In the Mood for Love (2001)

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

I am surprised by all of the reviews, they talk about the artistic way things were portrayed through cimetography through wardrobe etc. All great points and this is an artistic masterpiece for sure, however the real beauty I believe is in the message and how it is portrayed through the art in this film. I won't spoil it for others but I will try and stead you in the right direction. Look at what great pains the film goes through to help you see that this movie is about helping us all understand we are all vulnerable and capable of any of the errors or flaws we see in others. A great movie with a great message and what a beautiful way of showing it as well!

This is a snore-fest from start to finish. Anyone who claims this is good must be the kind of person that stares at a blank white painting and claims it inspires them. I gave it 3/10 because 1/10 and 2/10 is reserved for truly terrible movies, and at least the acting was good in this.

Elegantly crafted, mesmerisingly told & brilliantly performed, In the Mood for Love is a fascinating example of restrained craftsmanship that paints one of the most enchanting, alluring & powerfully evocative portraits of love & romance on the film canvas and is further uplifted by its wonderfully detailed period setting, awe-inspiring photography & spot-on chemistry between its leads.Set in 1960s Hong Kong, In the Mood for Love follows the lives of two neighbours, a man & woman who find solace in each other's company after suspecting that their spouses are cheating on them. A beautiful relationship blossoms between the two as they spend more time together and attempt to reenact how their partners' affair must have begun but decide to keep their bond platonic.Written, produced & directed by Wong Kar-wai, the movie allows ample space for its characters to breathe and the bond that develops between the two isn't hurried either as Wong establishes their similar predicament first, while little details such as coincidental interactions & fleeting glances on a daily basis give their budding relationship a genuine touch & natural feel. And their well-defined arcs only helps the cause.The 1960s Hong Kong setting is expertly brought to life by its detailed set pieces & wisely chosen shooting locations. Camera follows our characters around like a silent observer and is thoroughly focused on their activities, however, what stands out are the brief slow-mo vignettes of their lives which is accompanied by a specific track that makes those particular sequences more memorable while enriching the overall experience.Coming to the performances, In the Mood for Love is steered by compelling inputs from Maggie Cheung & Tony Leung, and the sizzling chemistry between the two is the real highlight that makes their romance work so effortlessly. Both actors bring their A-game to the table and challenge each other to up their acts, while the emotional rush & sexual tension that's evident every time they are together makes their on-screen bond more authentic.On an overall scale, In the Mood for Love is a teasing, tempting & transporting illustration of love, longing & loneliness that brims with irresistible charm and radiates endless warmth from start to finish. Presenting Wong Kar-wai in total control of his craft, photographed with an aesthetic eye, and strengthened by measured performances, it is a masterly rendered love story that stumbles a little in its final act but its universal appeal & artistic approach is enough to catapult it into its genre's finest works. Definitely recommended.

Set in early 1960s Hong Kong, Wong Kai-wai's 2000 film IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE chronicles a brief affair, and one that is poignantly ambiguous.As the film opens, we see two married couples move into rented rooms in the house of an elderly matriarch (living space is at a premium in Hong Kong, and the claustrophobic sets reflect the reality). Two of these new neighbours strike up a friendship because they feel similarly neglected by their spouses. The husband of Mrs. Chan (Maggie Cheung), a traveling businessman, is often away for weeks at a time and probably seeing another woman. Meanwhile, newspaper reporter Mr. Chow (Tony Leung) quietly suffers his wife's betrayal as she stays out night after night with some other man.Chan and Chow begin spending time together, wondering if their actions mirror those of their unfaithful spouses: "Is this how it started?" Their exact relationship remains ambiguous, as Chan suggests that any physical intimacy would be stooping to the level of their spouses. Even if their friendship is platonic, they struggle to keep it hidden from the conservative society of the time, adding considerable suspense to the film.Tales of adultery are pretty old hat in art cinema, but the storytelling here is fresh and IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE proved a moving experience for this reviewer and his wife. Cheung and Leung play their parts with such painfully sad faces, as if the betrayal of a husband or wife is a natural disaster that can only be born quietly with dignity, never undone. It's not unbearably oppressive, however, and a little bit of comic relief is provided by Mr. Chow's coworker Ah Ping, played by Ping Lam Siu. Strikingly, Ping Lam Siu wasn't a professional actor at all, but rather a prop man, but he's a real character and I'm glad Wong Kar-Wai brought him in front of the camera.Besides the memorable acting, another strong point of this film is its exploitation of the medium. The colorful sets with 1960s period detail and Ms. Chan's changing succession of cheongsam dresses are absolutely gorgeous. Furthermore, the viewer is dazzled by cinematic slight of hand such as a rapid succession of near-identical shots in the same location, representing in an instant how these characters had been meeting over weeks or months. Shots from under a bed or behind a curtain make the audience feel like a voyeur; we are no longer innocent spectators but almost implicated in the protagonists' affair that they are desperate to keep secret. The husband of Mr. Chan is never directly shown, while the face of Mr. Chow's wife is always turned away from the camera, an effect that strengthens the viewer's identification with these protagonists and leads us to sympathize with their feelings of neglect.Wong Kai-Wai shot something like 30 times the amount of footage that ultimately made it into the finished film, and some of this cut footage can be seen on various home media releases. Knowing how the film was made will definitely elevate film editing in your eyes to the same level as the initial writing of any screenplay -- which Wong Kar-Wai doesn't even do, working intuitively without a script. Wong Kai-Wai filmed a number of directions for the story to go in (like a final meeting between the lovers, scenes of their spouses, etc.), only to cut them out, and the end result is so much stronger for it. The 98 minutes that was finally shown to the world is utterly convincing with not a minute wasted and not a single element extraneous. It is as if the director was a sculptor revealing a masterpiece out of a huge block of marble.