hair who falls for Wong. Charlie Yeung is brilliant as the very upset woman known as Cherry who tries to go after a woman named Blondie while turning to Zhiwu for support. Takeshi Kaneshiro is fantastic as Zhiwu as this mute wanderer who takes in all sorts of odd jobs and sell things illegally while trying to find himself in Hong Kong. Michelle Reis is amazing as Wong’s nameless contact as this woman who rarely meets him yet is in love with him as she starts to fall apart when he starts to disappear. Finally, there’s Leon Lai in a superb performance as Wong as this hitman who becomes disillusioned with his work as he tries to find an escapism while dealing with his own complicated love life.

Fallen Angels is a remarkable film from Wong Kar-Wai. Thanks in part to its cast, it’s ravishing look, and its exotic approach to music. The film is truly one of Kar-Wai’s most definitive works as well as a unique tale on love in all of its complexities and faults. In the end, Fallen Angels is an outstanding film from Wong Kar-Wai.

Wong Kar-Wai Films: As Tears Go By - Days of Being Wild - Chungking Express - Ashes of Time/Ashes of Time Redux - Happy Together - In the Mood for Love - 2046 - Eros-The Hand - My Blueberry Nights - The Grandmaster - The Auteurs #28: Wong Kar-Wai

© thevoid99 2013

Days of Being Wild

Written and directed by Wong Kar-Wai, Days of Being Wild is the story of a notorious playboy who tries to find his identity while dealing with his own romantic entanglements as those women seek solace in other men. The film is the first part of an informal trilogy that would be followed by 2000’s In the Mood for Love and 2004’s 2046 that explores the idea of love and loneliness as it’s all set in 1960s Hong Kong. Starring Leslie Cheung, Andy Lau, Maggie Cheung, Carina Lau, Jacky Cheung, Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, and Rebecca Pan. Days of Being Wild is a ravishing yet captivating film from Wong Kar-Wai.

The film is a multi-layered story that revolves the lives of a cruel playboy whose entanglements with two different women has them feel hurt while the playboy goes on a journey of his own to find out his true identity when the escort who had raised him told him about his true parentage. It’s a film that explores the idea of rejection and loneliness all in the world of his playboy named York (Leslie Cheung) who likes to wander around in the many situations he’s in where he woos a woman and then moves on to something else. For the two women he woos in Su Li Zhen (Maggie Cheung) and Mimi (Carina Lau), both of them go into different journeys after the rejection where Zhen talks to a cop named Tide (Andy Lau) while Mimi is being pursued by York’s friend Zeb (Jacky Cheung). York would also go into his journey to find his real mother as his relationship with his guardian in the aging escort Rebecca (Rebecca Pan) starts to disintegrate.

Wong Kar-Wai’s script has this very unique narrative where it doesn’t follow any conventional narratives where its first act is about York’s antics with Su Li Zhen and later his affair with Mimi. The second act is about Zhen meeting Tide where the latter is just a beat cop doing his job as Zhen just talks to him where the two become friends for a while. The second act also plays into the tumultuous relationship between York and Mimi where it’s filled with a lot of indifference from York who is more concerned about his adopted mother’s life with another man and her desire to move to the U.S. It all plays to this third act where York travels to the Philippines to find his biological mother but he would endure the similar kind of pain Zhen and Mimi endured but in very different ways.

Kar-Wai would add bits of voice-over narration to express the loneliness the characters face. Especially where York keeps talking about a bird that just flies continuously only to land when it dies which serves as a metaphor for the life he’s leading. A life that is often quite empty where he would meet a major character in the film’s third act who witnesses the emptiness of York’s life up close. The third act would also play into a lot of ambiguities over the fate of these characters including an unnamed gambler (Tony Leung Chiu-Wai) who appears at the end of the film.

Kar-Wai’s direction is truly evocative in the way he presents life in 1960s Hong Kong where it’s a world that is quite exciting. Going for a hand-held style that is quite loose but also with a sense of control, it plays to this sense of change that is occurring in the 1960s where the attitudes of men start to lose its way a bit as the two women that York encounters would both deal with tribulations over the fallout of their relationship with him. Zhen and Mimi would have similar reactions to the way they were rejected by York as Kar-Wai’s compositions shows them in very fragile moments where the framing is very succinct with very little emphasis on close-ups in favor of wide and medium shots. Even where the two women would meet two men who were willing to help as it plays into how they would react to this gesture.

The direction also has Kar-Wai take great care into the way he presents not just Hong Kong but also the Philippines as it has this air of style that is seductive in its imagery. While much of the Hong Kong presentation is a bit dreary with some unique palettes to convey a mood, there is something about the scenes in the Philippines that is more dream-like but also off in some ways where York would encounter elements of danger. Notably as Kar-Wai would utilize some strange camera angles to present something that is a bit surreal but also grounded in the way York had lived his life. Yet, it is followed by an ending that is described as ambiguous but also something where things are changing over everything that the characters in the film have endured. Overall, Kar-Wai crafts a very abstract yet intoxicating film about rejection and loneliness.

Cinematographer Christopher Doyle does phenomenal work with the film‘s cinematography with its use of grainy colored palettes and dark lighting schemes for some of the film‘s interior scenes along with its emphasis on the color green to play with its mood as Doyle‘s work is truly a major highlight of the film. Editors Kit-Wai Kan, Patrick Tam, and William Chang do fantastic work with the editing where it is quite straightforward in its presentation while they do create a few montages and some rhythmic moments for some of the film‘s darker moments. Production/costume designer William Chang does amazing work with the look of the apartments and such for the scenes set in Hong Kong and in the Philippines along with some of the clothes that Mimi wears to play into her exotic style.

Sound recorder Benny Chu does excellent work with the sound to convey some of the intimacy that goes on in some of the scenes along with the craziness and textures into the sense of longing that occurs. The film’s music by Terry Chan is wonderful as it is mostly low-key with its orchestral-based music and jazz pieces while the soundtrack includes lots of jazz pieces as well as Latin-based cuts to play into the world that the characters live in.

The film’s cast is brilliant for the ensemble that includes some notable small appearances from Tita Munoz as York’s mother, Danilo Antunes as Rebecca’s mother, and Tony Leung Chiu-Wai as the unnamed gambler at the end of the film. Jacky Cheung is excellent as York’s friend Zeb who helps York go to the Philippines while trying to woo Mimi. Rebecca Pan is wonderful as York’s adopted mother Rebecca who seems to despise him for wanting to find the truth of his real parentage while also being someone who feels like she’s got nothing more to give. Carina Lau is amazing as Mimi who is also called Lulu and Leung Fung-ying as this woman who falls for York only to feel jealous over his other affairs as she starts to fall apart. Andy Lau is fantastic as the policeman Tide who befriends Su Li Zhen as he listens to her troubles while offering to be someone to talk to as he laments over his feelings for her.

