There is the possibility that they have all been driven to desperation, if not the edge of madness, by the artificial lives they lead, in which all authentic experience seems at one remove. What happens to the character is not really the point the movie is about their journeys, not their destinations. He scarcely notices her, but she gets the keys to his apartment, and moves in when he isn't there - cleaning, redecorating, even changing the labels on his canned food.īoth of these stories, about disconnections, loneliness and being alone in the vast city, are photographed in the style of a music video, crossed with a little Godard (signs, slogans, pop music) and some Cassavetes (improvised dialogue and situations). The first cop hangs out at a fast-food bar, where he notices an attractive waitress ( Faye Wang), but she has eyes only for another cop who frequents the same restaurant (Tony Chiu-Wai Leung). We expect their relationship to develop in conventional crime movie ways, but instead, the film switches stories, introducing a new couple. A new woman walks into his life: the woman in the wig (Brigitte Chin-Hsia Lin), who is involved in drug deals.
He gives himself 30 days to find another girl, and uses the expiration dates on cans of pineapple as a way of doing a countdown. As the film opens, we meet a policeman named He Qiwu ( Takeshi Kaneshiro), who wanders the nighttime city, lonely and depressed, pining after a girl who has left him. If you're trying to follow the plot, you may feel frustrated. If you are attentive to the style, if you think about what Wong is doing, "Chungking Express” works. His visuals rhythmically switch between ordinary film, video and pixilated images, often in slow motion, as if the very lives of his characters threaten to disintegrate into the raw materials of media. He sets the stories in the Hong Kong world of fast-food restaurants, shopping malls, nightclubs, concrete plazas and pop culture (one of his heroines wears a blond wig and dark glasses, and the other seems addicted to "California Dreamin”' by the Mamas and the Papas). Read on to find the perfect match for you.He is concerned more with the materials of a story than with the story itself, and he demonstrates that by telling two stories, somewhat similar, that have no obvious connection. Whether you’re looking for a true romcom (Crazy Rich Asians and Pretty Woman), a tearjerker drama (Love Story and The Notebook), or a brand-new romance to devour (The Photograph and The Way He Looks), there’s something here for everyone.Ĭombined with a home-cooked meal, a glass of wine, and a bit of chocolate, these films are just what you need for basically any February 14 plans, from cuddling with your spouse to planning a long-distance Galentine’s Day watch party. Romantic movies were practically made for Valentine’s Day 2021, since they’re both a distraction from the present and a throwback to when, you know, people could actually do things. But you can make the best of it: With a little creativity and the right entertainment, this could be your very best holiday yet. Instead of sitting down at a restaurant, heading to a spa, or grabbing drinks, date night is probably best spent in the safety of home. Your Valentine’s Day plans should look a little different this year.