Black & White World

Chung Hing sam lam (Chungking Express - 1994)

Wong Kar-Wai tells two separate tales of pursuing love in the city of Hong Kong; two tales with not much in common except the fast-food stand location they share.  Oh, and both the guys are policemen.  And I guess the women in their lives are both criminals.  All right, so they have quite a bit in common, now that I’m writing it down.

I had to let this movie sink in for a little while before I could decide on a rating—I didn’t immediately fall in love with it, like In the Mood for Love.  While I enjoyed both stories (the first one maybe just a bit more), I couldn’t quite put my finger on what left me dissatisfied at first.  Then I figured it out—I wish I could have spent more time with both stories.  I found myself wishing they were two separate movies.  The first story, with the cop pursuing May and the recurring theme of relationships (and lives) having expiration dates—I especially wanted to see more of that one.

I read on IMDB that there was supposed to be a third tale that was meant to be included, which instead became Wong Kar-Wai’s Fallen Angels.  Guess I know which one I’ll be renting next.