Maggie Cheung is superb as the shy and melancholic Su Li Zhen as a woman whose encounter with York has her feeling hurt and alone while she tries to figure out how to move on. Finally, there’s Leslie Cheung in a phenomenal performance as York as this cruel playboy who likes to play around with women while trying to find out about his roots as he’s also a man who wanders into every situation he’s in no matter how foolish it can be.

Days of Being Wild is a seductive yet gorgeous film from Wong Kar-Wai. Armed with a great cast, lush visuals, and a rapturous film soundtrack, the film is truly one of Kar-Wai’s finest work in terms of what he’s all about in his exploration of love and loneliness. Especially in the way he delves into the themes of rejection and wandering through life in its most poetic manner. In the end, Days of Being Wild is a sensational film from Wong Kar-Wai.

Wong Kar-Wai Films: As Tears Go By - Chungking Express - Ashes of Time/Ashes of Time Redux - Fallen Angels - Happy Together - In the Mood for Love - 2046 - Eros-The Hand - My Blueberry Nights - The Grandmaster - The Auteurs #28: Wong Kar-Wai

© thevoid99 2013

As Tears Go By

Directed by Wong Kar-Wai and written by Kar-Wai and Jeffrey Lau, As Tears Go By is the story about a small-time gangster trying to go straight while keeping his friend out of trouble as the visit from his young cousin also complicate things. The film is a gangster film of sorts that mixes Kar-Wai’s romanticism that would be prevalent in his later films. Starring Andy Lau, Maggie Cheung, and Jacky Cheung. As Tears Go By is a brilliantly stylish crime-drama from Wong Kar-Wai.

The film is a simple story about a small-time gangster who takes in his second-cousin to stay at his place where he falls for her while dealing with the chaos his best friend has created against rival factions. It’s a film that recalls elements of Martin Scorsese’s 1973 film Mean Streets that has a similar premise about a small-time hoodlum wanting to go straight while trying to get his friend out of trouble. Yet, Wong Kar-Wai infuses that premise with something much more as the character of Wah (Andy Lau) is dealing with his role as a hoodlum who works for the biggest boss of Hong Kong in Uncle Kwan (Ching Wai) while the arrival of his second-cousin Ngor (Maggie Cheung) has him thinking about a life out of that world. Still, he is devoted to his best friend Fly (Jacky Cheung) who is eager to make a name for himself but manages to cause trouble as well as conflict with another small-time hoodlum in Tony (Alex Man).

The script by Kar-Wai and Jeffrey Lau does have a lot of typical aspects that is expected in the crime drama where it is about these small-time hoods trying to climb up the ranks so they can lead their own gang and become a top boss. Wah doesn’t have that ambition as he just wants to do his job and get paid but his friendship with Fly causes issues as Fly has the ambition but not the professionalism to do so. Especially when Uncle Kwan is looking for someone to do a big job in killing an informant so that he wouldn’t go to prison. Wah’s encounter with Ngor has him wanting to leave the life as he becomes aware of how fleeting it is as the time he has with Ngor becomes far more fulfilling. Yet, he becomes conflicted with his love for Ngor and his devotion to Fly that would lead to some trouble consequences.

Kar-Wai’s direction is definitely full of style from the way he presents some of the film’s violent moments but also finds something that is entrancing in the way it plays out. Notably as he plays with frame-speeds to create some intense moments while adding a sense of flair to the way some of the violent moments and the meetings between hoods and bosses happen. Kar-Wai knows where to place the camera in these moments while creating something that is loose and also unpredictable in the way the violence occurs. Kar-Wai would add something similar to the romantic elements of the film where it is played with these gorgeous images and compositions where there’s bit of humor but it is largely romantic. Though it is sort of uneven in tone, Kar-Wai does find way to play into that conflict that Wah has to deal with that does lead to this very intense climax about what he has to do for himself. Overall, Kar-Wai crafts a very sensational yet ravishing film about a man trying to leave behind his life of crime.

Cinematographer Wai-keung Lau does amazing work with the film‘s colorful cinematography that plays into Kar-Wai‘s visual style with its vibrant colors for some of the exterior scenes at night as well as its use of lighting for some of the interior scenes. Editors William Chang and Bei-Dak Cheong do fantastic work with the editing with its use of jump-cuts and frame-speeds that would also play into Kar-Wai‘s presentation while Chang also does the production design for some of the clubs the characters go to as well as homes that Wah and Ngor live in. The film’s music by Danny Chung and Teddy Robin Kwan is excellent for its mixture of moody synthesizer-based music with some raucous guitar tones for some of the suspense while its soundtrack includes a lot of Asian pop music of the time that includes an effective cover of Berlin’s Take My Breath Away.

The film’s superb cast includes some notable small roles from Ching Wai as triad leader Uncle Kwan, production designer/co-editor William Chang as a doctor friend of Ngor, and Ronald Wong as Fly’s protégé Site whose encounters with Fly’s troubles has him wanting to leave the life for something normal. Alex Man is terrific as the very antagonistic hoodlum Tony who likes to goad Fly into fighting while maintaining his status as a hoodlum who is eager to be next in line as top boss. Jacky Cheung is fantastic as Fly as he is someone full of energy as this small-time hood eager to make a name for himself as Cheung is fun to watch as it would include some moments where he deals with humility.

Maggie Cheung is just radiant as Ngor as this young woman who arrives to Wah’s home to stay for a few days for a medical checkup as she has this understated quality to someone who could steer Wah into something more as it’s definitely one of her finest. Finally, there’s Andy Lau in a marvelous performance as Wah as this very reserved yet dangerous man who deals with the bleakness of his future as he’s also conflicted into helping Fly or go into a far more safer life with Ngor where he and Cheung definitely have some chemistry as they’re one of the film’s major highlights.

As Tears Go By is a remarkable debut film from Wong Kar-Wai that is highlighted by the incredible performances of Andy Lau, Maggie Cheung, and Jacky Cheung. While it is a bit uneven in its tone, the film is still an engaging one for its evocative imagery and its unique approach to crime and drama. Especially in the way Kar-Wai would match all sorts of things like music and image to create something special. In the end, As Tears Go By is a rapturous film from Wong Kar-Wai.

