Remember the first time I watched a Wong Kar Wai’s movie, it’s In The Mood For Love. I found myself speechless, confused, and a bit empty, I love that movie so bad that I wrote a review about it right after I finished watching. I was so impressed by how the movie took me on an emotional journey and affected the way I think about life and love.

I gave my bow down to the well-known HK filmmaker Wong Kar Wai the first time I watched his masterpiece and promised myself will watch more of his works. And yeah, he did not let me down with the second film. Once again, he gained my admiration for Chungking Express.

Faye Wong as Faye

People say Chungking Express is “Hong Kong’s Pulp Fiction”. I did watch that 1994 Oscar-winner movie but have no idea how people can come up with that comparison or association. I expected the movie will about violence or so but Chungking Express actually about modern romance, not the same as Pulp Fiction, in my point of view. The only similar thing I found in both movies is the ending. Both endings are opened and every audience can have their own interpretation about how the movie ends.

I will not go into detail about the plot, but I can say Chungking Express is a movie about two cops’ love-lorn stories. Personally, I think the second outweighs the first, not because I bias Tony Leung but I found the second plot is more touching, more beautiful, and more…heart-broken.

Two cops, have to deal with their recent breakup, and on the way to deal with it, each person meets a strange woman. The first meets a drug dealer and the second meets a waitress at a snack-bar restaurant.

Takeshi Kaneshiro as Cop 223

Love lost and love found but it seems like they found love in a hopeless place, or it’s just them who are hopeless for love not the love is hopeless itself.

I sensed that they have feelings for each other but too afraid to take a step ahead, too afraid to fall for each other, and yes too confused to realized it’s love or something else. Anyway, they just cross the path and it’s so unique and so beautiful that strangers can take an important and unforgettable part in one’s heart.

But it’s not only the plot that won my heart, I will not admire Wong Kar Wai that much for that simple plot. What makes my heart vibrate achingly is that how he made a super simple plot turn into a great flick.

Wong Kar Wai really knows how to describe what love is which surely not an easy job to do. “He understands that love is about unspoken moments between people, the hidden gestures betraying loneliness”, Cirving99, a user on imdb.com, said, and honestly, I couldn’t agree more.

I still have no idea if two stories are related to each other (==’)…

Another thing I really love about Chungking Express is it’s so Wong Kar Wai, so Hong Kong. Fast-paced with incredible cinematography and soundtrack, beautiful stories told in busy and changing Hong Kong, a well worth checking-out movie indeed.

This movie also highlights Tony Leung’s career (he is my most favorite HK actor), he won Best Actor with Chungking Express, but to be honest other casts aren’t far behind. I actually became a fan of Takeshi Kaneshiro after watching this movie, love the hopeless romantic vibes he brings on in the films, so cute and so sad at the same time.

Tony Leung as Cop 663

If you still have no idea what lovelorn means, I suggest you should watch Chungking Express. In case u DO know what it means to have a heartbreak then you even MUST watch it! not to tear your broken heart more apart but to know it’s okay to have it, everyone does and you are not alone in this battle, we will survive eventually.

I came to watch this movie not because I have a broken heart or so. I came to Chungking Express to discover how talented Wong Kar Wai is and was so surprised about his film-making ability.

Again, Wong Kar Wai nailed it with Chungking Express. Bravo Wong Kar Wai! Love to see more of your works!

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