It's the sort of movie you can imagine being made 40 or 50 years ago, a sadder and more atmospheric Casablanca. Though plotwise the movies have nothing in common, I keep thinking of Ingrid Bergman when I think of Maggie Cheung's performance. Nat King Cole's mournful Spanish songs, weaving in and out of the story, add to the timeless air. I thought at first they were Portuguese fados, and the ambiance reminded me of a quote I'd jotted down about saudade, the mood that fados evoke: "Saudade is when we miss something. But in a certain way you live with this feeling.... It hurts you but comforts you at the same time." That's the feeling of this movie -- there are no passionate scenes of anger or agony, except when Leung and Cheung are acting the parts of their opposite numbers. Mostly it's quiet, sad acceptance.
Both of the lead actors know how to use silence. Tony Leung has a beautifully melancholy face that often says more than words could, and Cheung's whole body conveys her loneliness and longing. Much of the movie is about silence and space; the camera lingers on the distance between Leung and Cheung, on the wall or the floor after they pass, on their silent contemplation. If it sounds a little slow, it is, but deliberately so. The movie evokes an absorbing, engrossing atmosphere that trails after you as you leave the theater.
In the Mood for Love is a visually and emotionally beautiful movie that won't be for everyone's taste: there are no explosions, no sex scenes (the stars barely even touch -- which makes their touches that much more meaningful), no guns or car chases. There is just the connection and the separation between two people, the heartache of a marriage betrayed and the hope of some other comfort, the sorrow of being deceived fighting with the vows of fidelity.
If you'd like to know more, there's an interesting article about the making of the film at http://www.premieremag.com/Premiere/Features/101/indie.html.
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