Chungking Express (1996)

Redundant and unnecessary.

Memorable, crazy movie

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

Story surrounding two recently dumped cops falling for two tsunderes (women with cold appearances but cuddly hearts) .. Romantic comedy featuring amazing cinematography with a multitude of color palettes and lighting schemes , and the choppy frame editing providing either rushed, hurried, or stagnating feeling--------------------------------------------------------------------Cop 223: He splits up with his girl of 5 years on April Fool's, and believing it's a bad prank he eats her favorite meal, a can of pineapples, once a day until his birthday a month later. He vows when his birthday arrives he'll move on from his past girlfriend and fall in love with the next woman he lays eyes on ..That woman happens to be a cocaine dealer disguised in a raincoat, shades, and a blond wig. After a deal gone wrong, she's hunting for the men who set her up , when she has a fated encounter with Cop 223. It only lasts for a night, a restless night, as both want each other's company but fail to understand each other's feelings, instead spending the night tossing and turning in the bed and through t.v. channels …Cop 663: The California Dream Tale .. He visits a local coffee shop everyday in hopes he'll run into a flight hostess he had a one-night with. As he shares his stories of loneliness with the workers, the cousin of the owner - Faye - slowly begins to fall in love with the man. One night, the flight hostess goes to the coffee shop and returns the Cop's keys with a letter. The Cop doesn't want the letter (so he can keep dreaming of her return) and asks for Faye to hold on to it until he's ready. Few days later Faye runs into the Cop while he's on break and the rest is history …..She begins sneaking into his house when he's not home and redecorates. The Cop suspects someone is in his home but doesn't mind the company. Eventually she gets busted twice , but instead of admitting her affection for the cop, she escapes on a "plane" to California and leaves the cop a message to wait for her for one year …..8.5/10 …. Feels like a personal home video, a man with a camera venturing Hong Kong taking romantic shots of his friends 100/10 in the name of changing the game of cinematography

Quirky, melancholic & delightfully amusing, Chungking Express is an affectionately crafted story about love, loneliness & the often difficult process of moving on from a failed relationship which works best when you allow yourself to go with the flow rather than trying to dig through its plot to find out what it's all about.Taking place in Hong Kong, the story of Chungking Express concerns two melancholic policemen who are distraught with heartbreak over their recent break-ups, and follows them around for the next few days as one of them falls for a mysterious female underworld figure while the other one has his life spruced up by a young girl working at a snack bar he frequents.Written & directed by Wong Kar-wai (best known for In the Mood for Love), the two stories that unfold within the film pack pretty much the same outline and missed overlapping each other by 0.01 cm. Both the halves are crafted with intimacy, brim with a heartwarming quality and feature idiosyncratic characters whose equally eccentric behaviours provide it a rich flavour.The environment its story unfolds in is abundant in population yet each character appears to be living in their own little worlds, unaware of the numerous possibilities that are within their reach. The camera is operated with a kinetic flair and is never at rest. Editing keeps the two narratives separate yet similar in tone & feel, while music uplifts many moments with its finely chosen tracks.Not all attempts at humour work, for few fall flat or seem overdone while others are right on target. The lighthearted vibe is retained until the end and although a poignant feeling is evident nearly all the time, Wong never allows it to take charge of the story. Performances are spot-on as both the leads & the supporting actors play their part fittingly, with Faye Wong impressing the most of them all.On an overall scale, Chungking Express is an oddball example of its genre that's as endearing as it is captivating, and is another wonderful entry in Wong Kar-wai's rich filmography. Finely directed, weirdly scripted, stylishly photographed, calmly edited, exquisitely scored & brilliantly performed, it may require more than one viewing to fully grasp the underlying themes & subtexts but even on first-viewing, it promises & delivers a whole lot of fun.

