Fallen Angels

95 / 100 ⭐️ 5 points lost to Leon Lai’s terrible acting, he sucks. A major letdown from this being one of my favourites of all time, Leon Lai immerses as a stiff and expressionless assassin that lacks killer in his eyes, delivering an extremely underwhelming performance that does not elevate the sexual tension or suspenseful atmospheres of shootouts. After seeing about 6 movies he starred in, he always anchors the quality, and my conclusion is that he might be one of the worst actors in Hong Kong. Sadly, he cannot display pain. We don’t need to talk about pulling off swag because I did not feel any aura or danger about his character or job. He’s just tremendously lame.  I’m done talking about the one obstacle that prevents Fallen Angels from being an all-time-masterpiece. Here’s why I think Fallen Angels is Wong Kar Wai’s best:  The colors, the hues, the tones. They represent various elements that provide depth to each scene due to the hasty pace and shy of dialogue. The audience is able to gauge so much from so little shown in the dreamy surrealscape of Wong-K-W, each character drives the narrative to unreached heights, and the audience is blessed with vibrant aesthetics, further enhancing the director’s style.  Across multiple themes that were explored throughout the film, my favorite would have to be Kaneshiro’s relationship with his dad. He plays a superb character in this, I believe to be the iron pillars on Fallen Angels. With the unique style of capturing shots of Kaneshiro cruising through tunnels on a motorcycle, which becomes a routine for the film because we get to see a similar shot numerous times, allowing me to endorse my love for this film even more. Kaneshiro’s character also donates life to the abstract approach of Fallen Angels. His humor and comedic attributes make his life story be perceived in a more realistic manner, giving me a chance to develop a bond with his succulent personality. Moreover, Wong-K-W isn't afraid to place the camera at a weird angle, which is where the magic lies. From using a wide lens to fisheye, Wong-K-W is of great knowledge to operate the camera in unorthodox ways, such as the unconventional camera motions and shaky handheld camera panning. These unique methods add versatility and crisp to his craft, ergo growing my desires to watch more of his films.