Wong Kar-Wai Films: Days of Being Wild - Chungking Express - Ashes of Time/Ashes of Time Redux - Fallen Angels - Happy Together - In the Mood for Love - 2046 - Eros-The Hand - My Blueberry Nights - The Grandmaster - The Auteurs #28: Wong Kar-Wai

© thevoid99 2013

The Grandmaster (2013 film)

Note: This Review is Based on the Original 130-minute full-length Chinese Cut of the Film.

Directed by Wong Kar-Wai and screenplay by Kar-Wai, Zou Jingzhi, and Xu Haofeng from a story by Kar-Wai, The Grandmaster is the story about the life of Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man who was famous for teaching kung fu where one of his greatest students was Bruce Lee. The film tells the story of Ip Man’s life from the 1930s to his time in Hong Kong following the Second Sino-Japanese War as he is played by longtime Kar-Wai regular Tony Leung Chiu-Wai. Also starring Zhang Ziyi, Chang Chen, Zhang Jin, Song Hye-kyo, and Wang Qingxiang. The Grandmaster is a majestic yet exhilarating film from Wong Kar-Wai.

The film is essentially about the life of Ip Man in the course of thirty years of his life where he starts off as this revered master in the small town of Foshan who was considered the best martial arts master in the South of China to being a man who would popularize kung fu after the Chinese Civil War where he moved to Hong Kong for the rest of his life. During his journey, Ip would encounter many things that would shape his life where he successfully defeated the revered Northern grandmaster Gong Yutan (Wang Qingxiang) in a game of wits only to later be challenged by his daughter Gong Er (Zhang Ziyi) where they both had a mutual sense of respect towards each other. Yet, war would eventually emerge when the Japanese take over China where Yutan’s successor Ma San (Zhang Jin) would join the Japanese only to lose his own path as he, Ip Man, and Gong Er would all feel lost in changing times as they’re in Hong Kong.

The film’s screenplay isn’t a traditional bio-pic though it does have a unique structure that does tell the story. The first act is about Ip Man’s reputation as a master and how he proved himself to be worthy of being Gong Yutan’s successor for the South as well as Ip Man’s complex relationship with Gong Er where they would correspond through letters after their battle. The second act is about the Second Sino-Japanese War in the 1930s in which Ip Man’s family life is ruined as he is forced to live in poverty while Gong Er tries to challenge Ma San over his actions in the hopes to defend the honor of her late father. The third act is about all three individuals in early 1950s Hong Kong though only Gong Er and Ip Man would contact each other during this period where Ma San finds himself lost and having to deal with a master known as the Razor (Chang Chen).

Much of the film’s narrative is quite straightforward as it includes some voice-over narration from Ip Man as some of it is told from his perspective. Yet, the second act is more about Gong Er’s conflict with Ma San who would collaborate with the Japanese during the Second Sino-Japanese War where a confrontation would eventually occur. Yet, that confrontation would be unveiled in the film’s third act in a flashback scene that would have some serious repercussions into the fates that they would live in the years to come. The third act is very melancholic in not just what happen to both Ma San and Gong Er but also the loneliness that Ip Man would deal with as he is someone who is still able to pass on his knowledge to the world as he spends that portion in the film trying to find himself again.

The direction of Wong Kar-Wai is very stylish which is really nothing new to say since Kar-Wai is always a filmmaker who is known for style over substance. Still, what he presents is definitely just entrancing to look at from the fight scenes to the exotic imagery that Kar-Wai creates in the drama. With the help of action choreographer Woo-ping Yuen, Kar-Wai’s approach to action isn’t about the energy but rather the way the movements feel and how there’s a certain dance to these confrontations. Some of which are quite lavish from fights in the rain to others that are just intense as there’s a lot of stakes that get involved. All of which is important to the story as well as what these characters are fighting for.

Kar-Wai would balance the film with some drama as well as a bit of romantic tension between Ip and Gong Er as they respect each other but there’s also something about them that has them wanting each other. Yet, Ip has his family and Gong Er knows that as she would devote her life to reclaim her family’s honor but she would eventually pay the price for her actions. Many of the compositions that Kar-Wai would create would have this very lingering gaze to not just the way he creates pictures but also play into changing times as it’s seen from Ip’s perspective as he realizes what he has to do. Overall, Wong Kar-Wai creates a very mesmerizing yet thrilling film about Ip Man and his legacy that would bring kung fu into the world.

Cinematographer Philippe Le Sourd does fantastic work with the film‘s cinematography from the use of low-key, sepia-drenched lights for some of the film‘s nighttime scenes and interiors to the use of colors in the scenes set in the snow to play up the sense of moodiness in the film. The work of editor/Production-costume designer William Chang, along with co-art directors Tony Au and Alfred Yau, is brilliant where Chang creates that element of style in the editing to play up some of the emotion and action that is quite prevalent in his work while his set/costume design is just amazing to watch in the way it plays to the look of the times.

Visual effects supervisor Isabelle Perin-Leduc does superb work with some of the film‘s visual effects such as a few backdrops for the fight scenes as well as some of the slow-motion elements that occur in the fights. Sound editor Robert Mackenzie does excellent work with the sound to create an atmosphere in some of the dramatic moments while using some nice sound effects for the fights including the sound of punches and kicks. The film’s music consists of pieces by Frankie Chan, Stefano Letini, Traithep Wongpaiboon, Nathaniel Mechaly and Shigeru Umebayashi that plays into many of the film’s different tones from some bombastic orchestral pieces to some somber yet serene moments involving the string arrangements as its soundtrack, that includes some Chinese opera and pop songs of the times, is truly incredible to listen to.

The film’s cast is marvelous for the ensemble that is used as it features some notable small appearances from action choreographer Yuen Woo-ping as Ip Man’s master Chan Wah-shun, Song Hye-kyo as Ip Man’s wife, Lo Hoi-ping as Ip Man’s uncle Deng, and Chang Chen as a master named the Razor who would run a small crime organization in Hong Kong. Shang Tielong is terrific as Gong Yutian’s longtime right-hand man Jiang who would later become Gong Er’s protector as he would also befriend Ip Man. Wang Qingxiang is superb as Gong Yutian as an old grandmaster who tries to find his successor but tries to deal with changing times and Ma San’s affiliation with the Japanese. Zhang Jin is excellent as Ma San who would become a successor of Gong Yutian only to use his skill to advance himself in power where he is forced to deal with his choices.

Zhang Ziyi is remarkable as Gong Er as a woman who has these expectations to be like every other woman yet she is someone who wants to honor her father and the family legacy as she strikes a friendship with Ip Man while dealing with the consequences of her actions in the third act. Finally, there’s Tony Leung Chiu-Wai is phenomenal as Ip Man where Leung brings a restraint to his performance where he is quite stoic in his performance whether it’s in drama or in action. Leung also proves to be a badass but in a very low-key way as it’s definitely one of his finest performances of his career.

