Chungking Express by Wong Kar-wai

Category: Non-English

I suppose having watched Chungking a long time before Fallen Angels made me pass a remark which I am proud to take back. After much deliberation I would say Fallen Angels reaches my list of must see movies. Even though the future of the officer and Faye is debatable it's still much more concrete than in FA.

The movie has 2 stories, the first about blondie and the cop who's nursing a broken heart and the second about a cop and Faye.

WKW's penchant for shots of the skies is clear even more so since he was working heavily on Ashes of Time before this movie. There is of course the proverbial shots of clocks (dates in this one) that WKW is otherwise famous for. WKW initially wanted Chungking Express to be his Ashes of Time but in an urban setting and with his trademark emotionally stagnant characters along with Christopher Doyle's brilliant camera work he executes this well.

Watch out for his expression of Time & Space in this film (depicted how!). Yes, there's plenty of frenzied camera work as well. WKW's characters always evoke and this time around expiring canned food, jogging & the cop who keeps talking to everything around him to nurse his broken heart.

Recomendation level: 4/5 A little dicey to give it anything less but I am also not sure if it deserves to be a 5, purely because that is now meant for the best of the best films.

Fallen Angels by Wong Kar-Wai

Category: Non-English

Wong Kar-Wai's Chungking Express was considered a pioneer in many ways be it, its technical expertise or it's understanding and execution of relationships in a society in constant conflict. It didn't work towards an ending and let the film simply "be".

With Fallen Angels, WKW tries to paint another portrait of individuals in conflict. His characters typically supressing themselves in one way or another. This one has a hitman, his business partner, a mute man & a blonde - these characters try their best to express. You can argue with me about the Gullit fan but she in no way suffers or is emotionally supressed.

The movie is brilliantly executed, the long lasting face shots interlaced with music and commentary is stunning (Doyle!). The characters are well played and most of all there's the trademark music from WKW. The only let down I had was that he tries to work to an end and that doesn't make it as likeable as Chungking.

Pretty faces all around.

Recommendation level: 4.5/5 - read above remarks! Get it for 4.5 rating I've given, for at the end of the day this is still a WKW movie.