Film Feature: In The Mood For Love (2000)
The reason why I insisted to myself that I must watch this movie before any other movie is because it reminded me of my favorite song from Julie London which has the same title as this movie. I am glad I did. The movie truly is a masterpiece that lets you experience every kind of emotion there is when you’re in the mood for love.
It's about a man and a woman, both living with their own spouses, who went to move to their new apartment, which happened to be next to each other’s, on the same day. Since I'm a huge sucker for romantic films, things like these already put me to an assumption that this is Wong Kar-Wai's, the director, cute way of introducing these two to each other’s lives, but as the movie progresses, I realized I got fooled. Instead, I can say that it was rather a sad and a unique way of intertwining the fates of two strangers.
This is a movie that does not rely on words but more on actions like the shots where the two protagonists would pass by each other through a narrow stairway that leads them to and away from their apartment – a scene I find the most aesthetically pleasing. But even without words, you can feel the tension between them in every scene.
Honestly, the plot is really simple and there’s not much I can talk about it but the feels it brings, and how realistic it is, can send shivers. I must say, this is hands down one of the best movies I’ve ever seen, especially in this genre, as it captures the true essence of romance. It’s a type of film that will make you feel a lot-joy, sadness, longing, bitterness, regret-in just one sitting. And once it ends, you’ll be left wondering how love can be so beautiful yet so scary.
After watching the movie, I tried to look it up and wow, this movie continues to bag awards. Aside from the fact that it became a nominee for the Palme d’Or in the 2000 Cannes Film Festival, it has been continuously receiving recognition from huge publications and film critics until the present. Year 2016, the film ranked second in “100 Greatest Films of the 21st Century”, a compilation made by BBC about the best films that has been released since 2000, from a poll answered by 177 critics. And just this 2019, has been included by Guardian in the Best Films of the 21st Century list, taking the fifth spot. Although all Wong Kar-Wai films are amazing, this one is the real deal. It is the masterpiece out of all her masterpieces that's why it deserves every recognition it has gotten and will get in the future. Bravo!