***The Following is an Overview of the 108-Minute American Cut of the Film***

The American cut of the film is quite different from the original 130-minute Chinese cut where Wong Kar-Wai and his editor William Chang created a cut under the order of Harvey Weinstein who is distributing the film to American audiences. The resulting factor isn’t a very good one and more indication that Weinstein needs to be kept out of the editing room.

There aren’t a lot of additions made to this cut as includes a brief meeting between Ip Man and Razor in Hong Kong where it’s about respect as well as a flashback scene of Gong Er reflecting on her happiest moments that includes a moment where she was a child looking at her father’s work. These are moments that do add a nice touch to the story as well as showcase more dimensions to the lead characters. Unfortunately, it doesn’t help the result of the shortened version that Kar-Wai had to present because the narrative isn’t just more disjointed but also loses a lot of its emotional impact and motivations.

Some of the material that is cut involves bits of dialogue as well as some moments about Ip Man’s family and some scenes relating to the Second Sino-Japanese War in the late 1930s. They there’s some added text exposition that is laid out on screen, it ends up being unnecessary as it tends to explain too much. Even as the original cut does have some text to fill in parts of the story but doesn’t reveal too much including any mention of Ip Man’s greatest student in Bruce Lee. In the American cut, it does mention Bruce Lee which wasn’t really necessary as the Chinese cut only implied Lee’s presence in the story. Among the things that is cut out in the American version is Ip Man’s relationship with Gong Er as a lot of it taken out for much of its second act. Even as Gong Er’s story in the second act about getting her revenge on Ma San is moved to the third act in a flashback sequence just after she meets Ip Man in Hong Kong.

In moving Gong Er’s story of her vengeance to the third act really doesn’t do much to what Kar-Wai wanted to tell originally as the third act in the Chinese cut is more about Gong Er’s own journey to get vengeance and the vows that she takes. By moving it to the third act, it doesn’t carry the same emotional impact and melancholia that Kar-Wai wanted as the sequence of Gong Er’s journey for vengeance goes immediately to her confrontation with Ma San in the train. It’s that element of the editing that really loses a lot of the film’s emotional punches as it adds to the messiness of the narrative.

In turn, the American cut of the film is only worth seeing for anyone that wants to see a Wong Kar-Wai film in the big screen. Yet, they will have a hard time dealing with the narrative as well as not grasp into some of the melancholia and emotional elements that Kar-Wai wanted in his original cut.

***End of American Cut Overview***

The Grandmaster is a sensational film from Wong Kar-Wai that features brilliant performances from Tony Leung Chiu-Wai and Zhang Ziyi. The film is definitely one of Kar-Wai’s more stylish films but also an engaging one for the way it tells the story of Ip Man. It’s a film that has something for fans of martial arts films but also has something for audiences that love drama as Kar-Wai manages to put both genres into one captivating story without making it uneven. In the end, The Grandmaster is a remarkable film from Wong Kar-Wai.

Wong Kar-Wai Films: As Tears Go By - Days of Being Wild - Chungking Express - Ashes of Time/Ashes of Time Redux - Fallen Angels - Happy Together - In the Mood for Love - 2046 - Eros-The Hand - My Blueberry Nights - The Auteur #28: Wong Kar-Wai

© thevoid99 2013

Eros

Eros is an omnibus film from three different filmmakers that explores the world of eroticism in three different continents from its filmmakers Michelangelo Antonioni, Steven Soderbergh, and Wong Kar-Wai. Each segment explores the world of love and sex in various different ways told by these three filmmakers. The result is one of the most fascinating anthology films that features two incredible segments from two of its contributors but also a disappointing one from Michelangelo Antonioni.

The Dangerous Thread of Things

Directed by Michelangelo Antonioni. Screenplay by Michelangelo Antonioni and Tonino Guerra from a book by Michelangelo Antonioni. Starring Christopher Buchholz, Regina Nemni, and Luisa Ranieri. Cinematography by Marco Pontecorvo. Edited by Claudio Di Maurio Set design by Stefano Luci. Costume design by Carin Berger. Sound editing by Gianluca Carbonelli. Music by Enrica Antonioni and Vinicio Milani.

The first segment explores a bickering couple (Christopher Bucholz and Regina Nemni) who spend the day together as they deal with their disintegrating relationship as the man later meets a beautiful woman (Luisa Ranieri) whom he wants to have sex with. It’s a segment that is essentially all style but very little substance. While many of the compositions are beautiful and definitely recalls a lot of Antonioni’s great work from the 1960s that includes Marco Pontecorvo‘s lush cinematography and Claudio Di Maurio‘s stylized editing. It feels more like this bad mix of pretentious art-house cinema mixed in with vapid soft-core porn though nothing really wrong with that. Plus, the acting isn’t very inspired while the music is also very off as it adds to the sense of pretentiousness that is rampant in this very terrible short.

Equilibrium

Written, shot, edited, and directed by Steven Soderbergh. Starring Robert Downey Jr., Alan Arkin, and Ele Keats. Set design by Philip Messina. Costume designed by Milena Canonero. Sound editing by Larry Blake. Casting by Debra Zane.

The segment revolves a man (Robert Downey Jr.) who talks to his psychiatrist (Alan Arkin) about a recurring fantasy he has with this mysterious woman (Ele Keats) while dealing with the pressure he’s having working as an advertising agent. It’s a film that explores a sense of repression and fantasy where it mixes reality and fiction where the psychiatric sessions are shot in black-and-white while the fantasy scenes are shot in color. It’s filled with many ambiguities about what is real and what is fantasy where it also involves voyeurism as Soderbergh puts bits of humor as the psychiatrist is also a voyeur who is more concerned with what’s outside rather than this man’s problems. With great performances from Robert Downey Jr. and Alan Arkin, the segment is easily the most entertaining.

The Hand

Written and directed by Wong Kar-Wai. Starring Gong Li and Chen Chang. Cinematography by Christopher Doyle. Edited and set/costume designed by William Chang. Sound design by Claude Letessier and Du-Che Tu. Music by Peer Raben.

The third and final segment is about the relationship between a high-class prostitute (Gong Li) and her tailor (Chen Chang) as the tailor makes dresses for her yet keep their relationship professional no matter how troubled she may be and the desires they have for each other. This one is easily the most sensual in not just in its story but also in the performances of Li and Chang as they play into people who care for each other but are separated by circumstances. With its exotic soundtrack filled with old Chinese music and dazzling images courtesy of cinematographer Christopher Doyle and editor/set-costume designer Wiliam Chang. Kar-Wai creates a piece that is just intoxicating to look that is backed up by a very heartbreaking and enthralling story about love.

