Movies with the typical love story plot are a dime a dozen: A man and a woman meet and feel the pulling attraction toward each other, but are bound by society’s rules to stifle their feelings for fear of being ostracized.
So is “In the Mood for Love” just like any other romance flick? The special characteristic about this foreign film is its intense emotion, the impressive scenes in its exotic setting in Hong Kong and its divergence from stereotypical American romance films.
It is a meaningful coincidence that Chow Mo-wan and Mrs. Chan, nee Su Li-zhen, move into their new rooms on the exact same day, and neither one has the benefit of their spouse’s help. Another coincidence in Kar-Wai Wong’s “In the Mood for Love” is that both their significant others work very late hours, giving the two neighbors the opportunity to become friends.
Chan becomes lonely and then suspects her husband of cheating after overhearing his voice with another woman. Chow suspects his wife of unfaithfulness, too, when she claims to work late constantly, but then is not actually at work.
Chan and Chow are deeply saddened by their discoveries and look to each other for friendship and comfort. It doesn’t take long for them to conclude that their spouses were in fact seeing the other’s partner. Through this terrible realization, the two friends give each other compassion, support and eventually, love.
The cinematography of “In the Mood” gives the viewer teasing glimpses of the characters, showing them through bars, oval holes or in mirror reflections. The faces of the adulterous couple are never directly shown, emphasizing the focus on Chan and Chow. In the first half of the film, Wong symbolically shows only one person at a time in conversations between the two main characters, expressing the restrained and reluctant attraction between them.
The mood and emotion of the situation are accented by slow motion scenes of Chan and Chow separately going about daily life, with simple music playing in the background. These shots draw out the suspense of the relationship and add a deliciously dance-like aspect to the film. Wong focuses less on dialogue and action, and more on the feeling and mood of the setting, which may first seem slow to viewers, but changes to dramatic as it soaks in.
Chan is played beautifully by Maggie Cheung, whose most recent film work was last year’s “Love at First Sight,” also known as “Sausalito.”
Tony Leung Chiu Wai stars as the soft-spoken, passionate character of Chow. He has a history in the drama/romance genre, last appearing in “Healing Hearts,” directed by Gary Tong.
Wong has a history of directing drama films — his most recent films before “In the Mood for Love” are “Happy Together” (1997) and “Fallen Angels” (1995).
Overall, “In the Mood for Love” has an interesting focus on two star-crossed lovers who are determined to keep to their morals but must suppress their love as a result.
It offers a mellow, romantic soundtrack, two well-developed characters and exceptional camera shots. It is a strange twist on the typical love-web, with the other two members’ characters never unveiled. This movie would be a great date-movie for its forbidden-romance appeal, but only if you and your date can appreciate a foreign film that focuses more on lingering emotion than a quick plot. “In the Mood for Love” will be playing at the Bijou Cinemas starting Friday.