Chungking Express Review

Told in two distinct halves, this mood piece from Wong Kar-Wai follows two cops, played by Takeshi Kaneshiro and Tony Leung, who are both on the rebound from failed relationships. Both meet mysterious women and are drawn to them – Kaneshiro’s character to a heroin smuggler played by Brigitte Lin, and Leung to a waitress played by Faye Wong.

by

Kim Newman

|

Release Date:

01 Jan 1994

Running Time:

0 minutes

Certificate:

15

Original Title:

Chungking Express

“People say a dog is a man’s best friend, so why does mine refuse to share my sorrow with me?” Wong Kar-Wai, aided by cinematographer Chris Doyle, emerged as the most distinctive filmmaker of the late 1990s with this elliptical essay on love and mystery.

It’s very much a film of two parts, following two distinct threads as neon-lit, night-time stories bleed into each other. The plot, such as it is, follows two just-ditched policemen (Takeshi Kaneshiro and Tony Leung), who are drawn to contrasting women, Brigitte Lin as a femme fatale and Faye Wong as a less dangerous but equally unusual waitress.

Wong’s dreamlike tone and Doyle’s stunning cinematography make this strange love story a joy to watch.

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