Review of In the Mood for Love (2000) by Amanda C — 27 May 2011

In the Mood for Love is a beautifully lyrical film. Wong Kar Wai makes fantastic use of over cranking, avoiding the cliches and conventional uses of the technique to create a film that is almost abstract. The coloration is fabulous, aided by wonderful costumes, especially those of Maggie Cheung. It's a slow meditation on life and relationships, that remains ambiguous in detail and is sometimes confusing, just like life.

The ending was horribly abrupt and the newsreel footage and the sudden relocation to Cambodia was extremely confusing, leaving the final impression on of confusion and puzzlement which unfortunately negates some of the tranquil and contemplative feeling of the preceding 90 minutes. Overall, however, In the Mood for Love is a stunning cinematographic work.