Noodles for the Hungry Hearts

Quiet and subtle, somewhere in a little room of misery and loneliness, comfort is found. Love, lush and passionate, blooms. But at a wrong place and time, how will it not wither? Wong Kar Wai serves genuine love realness in this elegantly-crafted masterpiece.

In the Mood for Love (2000)
A Wong Kar Wai film

New neighbors in a small apartment in a town in Hong Kong, 1962, Mr. Chow (Tony Leung Chiu Wai) and Mrs. Chan (Maggie Cheung), gradually find about their spouses' affairs, and soon begin their own faltering romance.

Never have I seen such brutality in a film about love this good. The plot deliberately offers a limited portion of the story, yet equally demands and showcases immense, raw emotions. The leads always sharing the most intimate, yet heart-breaking of scenes without the need of touching or even standing remotely close together. Without much words, and few short uttered dialogues, the pain, desire, and longing are expressed and held back simultaneously.

Wong maintains the distance between the leads, often playing with mirrors, showing the protagonists in separate frames. Every scene simply balanced the contained emotions and screaming hunger of the characters. With shots lurking through windows and down the passageways like the viewers are still outsiders. Empty doorways. Dark staircase. Heavy rainfall. Crowded streets and unwanted noises. The stunning, vivid palettes further complete the film's unworldly-adoring cinematography. The camera's focus remains still, encapsulating the characters' paradox of emotions. While the music also fails not to make the pain lingers. The shot slowly pans as the haunting soundtrack plays like a celebration of a found lonely soul and sudden mourning of an immediate separation. I find myself as drawn to Chow and Su as they are to each other. Wai and Cheung are perfection! I root for them. I sympathize as they both try to find solace, but are prevented by the mistakes of their spouses and their own betrayal.

Getting noodles has never been this painful. Now stained, it becomes a clear reminder of a beautiful tragedy. Wong hits exactly where it hurts the most, ultimately leading the ambiguous relationship of the two to its own downfall. Without excuse and empathy, Wong breaks hearts. Not only of Chow and Su's, but far worse, of the viewers'.

It is a restless moment. She has kept her head lowered... to give him a chance to come closer. But he could not, for lack of courage. She turns and walks away.

Definitely among the finest gems in the industry, In the Mood for Love's timeless beauty is beyond words. Just too darn good for the eyes and soul. An instant obsession.