Fallen Angels
- A truly disjointed masterpiece, everything seems so unconnected and random but they all inspire such a similar emotion. From Ho's Dad's sudden death to Charlie leaving him White Nights-style to Wong only being able to experience free will in his final moments, everything in this movie has this very specific, beautiful sort of longing to it.
- It's especially interesting because while watching it, I wasn't too sold on the plot (mostly deciding in my head I would enjoy this for the superb visuals), but after the story ends, and you finally get the film as one coherent piece, everything just falls together perfectly and things just snapped in my head.
- Just such an emotional experience, but not particularly in a cathartic way you know? The movie happens and you feel these strong wave of emotions but they aren't especially pleasant or unpleasant you just feel them and accept them. Incredible that film can do that.
- In terms of plot specificity I really don't think it matters. I think every event in this film is purely to establish, elaborate on or take advantage of a mood, almost reminded me of Lynch in how raw the film is and how little it cares about the actual, physical events on the screen.
- This isn't to say the plot is nothing, there still is a concrete and impressive plot about a hitman undergoing large character changes and growth through the lens of the woman who was once his partner.
- Also plot-related but I adore the comedic elements of Ho's portion of the film. It really reminds me of the my favourite part of Chungking Express which is Faye Wong's silly little ventures and plots to cheer up the love interest.
- Strangely enough, I think I like this film for the same reasons the characters in the film like each other. I feel like just minutes after watching it, I've built up an idealized and unrealistic view of it, purely because of what it represents. It represents a low-concept, psychological film that inspires huge waves of inexplainable emotion. Is that what it is? Maybe, but if I get too close I'll find it boring.
- As with Chungking Express, the film itself is just excellent, particularly the colours and camerawork, but also the score.
- You don't need me to sit here and tell you that a Wong Kar-Wai film has amazing colours. You already know that the red he uses is just the purest red anyone has unleashed onto the screen and that the green is so other-worldly yet it perfectly encapsulates that sort of urban cold-ness. Just incredible work.
- The score too God, the musical motif Wong explored in Chungking Express with California Dreamin' is fully realized here, every emotion is a song and dream pop "Forget Him" is maybe one of the best uses of music in a film ever. It's just such a perfect choice that ticks every emotion in the books.
- Forget Him is also such a good tonal match for the film because the film really is dream pop.
- The cinematography reflects this too, just so hazy and beautiful the way it all blends together.
- The black and white segments are so, so good too, especially the shootout segments, the low frame-rate works so well.
- The blurry and dream-like cinematography of the film also makes the moments where the camera is clear so much more impactful.
- Overall, a beautiful, emotional screenplay coupled with just truly different filmmaking, even from other arthouse films, from Wong Kar-Wai makes a major masterpiece.