The film is essentially an exploration into the world of eroticism and how it can delve into the psyche of individuals. With inserted artwork by Lorenzo Mattotti that is filled with these gorgeous images of people making love that comes in between each segment that includes some bossa-nova music in the background. It all reinforce the idea of eroticism as both Steven Soderbergh and Wong Kar-Wai each manage to create interesting takes on eroticism. Soderbergh in a lightly-comedic fashion that is filled with ambiguities while Kar-Wai adds a melancholia to this love story about a tailor and a prostitute. The one person that definitely seems to miss the mark is Michelangelo Antonioni as he seems to want to reach into the great work he did in the 1960s to comment on loneliness and sex but ends up making something that just feels very empty despite the gorgeous visuals he creates.

Eros is an excellent omnibus film thanks in part to the contributions of Steven Soderbergh and Wong Kar-Wai. Fans of the two filmmakers will no doubt enjoy their segments as it represents some of the best work they did. Especially Kar-Wai whose segment is easily the best of the three for his sensitive portrayal on love. The film sadly also features a very disappointing segment from the late Michelangelo Antonioni in one of his final contributions to cinema. In the end, Eros is an extraordinary anthology film that explores the world of eroticism.

Michelangelo Antonioni Films: (Story of a Love Affair) - (I Vinti) - (The Lady Without Camelias) - Le Amiche - (Il Grido) - L'Avventura - La Notte - L’Eclisse - Red Desert - Blow-Up - Zabriskie Point - (Chung Kuo, Cina) - The Passenger - (The Mystery of Oberwald) - Identification of a Woman - (Beyond the Clouds)

Steven Sodberbergh Films: sex, lies, & videotape - Kafka - King of the Hill - The Underneath - Gray’s Anatomy - Schizopolis - Out of Sight - The Limey - Erin Brockovich - Traffic - Ocean's Eleven - Full Frontal - Solaris (2002 film) - Ocean’s Twelve - Bubble - The Good German - Ocean’s Thirteen - Che - The Girlfriend Experience - The Informant! - And Everything is Going Fine - Contagion - Haywire - Magic Mike - Side Effects - Behind the Candelabra - Logan Lucky - (Unsane) - (High Flying Bird) - The Auteurs #39: Steven Soderbergh Pt. 1 - Pt. 2

Wong Kar-Wai Films: As Tears Go By - Days of Being Wild - Chungking Express - Ashes of Time/Ashes of Time Redux - Fallen Angels - Happy Together - In the Mood for Love - 2046 - My Blueberry Nights - The Grandmaster - The Auteurs #28: Wong Kar-Wai

© thevoid99 2013

2013 Cannes Marathon: Happy Together

(Winner of the Best Director Prize to Wong Kar-Wai at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival)

Written and directed by Wong Kar-Wai, Happy Together is the story about a tumultuous romance between two men as they travel from Hong Kong to Buenos Aires where they endure more trouble as they make up, break up, and do all sorts of things. The film is a look into the world of love and its complications told from the perspective of a man overwhelmed in his troubled relationship. Starring Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Leslie Cheung, and Chang Chen. Happy Together is a rich yet exotic film from Wong Kar-Wai.

The film is about a relationship between two different men as they travel to Argentina in hopes to visit the Iguazu Falls. Instead, they get lost on their way as they get separated only to meet again in Buenos Aires to resume their relationship but it becomes back-and-forth as one becomes frustrated while the other becomes very selfish. As much as Ho Po-Wing (Leslie Cheung) and Lai Yui-fai (Tony Leung Chiu-Wai) have their differences in personalities and drive, they definitely love each other but there comes the question about whether or not they are right for each other? Ho is a very volatile individual who likes to party, get into fights, and be very controlling though he is often apologetic for his behavior but gets into that dangerous cycle again. Lai is a more responsible and sensitive man who is willing to help but doesn’t feel appreciated for what he does for Ho.

The film’s screenplay does have a structure of sorts though it’s very loose as Wong Kar-Wai is more interested in this very tumultuous relationship where it begins with the two arriving in Argentina where they attempt to travel to the Iguazu Falls by car but things don’t go well aside from the fact that the car is a piece-of-shit. Ho and Lai split up where the latter has to find work in order to raise money so he can return to Hong Kong while Ho just wanders around partying with various people and getting into fights where one fight has him coming back to Lai. The two end up being together in Lai’s apartment but the cycle of chaos and selfishness returns where Lai has to work to buy cigarettes and make food for Ho while Ho would blow the money gambling and such. It then raises questions into why does Lai put up with Ho’s selfishness? Another question is why can’t Ho just step up and actually do something for Lai other than teach him tango?

A lot of the film is told from the perspective of Lai as he tries to deal with his relationship with Ho while the narrative would later introduce another character in a Taiwanese immigrant named Chang (Chang Chen) who is definitely the kind of person that Lai needs in his life. While Chang is also someone trying to raise money to return to Taiwan, he’s an individual that is embarking on a journey of his own though his voice-over narration doesn’t reveal whether or not that he’s gay. Chang just adds a new dynamic for Lai’s character development though it also increases his sense of melancholia over how troubled his relationship with Ho is where things finally reach a breaking point.

The direction of Wong Kar-Wai is just intoxicating to watch with its hypnotic imagery and stunning approach to presentation. While it plays to a lot of the visual styles that Kar-Wai is known for that includes slow frame-speeds towards lingering images and motifs that includes lots of references to the Iguazu Falls such as the lamp Ho bought for Lai. It is told with a sense of restraint for the scenes in Lai’s apartment that is a bit cramped but also comforting though it would devolve into chaos once Ho stays there. There is an intimacy to those moments though Kar-Wai would maintain some energy to the scenes where Lai has to cook in the kitchen at his apartment building where it’s always chaotic and then walk up the stairs to his apartment carrying food.

For the scenes in Buenos Aires, Kar-Wai makes the city a character onto itself where it does have this strange yet ethereal quality for what happens in night such as tango dances and what goes on in the city. Notably a sequence where the Obelisco de Buenos Aires shown in the middle of the frame while the frame also contains the clock showing what time it is as it time moves forward. It plays into that world where Lai starts to feel lost as he is obsessed about going to the Iguazu Falls. The direction has Kar-Wai playing up that sense of frenetic style as the film is shown in this heightened yet grainy black-and-white film stock early on before going into full-on color where it plays up that mood of melancholia. Even in the end where once again the colors have this sense of style but also the fact that it plays about the outcome of this relationship as well as Lai’s journey to find strength in himself. Overall, Wong Kar-Wai creates a truly evocative and riveting drama about love gone wrong.

