Rating: 
Summary: A Breathe Taking Masterpiece
Review: For all of you who are mystified with sensual, sensitive, delicate yet stunning beauty of Asian movies, this movie is all that you have been waiting for. Unknown to many, this movie came out at the same time as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and it was MUCH more appreaciated than CTHD in majority in Asia, in term of acting, cinematography and story. The actors are well recognized by their work, Tony Leung won the Cannes Best Actor award for this piece, Maggie Cheung, who holds a large collection of european and asian awards for extradinary acting skills, was crowned the queen of Hong Kong Film Festive for the 5th time this year for her role. A word for those of you who enjoyed action movies, this movie does not have any flying fists or alike. Yet, it is a movie which emits a deep feeling of nolstagia, and it will remind you of the bits and pieces of the "lost sentiments" in your life. The cinematography is so stunning and every little detail is so delicately brushed up, you feel as if you can even smell the scent from the redwood furnitures. The movie is visually breathetaking, in fact, the Chinese dresses wore by Maggie Cheung so beautifully blended into the dim-lit scenes, it started a new fashion movement in Asia! The plot is deeply moving. The two people who are next door neighbors both knew their spouses were having an affair and left them behind. Confused and eager to know what happened, they came to each other. Slowly, the attraction grows between them, yet bound by their morals and impacted by their spouses' betrayal, they silently denied and resisted the growing affection. Slowly, the confined living space and the tight dresses wore by the actress and the dim light transformed into symbols of the social boundaries, confined emotions, suppressed desires, and diminishing hope, and Tony Leung reveals it all in his deep, sorrowful gazes, accompanied with Nat King Cole singing in Spanish " Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps"... I am not a person who loves the indulgence in the past or the blues, yet I willingly fell for the magically reminiscent scenes. I was captivated completely. However, you must see it to believe it.
Rating:
Summary: Haunting...
Review: I don't think that I have exorcised this film from my consciousness, and I'm not sure I want to. I first saw it in a theater about two months ago and recently saw it again, concerned that it wouldn't be as affecting the second time. Kar-Wei's film was not only as moving, but probably more so. I'm sure many people here will claim that this film possesses a slim plot and/or scarce dialogue in an effort to deride it. I don't view films to focus on plot or characterization or cinematography individually... I look to be changed by the experience... as this film did to me. I felt the pain of the characters, a credit to Kar-Wei and the brilliant acting of Maggie Cheung (Man-Yuk) and Tony Leung (Chiu-Wai). Don't expect to be beaten over the head like you would by viewing a Hollywood production... you will have to look closely at this film to discover the gold within.
Rating:
Summary: Best movie of the year
Review: It's only a shame that this wasn't released several months ago in the U.S. as it was in the U.K. or else it would have been nominated for some major awards. It's actually really hard to fault anything in this movie: the acting, directing, music and cinematography are all world-class.The story centers around a woman and a man who live next to each other in a Hong Kong apartment complex in 1962. They both suspect their spouses of having an affair with each other, and begin to fall in love themselves. Being in such tight surroundings they obviously cannot show very much affection to each other in public and rely on subtle glances and very little actual physical contact: it is a testimony to the superb acting skills of the two main leads, Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung, that the relationship is believable. The director Wong Kar-Wai is also brilliant at mixing in slow-motion shots (perhaps to emphasize how slowly their relationship develops) and Spanish music, which fits the mood of the movie amazingly well. To add to the atmosphere, the movie is almost completely shot indoors except for some shots outside at night and in the rain and the haunting last scene. You really get a sense of clautrophobia after a while, not only of the living space but how confined the characters' marriages and even lives are as well. Futhermore, the movie also has a political overtone which is, like everything else here, subtle, but suffice to say its setting in 1962 is not accidental. Finally, the lack of a huge amount of dialogue means that those who don't like subtitles won't have to suffer through so many. For those of you like me who were disappointed with most of the junk nominated for Academy Awards this year, finally here's a movie that lives up to its reputation.
Rating:
Summary: An unforgettable journey.
