Review of 2046 (2004) by Blake P — 15 Oct 2012

It usually takes me about a day or two of reflecting to truly fall in love with a Wong Kar-Wai film, however, with "2046", by the time it's over there isn't a thing about it that doesn't affect you in one way or another.

The supposed sequel to the excellent "In the Mood for Love", we find Chow Mo-wan (Tony Leung) has grown lonely after his relationship with the kind-hearted Su Lizhen (Maggie Cheung) ended, and since then he's slowly become an alcoholic, a womanizer, and a trashy writer, and embarks on many relationships, including dance hostess Bai Ling (Zhang Ziyi), and another woman by the name of Su Lizhen (Gong Li).

At the beginning of "2046", the common thought is that the simple character, Chow Mo-wan, has suddenly become a jerk. However, as the film goes on, eventually we're pulled into his world of terminal emptiness, and eventually we begin to sympathize with him once again.

All the characters here, wonderfully realized by its phenomenal actors (especially Zhang Ziyi, who delivers a potent performance, and Gong Li, who is quietly brilliant), are emotionally cold, and the world of melancholy Kar-Wai paints is so absorbing that you want to get lost in its luminous beauty.

The images of the distant feature are intoxicating, as are the luscious camera shots full of neon; and the costume and set design pop with style. But the real feat here is how Kar-Wai, without a script, paints such an interesting story, and in the meantime has style to spare.

Its intermingling science fiction tendencies have a certain mysterious effect that draws you in as well. "2046" is just as much a masterpiece of filmmaking as it is a work of art.