Cinematographer Christopher Doyle does phenomenal work with the photography from the use of grainy black-and-white to play up the turmoil of Ho and Lai‘s relationship to the use of colored lighting schemes to heighten that mood with the use of blue to showcase the images of the Iguazu Falls as well as some of the scenes in the morning as Doyle‘s work is a major highlight of the film. Editors William Chang and Wong Ming-lam do amazing work with the film‘s very stylized editing with its use of jump-cuts as well as playing around with frame-speeds to create these exotic images that play up some of its melancholia.

Production/costume designer William Chang does excellent work with not just the look of Lai‘s small yet quaint apartment but also the Chinese restaurant he and Chang work at as well as the Cantina the two go to while the costumes are mostly casual with some style to play up the different personalities of the three men. The sound work of Chi-Tat Leung and Du-Che Tu is brilliant for the atmosphere is created in some of the film’s locations including Iguazu Falls plus some of the moments at the places the characters encounter. The film’s soundtrack is wonderful for its intoxicating mix of music that features elements of tango-based music from Astor Pataleon Piazzolla as well as ballad by Caetano Veloso plus some frenetic music by Frank Zappa and a cover of the Turtles song Happy Together by Danny Chang.

The film’s small cast consists a lot of interesting appearances from the people in the film though it really belongs to its three principle actors. Chang Chen is great as Chang as a man who is intrigued by Lai’s presence in the restaurant they work as he is eager to go to the lowest point of South America where he would become the one sense of hope in Lai’s troubled life. Leslie Cheung is remarkable as the volatile Ho as a man who wants to party and do crazy things as he often takes advantage of Lai’s kindness while he also tries to apologize to him unaware of how valuable Lai is. Finally, there’s Tony Leung Chiu-Wai in an incredible performance as Lai as a man lost in a trouble relationship as he tries to pull away only to come back as Leung displays that sense of vulnerability and despair as a man who is unsure about who he is in a land that is foreign to him.

Happy Together is a magnificent film from Wong Kar-Wai that features superb performances from Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Leslie Cheung, and Chang Chen along with some amazing technical contributions from Christopher Doyle and William Chang. The film is definitely one of Kar-Wai’s finest films in terms of its visual style and exploration into the world of troubled relationships. It’s also a film that dares to ask questions while not giving any answers into this relationship that is very chaotic but also very loving. In the end, Happy Together is an outstanding film from Wong Kar-Wai.

Wong Kar-Wai Films: As Tears Go By - Days of Being Wild - Chungking Express - Ashes of Time/Ashes of Time Redux - Fallen Angels - In the Mood for Love - 2046 - Eros-The Hand - My Blueberry Nights - The Grandmaster - The Auteurs #28: Wong Kar-Wai

© thevoid99 2013

The Hire

The Hire is a collection of eight short films revolving around a mysterious driver in different assignments while driving different variations of the BMW as these shorts were produced for the car manufacturer. Playing the role of the driver is Clive Owen as he ventures into eight different adventures helmed by eight different filmmakers as it also includes a diverse cast of actors to appear in these eight different short films. The result is an incredible collection of shorts from some of the world's best filmmakers.

Ambush (directed by John Frankenheimer and written by Andrew Kevin Walker) is about the driver escorting a man (Tomas Milian) carrying $2 million worth of diamonds as they’re being pursued by a van full of armed men. Chosen (directed by Ang Lee and written by David Carter) is the story about a holy boy (Mason Lee) escorted by the driver as they’re being pursued by criminals at a loading dock where the boy is supposed to be at a sanctuary. In The Follow (directed by Wong Kar-Wai and written by Andrew Kevin Walker), the driver is hired by his manager (Forest Whitaker) to pursue the wife (Adriana Lima) of a film actor (Mickey Rourke) to see if she’s cheating on him. Star (Directed by Guy Ritchie and written by Joe Sweet and Guy Ritchie) is about a spoiled celebrity (Madonna) who orders her driver to drive her to the venue where the results becomes more than she bargains for.

In Powder Keg (directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu and written by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Guillermo Arriaga, and David Carter), a war photographer (Stellan Skarsgard) is wounded after taking a photograph as the driver tries to get him to the border so he can be saved. Hostage (directed by John Woo and written by David Carter, Greg Hahn, and Vincent Ngo) is about the driver delivering ransom money to a man (Maury Chaykin) who had kidnapped a CEO (Kathryn Morris) as he later races to save her. In Ticker (Written and directed by Joe Carnahan), the driver escorts a man (Don Cheadle), who is carrying a mysterious briefcase under the orders of a mysterious man (F. Murray Abraham), as they’re under attack from a helicopter while running short on time.

In Beat the Devil (Directed by Tony Scott and written by David Carter, Greg Hahn, and Vincent Ngo), James Brown makes a visit with the Devil (Gary Oldman) to renegotiate an old contract in the form of a wager through a drag strip race in Las Vegas between the driver and the Devil’s driver Bob (Danny Trejo).

The film is a collection of stories involving a driver and all of the adventures he takes in. Some are intense, some are quite funny, some are dramatic, and others are just downright fucking insane. While Star and The Follow don’t exactly follow the conventions of most car-driven films. They do contain some amazing driving sequences as the former is just a straight-out comedy from Guy Ritchie while the latter is a moody piece filled with evocative voice-over narration that plays true to Wong Kar-Wai’s style. Chosen may be an action piece of sorts but Ang Lee inject bits of humor as well as a story about a man and a boy. The rest of the series play to the world of action as the filmmakers each put their stamp into the different stories. Joe Carnahan and John Frankenheimer each create stories involving a passenger that is carrying something where the latter is more slick and professional while the former is more stylish with its mixture of grainy film stock and more clear cinematography.

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s Powder Keg is definitely the most unconventional in terms of action and drama as it is presented in a grainy film stock courtesy of cinematographer Robert Richardson. John Woo’s Hostage is a strange twist on the hostage story not just because of the kidnapper but what happens afterwards. Then there’s Tony Scott’s Beat the Devil where it’s definitely the strangest one of them all as it’s a mixture of humor and action with a bit of Satanism that involves James Brown and a cameo appearance from Marilyn Manson.