Review: 'In the Mood for Love' is a touching, engrossing meditation on, you guessed it, love: what it is, what creates it, what ends it, what keeps it sewn strong together. All of these aspects are collected into a clever, lovely, sometimes devastating piece of artistry directed by the fabulous Wong-Kar Wai. Those of you who love romantic comedies or grand, epic love sagas will be immensely disappointed with his latest film. It is not either. Rather, it is a gem of cinema that strives for emotional truth and absolute realism. Inside of cramped apartments and old diners, that, too, is what the main characters of 'In the Mood for Love' yearn for. The film takes place in Hong Kong during the year 1962. Chow Mo-wan (Tony Leung) and Su Li-zhen (Maggie Cheung) have just moved into neighboring apartments and have met each other rather casually. But the two progressively realize a secret about their respective spouses and a profound relationship develops almost instantly. From there, the film sets a tone that is cislunar, seeming to float in its own world situated between reality and a sense of disconnection. Kar-Wai perfectly evokes this mood with fleeting slow-motion sequences accompanied by Christopher Doyle and Mark Li Ping-bin's delicately visceral cinematography. What ensues throughout the rest of the film (both plot-wise and technically) masterfully conveys romantic yearning. The lead performances were breathtaking, namely Maggie Cheung as Su Li-zhen. From scenes of obvious hurt to moments of hidden despair, she ceaselessly astonishes. I'm surprised she did not receive the massive encomium she deserved from 2001 year-end awards groups, let alone the Oscars. But credit must also be given to Tony Leung as Chow Mo-wan, who managed to maintain a quiet, tired loneliness throughout the film. Leung also understood that it was only with Su Li-zhen that Chow Mo-wan felt truly alive with passion. Another character worth mentioning are the breath-taking sets by production designer William Chang Suk-ping. The claustrophobic atmosphere offered by Suk-ping's dated, tight hallways was as much a part of the emotion and story line as each lead. Collectively, each part of the movie-making process (screenwriting, directing, designing, acting) achieved an assured concinnity; and in the end, what was already a personal, accessible study is lifted by Kar-Wai to a universal level using epic shots of Mayan temples and mysterious landscapes. As the credits role, it becomes apparent that 'In the Mood for Love' is arguably a masterpiece worthy of the all-time lists. For me personally, the constant flashbacks of wind sifting past vinaceous curtains and artful conversations about love at its core only underscore 'Love's greatness. It is an unforgettably personal journey not to be missed.
Rating:
Summary: Testing the Bonds of Fidelity, or: The Platonic Paradox
Review: Platonic relationships, in cinema as in real life, represent a nebulous, sometimes dangerous terrain: a sphere of carefully set-boundaries, of mutual appreciation that, on the surface, remains confined to the intellectual and the emotional, with the physical act of love itself banished from thought and action. In real life this fragile balance is often upset by the gradual development of interior feelings - or by the repression of secreted urges - resulting in unrequited desire, in anguish and longing; in cinema, the temptation to milk this repression can often sink the material into the mires of overwrought melodrama, bathos, and cliché. It takes a talented, keen mind to carefully glean the poignancy of the platonic relationship, to avoid the pitfalls of tearjerking indulgence and the convoluted plot-twist.
Won Kar Wai's *In the Mood for Love* achieves this rare distinction, capturing platonic fidelity - and its inherent torments - with a sure hand and subtle perspective. This is the second film I've seen of Won Kar Wai's, and he is quickly becoming my favorite director of Asian cinema; the delicateness of his approach, and the masterful juggling of experimental framing and intricate storytelling, is a wonder to behold. This director fully understands the power of understatement, of allowing the audience to connect the dots, of achieving transcendence within tragic circumstances. *In the Mood for Love* is a masterpiece, the epitome of the Romance, a genre I tend to avoid due to the overdose of manipulative schmaltz implicit in Westernized attempts.
The film follows the life-trajectory of two lonely Hong Kong residents in the mid-1960s, Mr. Chow (Tony Leung) and Mrs. Su (Maggie Cheung), who discover that their respective partners are having an affair. Seeking comfort from the brunt of these infidelities, the two embark upon a relationship of their own, sharing noodles and coffee, collaborating on a martial-arts newspaper serial and slowly drifting from the platonic nature of their affair into more complicated waters. "We won't be like them," is the mantra, the moral high-ground assumed; but it is never that easy, especially when instincts writhe beneath the impeccable surface of the ethical shield.
The acting is superb - Tony Leung radiates soulful hurt and gives his character a depth only hinted at by the script; Maggie Cheung is exquisite as the faithful wife trapped as much by social conventions as she is by her beautiful cheongsam garments. Leung and Cheung are established names on the Hong Kong circuit - featured as conflicted lovers in *Hero*, for example - but they inhabit their dramatic personas so totally that one never refers to the other roles they have played; they avoid the artistic bane of overexposed fame, shatter the shackles of screen-iconolatry, and for two hours ~become~ Mr. Chow and Mrs. Su, a bereft pair we simultaneously root for, and root against, hoping they can maintain their platonic vow, hoping they will break it and reach fulfillment.
