Two neighbors form a strong bond after both suspect extramarital activities of their spouses. However, they agree to keep their bond platonic so as not to commit similar wrongs.Two neighbors form a strong bond after both suspect extramarital activities of their spouses. However, they agree to keep their bond platonic so as not to commit similar wrongs.Two neighbors form a strong bond after both suspect extramarital activities of their spouses. However, they agree to keep their bond platonic so as not to commit similar wrongs.
- Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
- 44 wins & 50 nominations total
Tony Leung Chiu-wai
- Chow Mo-wan
- (as Tony Chiu Wai Leung)
Siu Ping-Lam
- Ah Ping
- (as Ping-Lam Siu)
Tung Cho 'Joe' Cheung
- Man living in Mr. Koo's apartment
- (as Tung Joe Cheung)
Kelly Lai Chen
- Mr. Ho
- (as Lai Chen)
Szu-Ying Chien
- Amah
- (as Tsi-Ang Chin)
Paulyn Sun
- Mrs. Chow
- (voice)
- (as Jia-Jun Sun)
Roy Cheung
- Mr. Chan
- (voice)
Julien Carbon
- French tourist
- (uncredited)
Laurent Courtiaud
- French reporter
- (uncredited)
Charles de Gaulle
- Self (1966 visit to Cambodia)
- (archive footage)
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaDirector Kar-Wai Wong was shooting the ending and editing the film a little over a week before its debut at Cannes.
- GoofsWhen Mr. Chow is waiting with Mrs. Chan for the rain to stop, he is suddenly completely dry despite running through the rain only moments earlier.
- Quotes
Caption: He remembers those vanished years. As though looking through a dusty window pane, the past is something he could see, but not touch. And everything he sees is blurred and indistinct.
- Alternate versions32 minutes was cut off the end of the film by Wong before release. These additional scenes take place in years subsequent to the film's original ending in 1966, extending into the 1970s, where Mr. Chow and Mrs. Chan meet again several times. The scenes have been included on Criterion's DVD release of the film in 4 bonus tracks, and are available for streaming on the Criterion Channel. The scenes are as follows: Room 2046 (8:05), Postcards (8:27), The Seventies (9:00), A Last Encounter (7:53).
- SoundtracksYumeji's Theme
Composed and recorded by Shigeru Umebayashi (as Umebayashi Shigeru)
Courtesy of Emotion Music Co., Ltd.
Featured review
Two people living in the same flat complex find their partners are having an affair with each other. As they try and piece together how it happened, they also embark on an emotional journey that aches for a resolution
Building on his previous success with Happy Together and Chungking Express, Wong Kar Wai gives us this rather old fashioned and marvellous story of reawakened passions, yearning and unrequited love.
Possibly, In the Mood for Love is not to everyone's taste. It wanders in rather lazily at 98mins: not particularly long for a film, but it appears longer because not a lot really happens. But this lazy feel conceals a quite tightly constructed film. Most of the story is cunningly woven around a series of set piece role plays, where the characters act out presumed scenarios between their respective spouses, trying to work out how the affair started. I say cunning because, of course, this makes it difficult for the audience (and the characters) to tell what is "in-role" and what is genuine.
If all this sounds rather arty and self-conscience, that's because it is. Unashamedly so. And it is played to perfection by two of Hong Kong's finest, Maggie Cheung and Leung Chui Wai, with some excellent support from Ping Lam Siu and Rebecca Pan.
It is also a virtuoso performance by Wong Kar Wai, who treats the audience to a sensory, and sensual, overload. Bringing together Christopher Doyle (who later deployed his lush, over-ripe style on Hero) and Pin Bing Lee (whose beautifully understated style can be seen on Springtime in a Small Town) was cinematographic genius. It has all the bold beauty of Doyle, without, frankly, the Athena-poster cheesiness of his work on Hero. The music, as always with Wong, is prominent. From Nat King Cole singing in Spanish, to the haunting strings of the main theme, it perfectly matches the eclectic beauty of the images.
All in all a top film, whether judged on plot, acting, cinematography or soundtrack. Similar to, but more accessible than, Wim Wenders' Wings of Desire, this is a beautiful, old fashioned story about love lost and regained.
And watch out for Tony Leung's hotel room 2046, which presaged Wong's recent film of the same name.
Building on his previous success with Happy Together and Chungking Express, Wong Kar Wai gives us this rather old fashioned and marvellous story of reawakened passions, yearning and unrequited love.
Possibly, In the Mood for Love is not to everyone's taste. It wanders in rather lazily at 98mins: not particularly long for a film, but it appears longer because not a lot really happens. But this lazy feel conceals a quite tightly constructed film. Most of the story is cunningly woven around a series of set piece role plays, where the characters act out presumed scenarios between their respective spouses, trying to work out how the affair started. I say cunning because, of course, this makes it difficult for the audience (and the characters) to tell what is "in-role" and what is genuine.
If all this sounds rather arty and self-conscience, that's because it is. Unashamedly so. And it is played to perfection by two of Hong Kong's finest, Maggie Cheung and Leung Chui Wai, with some excellent support from Ping Lam Siu and Rebecca Pan.
It is also a virtuoso performance by Wong Kar Wai, who treats the audience to a sensory, and sensual, overload. Bringing together Christopher Doyle (who later deployed his lush, over-ripe style on Hero) and Pin Bing Lee (whose beautifully understated style can be seen on Springtime in a Small Town) was cinematographic genius. It has all the bold beauty of Doyle, without, frankly, the Athena-poster cheesiness of his work on Hero. The music, as always with Wong, is prominent. From Nat King Cole singing in Spanish, to the haunting strings of the main theme, it perfectly matches the eclectic beauty of the images.
All in all a top film, whether judged on plot, acting, cinematography or soundtrack. Similar to, but more accessible than, Wim Wenders' Wings of Desire, this is a beautiful, old fashioned story about love lost and regained.
And watch out for Tony Leung's hotel room 2046, which presaged Wong's recent film of the same name.
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official site
- Languages
- Also known as
- The Age of Blossoms
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $2,738,980
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $113,280
- Feb 4, 2001
- Gross worldwide
- $15,064,528
- Runtime1 hour 38 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.66 : 1(original aspect ratio & theatrical release)
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