Sunday, February 18, 2018

In the Mood for Love

In the Mood for Love is a 2000 award-winning film directed by Wong Kar-wai. This makes it onto my Saddest Movies Ever list. Nobody is happy, nobody gets anything they want, no good comes of it, sadness prevails. This is a beautiful film, but be careful when you choose to watch it. It's deeply moving.

via Youtube:


This Guardian reviewer declares it his favorite film and says, "There are many reasons to adore the film, most obviously its almost unworldly, dream-like beauty." DVD Talk calls it "a phenomenal picture; a marvelously acted tale of longing that is moving and often stunning in appearance. It's definitely a must-see."

Senses of Cinema has a lengthy article that says,
Wong’s key elements –what older critics might call “atmosphere” and “characterizations”– are thus grounded in abstraction rather than plot, and it’s hard to think of a recent movie that offers just such abstract ingredients that are by themselves sufficient reasons to see the picture. But it is precisely this quality of aesthetic abstraction that makes up an ideal dreamtime of Hong Kong, which is Wong’s ode to the territory.
Roger Ebert calls it "a lush story of unrequited love that looks the way its songs sound." Rotten Tomatoes has a critics score of 90%.

There's a segment of an online film criticism course devoted to this film:


from this video: "It was released in 2000 and hailed an instant classic, winning awards all over the globe". I'm glad I'd seen the movie before I watched this; but this offers a helpful exploration of the movie, including technical elements and the social and political context.

10 comments:

  1. From what you told me, I'm not sure I'm in the right frame of mind to watch this right now. However, I will bookmark it and return at a time when I think it's more suited to my frame of mind. Thanks for the link and review.

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    1. It does take a certain frame of mind to appreciate it.

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  2. With 10 inches of fresh snow, I am sad enough. The hope is that it is supposed to be 70 this week. I have to wait for some less winter type weather before I watch something sad, but will keep it in mind as you said it was a a moving film. I do enjoy seeing foreign cinema. Happy Sunday. Hugs-Erika

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    1. We had 70s last week lol, but temps wildly fluctuate and highs today will be in the 50s which is much warmer than yesterday. It'll be spring soon! I'd love to get a 10" snow once a year ;)

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  3. I will keep it in mind - sounds interesting!
    Thank you Divers - happy start of the new week ahead!
    oxo Susi

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  4. Well, I was not as enamored with this film as the critics, I guess. I guess I didn't appreciate the choppiness and repetitiveness as much as they did. (I watched the criticism, too.) Interesting and definitely atmospheric but I wasn't as drawn into the longing and sadness, I guess.

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    1. There was such a sense of loss to me, and I wonder how it would've ended if they had been forthright with their spouses to begin with.

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  5. Sounds such a sad and moving film, I'm glad you highlighted this as you are quite right you need to choose when to watch it 😀. Thanks and have a great day! J 😊

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    1. Some movies are worth watching even though they are sad, but it wouldn't do to watch them when you're sad already.

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