While all of the shorts do stand out on their own, The Follow is clearly the best of them all due to its lingering images from cinematographer Harris Savides and its hypnotic soundtrack. The casting is also great as many of the actors involved are amazing yet the series really belongs to Clive Owen. Owen displays a really low-key approach to his character as he’s just a driver while he does get the chance to be funny but also intense as he really is the star of the series.

The Hire is an extraordinary series of short films that features a superb performance from Clive Owen. The series is a must-see for fans of many of these filmmakers for the way it utilizes different models of BMWs to help tell a story that is engaging but also intense. In the end, The Hire is a fantastic collection of short films from some of the world’s best filmmakers.

© thevoid99 2013

Favorite Films #5: Chungking Express

Dreaming About Love, Payoffs, & Chef Salad in Hong Kong

A flurry of slow-motion images is shown as a policeman is chasing a criminal throughout the cramped yet intoxicating Chungking Mansions in Hong Kong. In his chase, he bumps into a woman with a blond wig as they briefly look at each other only to meet again sometime later. Through these colorful yet discordant images comes something that isn’t seen very much to Western audiences as it showed a new side to what Hong Kong cinema is. Presenting these images is Wong Kar-Wai who gives a new alternative to Asian cinema with his third film called Chungking Express (Chung Hing Sam Lam).

If one was to sum up what Hong Kong cinema was about, it would come down to the action film genre depending on what audiences wanted. On the one corner, there’s the martial arts films that would star the likes of Bruce Lee, Sammo Hung, and Jackie Chan that would also delve into period epics. On the other corner, there’s the more gritty action films with choreographed gunfights that were helmed by John Woo. While Hong Kong cinema also had films of other genres like comedy and drama, not many of these films broke out internationally as the action and martial arts films continued to be popular outside of Hong Kong.

When Chungking Express was released in 1994, it was the film that became a major hit in Hong Kong where it would win Kar-Wai an award for best director at the Hong Kong Film Awards a year later. One of the people outside of the Hong Kong industry who was extremely impressed by the film was Quentin Tarantino. Already becoming a very popular figure in American independent cinema with 1994’s Pulp Fiction, Tarantino was so impressed by the film that he gave it a U.S. release in early 1996 where it didn’t really go anywhere despite some enthusiastic reaction from the critics. For those who were fortunate enough to see it in that limited U.S. release, it felt like a breath of fresh air as they had seen something different that wasn’t a martial arts film or an action film.

Chungking Express is a film with two different stories set in two different parts of Hong Kong that involved two different cops and two different women. In the first part of a film, a young police officer is dealing with a break-up as he would meet an older woman with a blonde wig who is going through troubles of her own. The second part is about another cop who is also going through a break-up as a new snack bar counter falls for him. These two different stories with different tones and a visual look rarely intersect throughout the film as it indicated something that is very different to people who hadn’t seen a lot of Hong Kong films outside of the action/martial arts genre.

While Wong Kar-Wai did forge his career in those genres as a screenwriter, he was also someone who had a love for the films of the French New Wave as well as the American films of the 1970s. Finally forging his career as a filmmaker with 1988’s As Tears Go By, Kar-Wai would use the crime drama in that film but also add a look that was very colorful and ravishing. His 1990 follow-up Days of Being Wild would be a turning point in Kar-Wai forging his own identity as a filmmaker. By creating characters who are flawed and melancholic, it had Kar-Wai reach out to an audience that felt that there weren’t being films being made about them. Though Days of Being Wild wasn’t a commercial hit, it did create some buzz as the film would also be Kar-Wai’s first collaboration with Australian cinematographer Christopher Doyle.

The film would feature some of Kar-Wai regular actors that includes Maggie Cheung, the late Leslie Cheung, Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Carina Lau, and Jacky Cheung as they would all appear in Kar-Wai’s next film in the martial arts epic entitled Ashes of Time. The film would become one of the most notorious box office disasters due to the film’s troubled production as it was shot for more than a year in the desert of mainland China. Needing a break from the on-going post-production, Kar-Wai would create a story that was much looser and didn’t involve an extravagant budget.

With Christopher Doyle, longtime editor/art director/costume designer William Chang, music composer Frankie Chan, and cinematographer Andrew Lau, Kar-Wai chose to go for a low-budget, improvisational approach to the film. With Kar-Wai regular Tony Leung Chiu-Wai and Hong Kong film legend Brigitte Lin, who had also appeared in Ashes of Time, Kar-Wai also took a risk by casting a couple of pop singers in Taiwan’s Takeshi Kaneshiro and Faye Wong in other lead roles.

While a third story was meant to be part of the film, that story would end up being another film of its own in 1995’s Fallen Angels. The two stories Kar-Wai would create for Chungking Express would be very different as it involve two very different cops in very different situations involving women. Known for not writing scripts and only writing ideas as guidelines, it is an approach to storytelling that a few directors can do so well like British filmmaker Mike Leigh and American auteur Terrence Malick. Notably the latter in whom Kar-Wai was influenced by in terms of creating unique characters that are very flawed. What Kar-Wai does differently from Leigh and Malick is that he brought his own Asian sensibilities where he can go into dark places but also put some humor into the some of those dark places.

The film’s first half that features Kaneshiro’s cop 223 who is musing over his break-up with this young woman as he obsesses about eating pineapples that is expired on May 1, which is his birthday. While on the job in the opening chase scene, he would meet this mysterious woman with a blonde wig who is going through her own issues. Through these very vibrant and energetic scenes played to the tune of Indian music, she is trying to organize a drug smuggling operation involving Indian immigrants where it all goes wrong. Was it because the people she had hired got lost or they had different orders from her boss just to get her in trouble?

Well, she has to take matters into her own hands into finding the smugglers as she had to do things like kidnapping a shopkeeper’s child to get answers. Instead, none of the things didn’t work as she later meets this young cop at a bar where they chat for a bit and later stay at a hotel where she sleeps and he eats and watches TV. He would also clean her shoes as he leaves while she is asleep to go out for a jog where he receives a call from his beeper. It’s the mysterious woman wishing him a happy birthday as it’s an indication that things will be good for him. The mysterious woman however, does manage to take care of things and then disappear.

What is very evident about the film’s first half isn’t just dark tone of it that matches with slow images of the sky and colorful yet entrancing cinematography done mostly by Andrew Lau. It is the pacing of that section of the film that is very intriguing in what Kar-Wai and co-editor William Chang devise. Along with these flurries of frame-speed images where the action is quite jerky and has these strange, slow rhythms. It is part of what defines Kar-Wai’s work as the editing and pacing of that section is very unconventional. At first, these unconventional approach to the pacing will confuse audiences because there’s not a lot that goes on and the pacing can feel like it’s lagging at times. On a second viewing and through another, the pacing starts to make more sense since it’s about a young man wandering at night about his own break-up and meeting this older, mysterious woman.