This paradox is further shaped into tense being by Wai's experimental perspective-shifts, playing with the 'truth' of the matter via multiple perspectives and isolated sequences. Christopher Doyle's cinematography is in a class of its own, highlighting the storytelling aspect of the characters and environments without ever calling attention to itself; I recently read that Doyle loves to capture the beauty of women, spending hours to find the perfect angle, the defining frame: Maggie Cheung is exemplified by this painstaking technique. The music completes the framework of *In the Mood for Love*: source music from the 60's floats in snatches, cementing the film to a tangible era, and Shigeru Umebayashi/Mike Glassoro `s evocative cello and violin score gives thematic counterpoint to that occurring on the screen. Film is essentially a collaborative medium: when vital talents are assembled for a specific project, greatness occurs; the original vision is given depth and a grand eloquence it might not have achieved otherwise. *In the Mood for Love* is a paramount example of this collaborative genius.
This Criterion edition contains several extras, including deleted scenes (which shred certain ambiguous elements; I'm glad they were deleted, and glad they were included here), notes on the music process, and a short tribute film by Won Kar Wai about the icons of Chinese cinema in the 60's.
Highest Recommendation.
Rating:
Summary: Hypnotic tale of an unlived affair
Review: Mrs Chan as she is talking to her boss one day lifts up her head and says "if you give attention you can see things as well". In the Mood For Love calls for the very care she is referring to. As you pay close attention to the details it grows into a magnificent tale, the tale of an unlived affair.
Mrs Chan and Mr Chow infinitely postpone yielding to desire despite the strong magnetism pulling them together-maybe because they "do not want to be like them" or maybe because they want to be sure they are not doing this because they are angry with their spouses.
The rehearsal scenes where Kar-wai Wong plays a game of deception with viewer are ingenious. Before Mrs Chan is told by Mr Chow that "they were merely rehearsals" you are fooled into taking them for real.
With its poetic cinematography, gripping music and first rate actors In the Mood For Love is a praise to cinema, to the art of cinema...
Rating:
Summary: It blew me away !
Review: This is one exceptional movie with some great music. The original name of the movie is Hua Yang Nian Hua. The movie is about a man and a woman. They are both married and unhappy with their spouses. They get close to each other when they discover the similarities in their life. The movie is set in 60s has a gentle pace and engrossing with a delightful music. The DVD comes with a companion DVD and a booklet. Definitely a collectors item.
Rating:
Summary: all about mood
Review: In the Mood for Love is a beautiful movie about love. And waht's perfect about it is that love in here is not sad or happy or stupid like in other movies, but above all love in here is human. Visually it is excellent (Christopher Doyle's name always means perfection in cinematography), the music is beautiful and the story is wonderful.
It is a movie about two people that were in the mood to love each other but didn't.
Rating: 
Summary: Eloquent, and quietly piercing
Review: This is a truly beautiful film, both in terms of its physical assets, and the subtly wonderful acting.
Both of the actors turn in fantastic performance. I cannot praise one more than the other-they were both completely inside the film, no longer actors, but the characters that they were playing. Visually, the film was breathtaking. The cinematography was simply stunning- sensuous, and vivid almost like another character within the film.
The bittersweet, mysterious soundtrack proved once again the power music can have over af film. Much of the film's elusive atmosphere of impending doom is due to this amazing music. A pained Japanese waltz, and sexy Latin jazz work miracles.
However, the true revelation in this movie remains the fact of how much is understood, how much emotion is felt, all the while so little is said.
In conclusion, this film really left an impact on me. It left me feeling things I couldn't either explain or comprehend. It is certainly not for everyone-if you like films that spell out their meaning, and have an exciting plot, then this is DEFINATELY not for you. However, if you're looking for something with meaning that just happens to be stunningly acted, directed, and put together, you abosolutely must see "In the Mood for Love".
Rating:
Summary: Platonic Puzzle
Review: It is often a shock when we see the art of another culture. In The Mood for Love is great art. Film romance in America recalls films like Casablanca or Gone With The Wind. Bogart and Bergman cannot consummate their great love. Brett and Scarlet can consummate, but the love part is tricky for Scarlet. What I think I'm trying to say, everyone with a modest love life has fallen for that special someone that got away. For the American audience, the resulting hurt is gripping in story or film. We mourn lost love. Well, the Chinese director Wong Kat-wai's gives us a Buddhist version of lost love. It resembles mourning.
The lovers have cheating spouses in common and a common hallway to their apartments. Their relationship is maddening. It is a platonic relationship despite the fact that they are very warm, attractive people. Indeed, Maggie Cheung is sultry hot in silk slit dresses with long legs and 1962 stiletto heels. They vow not to be like their cheating spouses, but before long they are in desperate need of each other, but their previous declarations takes precedence.
The story is painted. Think Toulouse-Lautrec meets Gauguin in Hong Kong. The colors are dazzling and the scene set-ups are all about the artist's eye. What was that Charles De Gaulle scene in Cambodia at the end of the movie? What's with the Buddhist Temple as a Notre Dame Cathedral in Cambodia? I can't be sure. Perhaps it's Buddhist sophisms. This film is not for fans of American romance, so be forewarned, but it is an exotic and fine piece of art.
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