In The Mood For Love (2000)

Two couples, the Chows and the Chans, move into neighbouring flats in a lively little tenement in 1962 Hong Kong. Outward appearances from Mr Chow (Leung) and Mrs Chan (Cheung) don't let on that their relationships aren't going so well. Chow's wife and Chan's husband are developing an affair on the sly.

Signs of their partners' romance are first subtle and eventually all too clear. "You notice things if you pay attention" says Chan, who spots Mrs Chow with the same handbag her husband bought her from Japan. Both fans of fiction and left alone, the pair soon turn their attention to writing, discussing their partners' extramarital activities past and present - What could they be doing right now? Who would have made the right move? - and sharing their secrets.

For the most part, that's the basis of the plot and it's presented just as sparingly. The scenario is slowly offered to viewers matter-of-factly, without direct initial reference to the affair and with repetition and small details used to help carry the story and its characters. Amorous partners Mrs Chow and Mr Chan stay off-screen and seem dubbed, while the few remaining players are highlighted by Shanghainese landlady Mrs Suen (Pan) and a spirited character named Ping - Chow's rough and ready mate about town. Leung and Cheung carry the movie ably and help inject the film with its subtle humour in lighter moments. Rebecca Pan is a particularly distinct and amiable addition to the cast.

With the notable exception of an old Hong Kong restaurant, In The Mood For Love is mostly filmed in Bangkok, where suitable period-style architecture still sits intact. The filmmakers impress with the locations and set designs, from a grimy staircase down to a night owl's noodle shop to a gorgeously fitted-out hotel. The cast is similarly clad in evocative clothing with Cheung tearing through an entire wardrobe of sleek cheongsams against Leung steady journalist getup and ties. The small community living in the apartments Chow and Chan stay in is particularly satisfying to watch as they mill about, play mahjong and perhaps, if given the chance, spread talk like wildfire. The latter brings out one of the more memorable and amusing scenes in the film when a household all-nighter keeps the pair hiding in Chow's room all night.

Unlike films that use '50s- and '60s-era designs that risk looking like a curios shop, the feel in In The Mood For Love seems as natural and coherent as with the earlier Days Of Being Wild. Like its 1990 forerunner, In the Mood For Love's atmosphere is warm and the camerawork remains calm and enveloping, enhanced further by deep colour and a lush accompanying soundtrack. Michael Galasso provides deep string arrangements that continue throughout, enhanced by several Nat King Cole numbers and a wonderful selection of old Shanghai numbers. Indeed, if the theatre's selling the soundtrack album, grab the disc after seeing the film and take a piece of the mood home with you.

The In The Mood For Love printed billboard at Mongkok's Broadway cinema.

Credits:

Written, produced and directed by Wong Kar-wai
Art direction and editing by William Chang
Cinematography by Christopher Doyle and Mark Lee Ping-bing
Starring: Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Maggie Cheung Man-yuk and Rebecca Pan (Poon Dik-wah)