Director: Wong Kar-wai Cinematographer: Christopher Doyle, Mark Lee Ping Bin
Sensual and mood driven, the second part of Wong Kar-Wai’s informal trilogy (the others being Days of Being Wild and 2046), vividly recreates a Shanghaiese enclave in Hong Kong in 1962 and centres on two young couples who rent adjacent rooms in a cramped and crowded tenement. It’s an hypnotically beautiful and moving period piece exploring memory, tradition and the loneliness that comes from unrequited love and features a notably sympathetic performance from Tony Leung (who won best actor at Cannes).
The Criterion Collection [Blu-ray]
DVD
Original Soundtrack
In the Mood for Love (BFI Film Classics) Paperback
2 Discs Special [DVD]
Yumeji’s Theme (Theme from Soundtrack)
Lists:
- No. 60 on The Pendragon Society’s 1000 Greatest Films of All-Time (2019)
- No. 3 on Busan International Film Festival’s 100 Best Ever Asian Films (2015)
- No. 95 on Entertainment Weekly’s 100 best films from 1983 to 2008 (2008)
- No. 6 on The Pendragon Society’s 100 Greatest Films 2000-2009 (2010)
- No. 5 on The TONY top 50 movies of the decade (2009)
CAST
- Maggie Cheung as Su Li-zhen (Mrs. Chan)
- Tony Leung as Chow Mo-wan
- Siu Ping Lam as Ah Ping
- Rebecca Pan as Mrs. Suen, the Chans’ landlady
- Kelly Lai Chen as Mr. Ho, Su Li-zhen’s employer
- Joe Cheung as man living in Mr. Koo’s apartment
- Chan Man-Lei as Mr. Koo, Chow Mo-Wan’s landlord
- Chin Tsi-ang as the amah (female servant)
- Roy Cheung as Mr. Chan (voice)
- Paulyn Sun as Mrs. Chow (voice)
Directed by Wong Kar-wai
Produced by Wong Kar-wai
Screenplay by Wong Kar-wai
Music by Michael Galasso, Shigeru Umebayashi
Cinematography Christopher Doyle, Mark Lee Ping Bin
Edited by William Chang
Running time 98 minutes
Country Hong Kong
Language Cantonese, Shanghainese, French