Hong Kong, 1962. Numbed by the heat and lulled by a haunted waltz, Mr. Chow and Mrs. Chan reenact the adultery they endure in an attempt to understand it. Convincing themselves that they will “never be like them” — those faceless, shadowy lovers — becomes a matter of moral survival. Here, Wong Kar-wai conjures the full range of his aesthetic, its mesmerizing mannerism forever imprinted on the audience’s retina, and weaves the canvas of an impossible modern love. This singular alchemy allows the filmmaker to elevate his seventh feature to the ranks of every cinephile’s and lover’s touchstone, while announcing with a wink his next masterpiece: 2046.
Violette Boucheton
Movie presented thanks to the support of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, in Brussels.