With a soundtrack that is a mixture of smooth jazz, reggae, Indian, and the hypnotic yet eerie ambient score of Frankie Chan and Roel A. Garcia, the first half plays up to the unconventional tone of the film. Notably as it is told from the perspective of Cop 223 who laments over his break-up and the night he went through as he is telling it in a voice-over narration. Still, it’s also told from the mysterious woman’s perspective as she’s doesn’t have a lot of dialogue in her own individual scenes. Yet, Brigitte Lin’s performance is definitely hypnotic right to the final moment where she pulls off her wig and leaves. Though her face and true hair isn’t really shown as she is often seen sporting red sunglasses. It does leave a lasting impression as the film would be the last major work of Lin as she would retire from the world of film despite making very small appearances in a couple of features up till 2001.

Throughout the first half, the one character that appears in both sections is a snack bar manager, played by Chen Jinquan, who would tell this young cop about a young girl he wants to set her up with. Cop 223 isn’t sure as he would then bump into this new girl working at the snack bar where their meeting would be similar to the one he would have this mysterious woman early in the film. This is where the two halves would finally meet but Cop 223 would reveal via narration that this new girl isn’t interested in him at all. Instead, it’s towards another man as her favorite song in the Mamas and the Papas’ California Dreamin’ is played.

With the exception of the snack bar manager, the characters of all four films rarely interacts although the Faye character in the second half does make a brief appearance in the first half as she is buying a big stuffed animal while the mysterious woman waits outside of the shop. By the time this new story appears, the film’s tone and look starts to change. Whereas this first half was this dark yet moody piece that is shot mostly at night. The second half of the story would be this very loose, brighter story that is shot on both day and night as it is also a much more comical and romantic story.

Why would Kar-Wai do something like this to change the entire tone of the film from this dark and entrancing crime story into a story that is very kooky and upbeat with very different characters? Well, there aren’t really any answers as these two different stories do offer something for everyone. If someone wants to see some stylistic violence. That’s what the film’s first half has to offer. If someone wants to go for a kooky romance that is very vibrant. That’s what the film’s second half is for.

The film’s second half is about this cop, played by Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, who is a beat cop that often frequents into this snack bar order the same thing including something for his stewardess girlfriend. Working at this snack bar is this quirky young woman named Faye who loves to listen to the Mamas & the Papas’ California Dreamin’. She would give his orders quietly while doing all sorts of things until one day, he orders something different as he just drinks a Coke and she stares at him. Then on another particular day, the cop’s stewardess girlfriend (Valerie Chow) arrives with a letter as she gives it to the snack bar’s manager. Everyone including Faye reads it as it includes a copy of a boarding pass and a key.

Cop 663 however, has chosen a different beat and time to work which would allow Faye to break into his apartment and explore everything where she would alter parts of his life. The apartment that Cop 663 lives in is actually the apartment that cinematographer Christopher Doyle lives in as he shot the film’s second half. Doyle’s photography in the second half is far more vibrant and brighter as a lot of it is shot in the daytime. The nighttime and exterior scenes, notably the candlelight scene when the power at the bar goes out, are quite exquisite while maintaining some of the hypnotic look of the film’s first half. The camera work is also looser as Doyle goes for a more fluid, hand-held style.

With this approach, Doyle and Kar-Wai gets a chance to shoot inside the apartment in a scene where Cop 663 is inside thinking that his ex-girlfriend is back as Faye keeps hiding in various places. Through these visits to his apartment where she changes everything that includes a wonderful scene where she gives the home a makeover to a cover of the Cranberries’ Dreams that is sung by Faye Wong. It’s a very playful scene that emphasizes the eccentricity of Faye as she is pining for this cop.

There’s performances in that film that are brilliant but none of them could capture the natural energy and charm that Faye Wong possesses in this film. While Wong is more famous as an Asian pop singer with a few film and TV appearances in her career. Her performance in this film was truly unlike anything at the time. The sense of quirkiness as well as sporting a pixie-like haircut felt new although some would claim that the Faye character would become part of the prototype for the much-maligned stock character known as the Manic Pixie Dream Girl. While Faye does have those quirky characteristics and charming persona that can make men fall in love with her. What deviates her from those aspects of the MPDG stereotype is what is happening to the cop.

Yes, he’s enduring a break-up and is trying to move on by doing his job as he would often bump into Faye as she is trying to drag a big basket of vegetables as the two would chat and stuff. Then, he starts to suspect things when the sardines he eats taste very differently as he also wonders why he has a new bar of soap and such. He thinks that his ex-girlfriend has been appearing until he eventually learns the truth as he asks for the letter and an even bigger surprise to Faye. The big question is what will Faye do? Particularly as there’s people in the snack bar including the manager who is aware of the sparks between the two.

The cop sets a date as he waits for Faye at a bar but she doesn’t show up as he leaves while wondering about the boarding pass that his ex-girlfriend has given him as it’s ruined in tatters and such. Yet, the answer isn’t unveiled as Faye would finally revealed what happened that night in a voice-over through the flurries of people walking around her as she sits still. Then, the picture changes as Faye is shown in a different light with a different hair style and clothes as it’s revealed what she becomes. She reveals that it’s been a year since that date as she returns to Hong Kong to learn that the cop has bought the snack bar as the two talk as he is playing California Dreamin’. The ending is a bit more open as no one knows what happens to the cop and Faye. Do they get together or is it going to be another playful game of chasing one another?

It’s the kind of film that doesn’t give any easy answers or any conventional ideas about love and relationships. It doesn’t feature traditional male and female personas that is often typical with American Hollywood films. It has male characters who are quite sensitive and aloof but also can be a little tough when they’re in action. It has female characters who are a bit romantic but have their own sense of individuality. This is why Wong Kar-Wai is among one of the best filmmakers working today. He creates characters that do more than what their stock types can do.

If anything, Chungking Express is probably one of the best date movies ever made. It’s got enough action and dark overtones that is very entrancing yet it also has this very offbeat sense of humor that can bring laughs. The romantic element is very intoxicating as men ponder about their own faults while the women show that there’s a whole lot more than the girlfriends they’ve had. Wong Kar-Wai does that and more where it’s OK to eat nearly expired pineapples, talk to a wet rag, and dance around to a Cranberries cover inside someone’s apartment. Chungking Express is Wong Kar-Wai’s masterpiece for the way he can create two different stories and actually make both stories be one entire singular film for all to enjoy.

Chungking Express

© thevoid99 2012