It’s some time in the late 90’s, i was back home at my parent’s place on holiday. There was no Astro and no Internet for me back then, so i had to flip through the 3 local channels in between reading. One of the channels was showing ‘Chungking Express’ so i started watching. I hadn’t even heard of Wong Kar-Wai then, but i was enthralled by this simple movie that was so brilliant, so different from the other Hong Kong movies. As different as night and day.
I watched it again last Sunday.
While some of the editing (especially in the first story) looked a little dated, the movie still stands the test of time.
Chungking Express consists of two separate stories loosely linked by a snack bar in Central. Its a story of lonely people looking for love and happiness in the dense concrete jungle of Hong Kong told through the 4 main characters and their eccentric, OCD behaviour. Playing the characters are some of the most beautiful stars of that era – Brigitte Lin Chin Hsia, Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Takeshi Kaneshiro and a waif-like Faye Wong.
Too bad there are hardly any other movies from HK like this.
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On a related note. I’m going home again this weekend. Hope my mum has repaired the burnt TV.
2 Comments
jolie
brilliant movie, brilliant actors but it’s depressing…classic wong kar-wai movie.
initially i watched it for tony leung..best HK actor of his generation, but it’s hard not to awed by wkw work..
weng
really love the part where tony leung converses with the soap, the towel and the stuffed toy .. its funny yet depressing at the same time ..