Review of 2046 (2004) by Jason J — 08 Apr 2011

'2046' is Kar Wai Wong's follow-up to his acclaimed movie 'In The Mood For Love,' which I haven't seen. In both movies, the character of Chow Mo Wan is played by Tony Leung, and he is brilliant in this. The title of the movie refers to the year to which many time travelers return to recapture lost memories. Politically, the year 2046 represents the final year before Hong Kong's self-regulatory handover status comes to an end. This, of course, is no accident. This is essentially a story of Chow Mo Wan's love life, and how he uses his science-fiction writing to understand things about his own existence. Various beautiful women enter and exit his life, brief but meaningful entries into Chow's memories. He wishes to fall into love with these women, but there is already a women that he loves, and he can't have her. The acting is very good in this movie. Tony Leung, as mentioned earlier, is brilliant in his role. The three beautiful women who form the emotional core of the movie are played stunningly by Li Gong, Faye Wong and Ziyi Zhang.

Not very much happens in '2046.' The movie is deliberately slow-paced and most scenes are set indoors under soft lighting. Any outdoor scenes play out at night, under harsh neon lighting, or perhaps amidst a downfall of rain. I did not find this to be an uplifting movie, by any means. It tells a story of ups and downs, and of a constant pursuit for answers and happiness that may (but probably won't) be discovered. It's still an intriguing movie nevertheless.