In the Mood for Love
BFI #5
Rent/Purchase
In 1960s Hong Kong, two neighbors form an intimate bond after making a discovery about their spouses in this visually stunning tale of unrequited love.
What critics thought
Wong Kar-wai's restrained portrait of desire and regret drew near-universal admiration for its visual opulence and the wordless precision of its two lead performances, with critics treating it as one of the great romantic films of its era. The main point of contention is degree rather than direction — some found it transcendent, others beautiful but coolly distant — and Ebert's measured three-star appreciation sits notably below the rapture of most of his peers.
“a lush story of unrequited love”
Roger Ebert·Chicago Sun-Times
“probably the most breathtakingly gorgeous film of the year”
Elvis Mitchell·The New York Times
“in the hands of a hack, In the Mood for Love could have been a snickering sex farce. In the hands of Wong Kar-wai ... the film is alive with delicacy and feeling”
Peter Travers·Rolling Stone
“the performances are masterly, and the photography beautiful. It's a genuinely romantic romance and makes for sublime cinema”
David Parkinson·Empire
Genres
Drama, Romance
Cast & Crew
DirectorWong Kar-Wai
StarringMaggie Cheung, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Siu Ping-Lam, Rebecca Pan, Kelly Lai Chen
ComposerMichael Galasso
In the Mood for Love
BFI #5
In 1960s Hong Kong, two neighbors form an intimate bond after making a discovery about their spouses in this visually stunning tale of unrequited love.
What critics thought
Wong Kar-wai's restrained portrait of desire and regret drew near-universal admiration for its visual opulence and the wordless precision of its two lead performances, with critics treating it as one of the great romantic films of its era. The main point of contention is degree rather than direction — some found it transcendent, others beautiful but coolly distant — and Ebert's measured three-star appreciation sits notably below the rapture of most of his peers.
“a lush story of unrequited love”
Roger Ebert·Chicago Sun-Times
“probably the most breathtakingly gorgeous film of the year”
Elvis Mitchell·The New York Times
“in the hands of a hack, In the Mood for Love could have been a snickering sex farce. In the hands of Wong Kar-wai ... the film is alive with delicacy and feeling”
Peter Travers·Rolling Stone
“the performances are masterly, and the photography beautiful. It's a genuinely romantic romance and makes for sublime cinema”
David Parkinson·Empire
Genres
Drama, Romance
Cast & Crew
DirectorWong Kar-Wai
StarringMaggie Cheung, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Siu Ping-Lam, Rebecca Pan, Kelly Lai Chen
ComposerMichael Galasso
Rent/Purchase