Review of In the Mood for Love (2000) by Josh G — 12 Jan 2014

File In the Mood for Love along with Lost in Translation and Ghost World under "Movies That I'm Apparently Supposed to Like, But Don't". Then, uh, make two extra copies on some of that Ivory cardstock -- not the glossy stuff, but the thicker paper -- put one in an envelope and address it to Human Resources, leave the other one on my desk so that I can initial it tomorrow morning and keep it in my personal files. Thanks. You're a dear.

But seriously, folks, let's get serious here. In the Mood for Love is a painfully slow, strangely confusing story that seems like it ought to be really straight-forward and easily accessible.

Mr. Chow and Mrs. Chan are neighbors, both renting rooms with loud families in Hong Kong. Their respective spouses are often away on 'business trips', leaving Mr. Chow and Mrs. Chan time to cultivate an unrequited love for one another.

This could have been enough, although I'm not sure where the movie could have gone with it. There are times near the beginning of the film where the two of them arrive home at the same time and share a glance that speaks louder than the families that they are living with.

But then Mr. Chow and Mrs. Chan realize that their respective spouses are cheating on them with each other (is that confusing?), and though Mr. Chow has a thing for Mrs. Chan, and though Mrs. Chan has a thing for Mr. Chow, they decide that they would be no better than their good-for-nothing spouses if they were to act on those impulses. So instead, they hang out and eat noodles and rice in the bedroom while pretending to be each other's spouse.

Add to this the way that movie plays out like a series of tiny vignettes, abruptly joining a scene only to end after a minute and starting a new scene with the character wearing different clothing. Aside from the title cards that appear occasionally, it's difficult to get any grasp on time or events outside of the two doors behind which our protagonists live.

It's fashionable to say that In the Mood for Love is a beautiful film. It certainly is. Every color in the movie is rich and vivid, and Tony Leung Chiu Wai makes smoking cigarettes look so darn cool when the fumes curl up around him in soft blue light. It's stunning.

The movie that seems most comparable to this one is Once, as it is also about an unrequited love that is maybe better for it. Personally, although it is not nearly as visually arresting, I much prefer Once. Both movies rely on the actors' abilities to convey the sense of longing and confusion that serves as the foundation to the story. In the Mood for Love gives some of that burden over the camera, and while shots of Mr. Chow waiting in the rain for Mrs. Chan to appear are certainly enjoyable, I find that I take much more away from furrowed brows, tightly shut eyes, and deep sighs.

A good movie, maybe, but it isn't really my cup of tea. I guess I'm just not in the mood for In the Mood for Love. HAHAHAHAHA!