Fallen Angels

This movie just understands. Some parts of the human experience are just inexplicable with words, so every other sense is used to extend an emotional texture of how the world can feel at times. Wong Kar-wai knows how to portray the normalcy of life by using the most extreme of circumstances. Hong Kong, the colors, languages, music, food, and even the simplest of actions all matter and are treated as such. Juxtaposing with outlier events show that circumstances often don’t change the shared experiences we all have. Sometimes that’s all we have. In a world that can feel way too big, the smallest of things may still have the biggest impact. This movie is truly a mastery of craft and artistry. All the film elements are wielded like a paintbrush to extend a feeling. The style screams off the screen so hard that it’s in your face and through your eyes, your ears, on your tastebuds. The rain is dripping down your skin. Cold air is running through your hair and down your neck. The warmth of hot noodles or someone’s touch. Whatever way it’s presented, the evocations pump straight into your veins. The shots are so creative and gorgeous, managing to feel natural and intimate yet ethereal, out of body, and so far away. Like Chungking Express, knowing some of the language helps a bit to understand the people. While the events were a tad confusing at times, I don’t think that was a major issue. The ending was incredibly powerful to bring it all together and hit hard. The interweaving of events and parallels of actions really lends a feeling of familiarity for seemingly foreign concepts one may seldom encounter. I know my review is a bit vague. I will admit that it’s difficult to fully put into words. Wong Kar-wai can do so much sometimes without even a single syllable that I’m hard pressed to describe it just piecing together letters. It may sound like a “You just gotta see for yourself” type of explanation, but truly, experiencing it is the only way to fully get it. It just has to be shown.