The film's photogenic couple are lounged across this deep red colored poster for Wong Kar-Wai's In the Mood for Love |
A man and a woman, both unhappily married to spouses who are abroad, work together at the same office and fall in love with each other but withstand the temptation.
In the Mood for Love is written and directed by Chinese master filmmaker Wong Kar-Wai (As Tears Go By/Wong Gok ka moon (1988)), whose 7th feature it is. The original Chinese title, which is the title of a pop song used in the film, translates to 'the age of blossoms'.
It is a sublime film about desire and unresolved love. It is erotic, compelling and beautiful.
The tone and imagery, (cinematography by Christopher Doyle (Beijing, New York (2015)), Pung-Leung Kwan (Hold You Tight/Yue kuai le, yue duo luo (1998)) and Ping Bin Lee (The Queens/Wo shi nv wang (2015))), are second to none.
Related posts:
Wong Kar-Wai: The 2000s in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess
My Blueberry Nights (2007) - A slice too cute
2046 (2004) - Kar-Wai's visually resplendent, empty hull of a movie
Chungking Express/重慶森林 (1994) - Kar-Wai's urban love drama is a visual treat
Cost: Unknown
Box office: Reportedly 12.8 mil. $
= Uncertain
[In the Mood for Love premiered 20 May (Cannes Film Festival, in competition) and runs 98 minutes. Shooting reportedly took (outrageously long) 15 months in Thailand, Cambodia, Hong Kong and China. Cinematographer Doyle had to exit production, as it went over-schedule. The film opened #41 to a 113k $ first weekend in 6 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #27 and in 74 theaters (different weeks), grossing 2.7 mil. $ (21.1 % of the total gross). The film made 8.6 mil. HK$ in Hong Kong, approximately 1.1 mil. $ (8.6 %). The specifics as to the other major markets that made up the 12.8 mil. $ listed gross are not revealed online. The film was nominated for a BAFTA, won 2 awards at Cannes, a César award, was nominated for a David di Donatello award and won a European Film award, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave it a 3/4 star review, translating to 2 notches harder than this one. IMDb's users have rated the film in at #239 on the site's Top 250 list, sitting between Before Sunset (2004) and Paris, Texas (1984). Kar-Wai returned with 6 shorts before his theatrical return with 2046 (2004). Tony Leung (Timeless Romance/Chiu si hung yiu oi (1998)) returned in Healing Hearts/Hap gwat yan sam (2000); Maggie Cheung (Twin Dragons/Seong lung wui (1992)) in Le Bel Hiver (2000, short) and theatrically in Hero/Ying xiong (2002). In the Mood for Love is certified fresh at 90 % with a 7.84/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]
What do you think of In the Mood for Love?
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