Review of Chungking Express (1994) by Wezul S — 24 Jul 2016

Chungking Express is really two companion films, both dealing with lonely police officers looking for love. Both parts of the film are well done, but it's the first half that makes this film truly remarkable.

The first half of the film is an absolutely spectacular experimental in film form and style. Wong Kar Wai and Christopher Doyle make fantastic use of canted angles and under cranking, unlike under cranking has ever been used before, both to great effect. The colours and the movement quality create a kaleidoscope effect that is beautiful and fascinating to watch. For those who enjoy narrative over formal properties of film, the story is a charming and gently humorous one of a man who buys canned pineapples that expire on May 1, to signal the day that his relationship with his girlfriend expires. Takeshi Kaneshiro and Brigitte Lin both give solid performances, him as the pining and slightly pathetic boyfriend and her as the cool distant drug trafficker he tries to pick up in a bar.

The transition between the two stories is solid and well done, with the small fast food stall as the commonplace between the two tales. The composition and style of the second half is less dynamic than the first half, and overall less interesting. However, Tony Leung Chiu Wai and Faye Wong both give solid performances and the story itself is quirky enough to make up for the fairly standard form of the second half. And the ending is one of the best ever, with the boarding pass on a napkin, absolutely brilliant.