In the Mood for Love (2000)

Director: Kar-Wai Wong

Stars: Tony Chiu-Wai Leung, Maggie Cheung, Ping Lam Siu
Runtime: 98 minutes

Synopsis: Two neighbors, a woman and a man, form a strong bond after both suspect extramarital activities of their spouses. However, they agree to keep their bond platonic so as not to commit similar wrongs.

Performances: 9/10
Screenplay: 7/10
Editing: 5/10
Cinematography: 10/10
Score/Soundtrack: 7/10

Verdict: "In the Mood for Love" has quite the fitting title. Kar-Wai Wong's instant classic is deemed to be one of the best movies of the current century primarily because of its englobing mood surrounding an unconventional love story between two new-found neighbors.

Set in Hong Kong during the 1960s, the film's biggest assets, in my opinion, are its cinematography and lead performances by Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung. The relationship they shared, initiated by the fact that their spouses were cheating on them with one another, felt so incredibly sincere and heartfelt. The use of colors and especially the framing of the characters also played a major role in not only setting the film's atmosphere but also enhancing the protagonists' emotions and fears.

"In the Mood for Love" takes its time to get going but when it does, you'll really be thankful for the slow but very effective set up that came before. It's a work of beauty on so many layers that only lost me a little in its final 20 minutes or so. I'm not saying that the ending wasn't on par with the rest of the movie, but I personally did feel that it went a little overboard with the drama. There were also a few instances of editing trick that I could've done without as they came off as a bit distracting.

"In the Mood for Love" is obviously a must for admirers of Asian Cinema. It's everything I was expecting from it and more that I sense will resonate with me even more when I rewatch it. It was voted the second best movie of the 21st century in 2016 on a BBC poll, and I can totally understand why now.

FINAL GRADE: 8/10