TBD | A man and a woman in 1960's Hong Kong realize that their respective spouses are sleeping with each other. Directed by Wong Kar-wai Starring Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung Review by Jon Kissel |
Wong Kar-wai’s In the Mood For Love is regarded as one of the best films of all time, at least as far as the Sight and Sound list of lists is concerned. Ranked #24 on the 2012 list, In the Mood For Love is the scored the highest of any 21st century film, setting huge expectations for any first-time watchers, or at least those familiar with esoteric film rankings. This is my fourth time with In the Mood For Love, and the one that hasn’t changed what I previously thought of it. The first time, I thought it was perfectly fine, maybe a little slow. The second time, I grew more convinced of its significance but wasn’t quite converted. The third time, for whatever reason, it clicked, leaving me enraptured throughout and a sobbing mess by the credits. This most recent viewing solidifies that final opinion, as I was on guard for a letdown but ended in the exact same place as before. In the Mood For Love’s subtlety and elegance wraps the viewer up in its silken tentacles, slowly but surely endearing itself as one of the great romantic pairings and deserving of its place in film history. If it’s not quite the best film of the 21st century, it has to be close.
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