Zakinajim’s review published on Letterboxd:
Does living in a corrupt world give us the right to violate our morals? Are the pure souls cursed with eternal misery? Can pure love be born in an impure circumstances?
In the mood for love is a Chinese film written and directed by WONG KAR WAI released in 2000.The film shows the story of two neighbors Mr. Mo-Wam Chow and Mrs. Chan ,who discover that their spouses are having an affair, and how they form a strong bond, and fall for each other eventually , and the torture they go through by the battle between their feelings and moralities.
Honestly I don’t know where to start, with the performance of the beautiful Maggie Cheung, who broke my heart with her depressed lost silence before her crying, or with Tony Chiew Wai Leung, who won the best male performance in Cannes festival in 2000. Leung didn’t have any big dramatic moments, but even so he successfully delivered the shy yet screaming in the inside persona, which is harder than any explosive performance or at least I personally believe so.
The film is written and directed by Wong kar Wai, I do not have a lot to say about the screenplay, neither the heartbreaking story, or the dialogue that expressed the lack and the need for communication between the tortured couple.
What makes this movie a masterpiece in my opinion is the directing, how Mr Wai expressed the total absence of the cheating couple by never showing their faces .
Or how the whole first 12 minutes are took in ‘’frames within frames ‘’ to give the vibe that our two heroes are being watched ; by the their neighbors and even by us viewers .
I am sure that this film is being taught in film schools, otherwise I would be upset, the picture is a screaming example of expressive camera engaging, the camera is another character in the film, a narrating one, every frame is a painting that mixes the sentiments of the characters with the colors red and yellow which express love, seduction, danger jealousy, and treason, all under the theme of neon lights and modern Chinese life.
Another aspect that I want to talk about is the music of Shigeru Umebayashi ,which I am still listening to as a desperate attempt to stay in the mood for love, besides the songs of Nat King Cole whom I am glad to know.
At the end I want to say that that ‘’ In The Mood For Love ‘’ is a flawless masterpiece that I needed, to remember why I love cinema and because of that I give it 10\10, and consider it as the best film I have ever watched.