The first half of this movie is excellent. It is carried by two charismatic stars - Brigitte Lin, Takeshi Kaneshiro - who act very well. It's a fun mix of detective story and wry romance. The second half is a whole other movie, thematically linked only by the most tenuous of threads, featuring the great Tony Leung, but ultimately dependent on the narrower talents of pop star Faye Wong. Her gifts are stretched very thinly indeed by the large amount of screen time she's given. I'm sorry to say I was so bored after twenty minutes of her whimsy that I started to doze.Wong Kar-Wai makes visually stylish movies. From what I've read about them, their peculiar energy seems partly to stem from scenes and story-lines being cobbled together at the last minute. It's a risky strategy, but clearly it can succeed. Sometimes, as in HAPPY TOGETHER, this improvisatory approach can sustain a whole picture. CHUNGKING EXPRESS is only a half-full glass. It's the second half that's empty.

WARNING: SMALL SPOILERS MAY BE GIVEN BELOWToday being a lazy Sunday, I finally got around to watching Chungking Express. This film is something which has always been on my lengthy cinema bucket list.I am joyous that I took the the time viewing into this film as it was both uplifting and meditative amongst the chaos.The film's plot revolves around two separate narratives regarding two policemen working within Chungking,both of whom have gone through recent break ups. Their stories are told sequentially and are both running in chagrin until they encounter a new woman.For the first story, we become acquainted with He Qiwu, a man who pines over his most recent relationship with a girl called May. Whilst the May of which his relationship recently ended with has no screen time, there is plenty of monologue spoken from He Qiwu and interaction with other characters regarding her that as an audience we can feel his pain. (I mean, who hasn't been there before?) He Qiwu goes on the rebound and seeks out a girl after much self pity. It is at bar that he encounters a certain femme fatale.The femme fatale is not issued a name in this story segment however it just adds to the sense of mystery she aesthetically displays by the "costume" of which she wears: A Blonde Wig and Glasses. It becomes quickly evident within the first fifteen minutes of the film that she is a dangerous presence as we see her organizes an illegal drug smuggling operation. When He Qiwu and the woman with the blonde wig cross paths, it is not because he is after her. It is because he found himself out at a bar on the prowl and as we as viewers are sure of, the ineluctability of them meeting together is certain. They are not united together as lovers, however there is a slither of hope given to He Qiwu after their encounter and in his current position, a morale booster.In the second story, the unnamed Cop 663 is going through the motions post break up with an air stewardess. We see that the stewardess had decided to visit a snack counter which he frequents and gave a letter to the owner regarding her wishes to break up and keys to the apartment. This is all caught by the exuberant Faye, a worker at the counter. As Cop 663 does not wish to look at the envelope being fully aware of what the letter will detail, Faye falls him for and uses the keys to start rearranging the house while he is at his day-shift unaware. From there, the story builds around the meetings between of both Faye and Cop 663.Throughout both stories there are reoccurring motifs that we take in such as expiry dates, the name of May, a model airplane, California Dreamin' by The Mamas & Papas, a Garfield stuffed toy and more which have been omitted from this review. The symbolism behind these help build the strength of both stories and also slightly relate them. The setting of Chungking is a multicultural place and in being so it is interesting to hear dialog hear dialog in Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese and Indian throughout the film. It is hard for the setting to not draw you in. However, despite the streets being as flooded with populace as they are, we are left with the contrast of the characters usually being in isolated locations. Taciturn and with a running self monologue.The soundtrack should be a key player in any film watched and in The Chungking Express it is not something which is not to be ignored. Most notably the soundtrack is dominated by California Dreamin' during the second half of the movie. The highlight song for me personally is a delightful Cantonese cover version of the song "Dreams" originally performed by the Cranberries sung by no other than Faye Wong, main actress of the second segment.In regards to the cinematography, it is hard to believe that shots being taken are not being done so under natural lighting. In a scene where the Indians are assembling clothes and toys, we get various cutaway shots and amazing editing. (In particular one shot of shoes filled with cocaine/heroin being put away is shot upside down which for unknown reasons I really love) The editing is quick and fast paced, rarely lingering.Through the use of shaky held hand camera during chase scenes and the busy streets we feel disorientated and just as lost as the characters on screen. I believe this film is an equally a comfort to those in love as to those who are out of love. Don't give up.