Friday, August 28, 2009

2046 by Wong Kar-wai

Category: Non-English

This is really a little too ambitious from Wong Kar-Wai. The film essentially follows the aftermath of the character we all so yearned and cried for at the end of In The Mood for Love. If anything, our heart goes out to him even more, but there's something about Tony Leung playing a protagnoist who is primarily driven by lust this time around. His quest for the next Su Li-Zhen takes him across many people - some old, some new and some with undertones to people whom he has come across already.

Definitely a film to watch but only recommended if you have seen Days of Being Wild & In the Mood for Love. Finally there is also the lovely ladies who deserve a special mention - Carina Lau, Faye Wong, Zhang ZiYi & of course Maggie Cheung. One can't help but feel that Leslie Cheung, had he still been alive would have been probably the perfect ace to be cast into the role. Don't get me wrong, he would not be good for the second film in this trilogy but he would be apt for this role. The evolution of the character literally flows from Leslie Cheung to Tony Leung (Days of Being Wild end) and would have been perfect to return back to Leslie Cheung at the end of In the Mood for Love.

Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps.

Recomendation level: 3/5 - Noble and yes I liked the effort! I just think his depiction of the future and the kind of disconnection he makes his characters experience has gone a little far in this effort. The melancholy and suffering is still sharp and stagnant but he's basically treading too far away from reality and then back to it. Impressive Time and Space adjusting though, less shots of clocks and lesser still of the sky...

4 comments:

  1. true true,doyle's visual shockers still continue,tad bit overdone though!oh wait,did he shoot this?i forget really.i think tony leung fits in just fine really though

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  2. Yeah he shot it, with the standard 2 chinese.

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  3. It is a must to have watched both films or can it be either or?

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  4. I think it makes most sense when you have watch (and in this order)

    Days of Being Wild
    In the Mood for Love
    2046

    I did watch Mood before Days so that kinda sucked but it was worth it, they introduce Tony Leung's character at the end of that film, also it has the legendary Leslie Cheung.

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