In the mood for love = Fa yeung nin wa [DVD]

In 1962 Hong Kong, Chow (Tony Leung) and Li-zhen (Maggie Cheung) are neighbours. Their respective spouses are having an affair and the two lonely souls find themselves increasingly attracted to each other. But the morality of the times, and their own conflicted emotions, will not allow them to repeat the betrayals of their partners. On its release, “In the mood for love” singularly revitalised romanticism in film. An exquisite recreation of the Hong Kong of the early sixties is achieved through Kar-Wai concentrating on the colors and textures of cloth and surfaces; on the sound of rain and the rustle of bodies passing each other in narrow hallways. The film can be compared to a lyrical chamber piece where the direction of Kar-Wai, the luscious cinematography of Christopher Doyle, the musical score by Michael Galasso, the intimate performances of Cheung and Leung, and the stunning production design of William Chang Suk-Ping come together to form an astonishing powerful cinematic quintet. A love story that can justifiably be called timeless and mise-en-scene so romantic that it carries enormous emotion gravitas, this film has won awards throughout the globe (including Best Actor for Leung at Cannes as well as an outstanding technical achievement award for the combined talents of the filmmakers).