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In Wong Kar Wai's quasi-sequel toIn the Mood for Love, 2046 is a hotel room, a futuristic story, and a state of mind. Tony Leung returns as Chow, but perhaps not the same Chow who appeared in the first film. Starting three years later in 1966, we see Chow on various Christmases as he lives, loves, and writes in a hotel and nearby restaurants. Although he is less sensitive and more of a ladies man now, Chow's love life always seems to exceed his grasp. Whether the character is the same (the director calls this an "echo" of the first movie) might be trivial. Hong Kong filmmaker Wai is such a visualist (Timemagazine tabbed him as the "world's most romantic filmmaker"), the images wash over with swirling smoke, neon lights, and the faces of his outstanding cast, all lovingly photographed and smoothly scored. There's a lot more going on than the visuals, and Wai's fans will certainly find more and more details on repeated viewings. We travel into Chow's futuristic story, where the acquaintances become fictional characters traveling to a place where "everyone goes" to recapture lost memories. Often Chow talks about never seeing a lover ever again, but eventually bumps into her. The final result is a film some will cherish; others will long for the more traditional storyline of the first film. Wai certainly finds a new direction for actress Ziyi Zhang (House of Flying Daggers) as a prostitute who becomes one of Chow's many lovers. And Leung continues to be one of the world's great film actors, with a face and acting style the camera just loves.--Doug Thomas
It is a place where lost memories come back to haunt you... Mr. Chow is a man lost adrift the memories of past relationships that had once held meaning for him, but are now long gone. He is a writer who had an affair with a woman in the hotel room number 2046 long ago and has never been able to let go. Some time later he arrives at the Oriental Hotel in Hong Kong and asks the owner to let him live in room 2046, but the owner will not allow him to until it is ready. In the meantime, he moves into room 2047 next door and begins writing an erotic science-fiction story called "2046," and in it he transposes characters from his real life into characters in his story. Soon Mr. Chow finds himself entangled in various affairs and emotions of love that ultimately fail because memories from the past have not released their hold on him.
The cinematography was stunningly gorgeous. The colors and the artistry of each shot blended together to paint a picture of the vivid pain and heartfelt love experienced by Mr. Chow as they spanned nearly a century into a sad and lonely future. Every moment lingers; every note of music resonantes with sorrow and profoundess as each woman drifts in an out of Chow's life like specters of long lost memories.
It was a gorgeous film, but those who have little patience will probably not be able to maintain interest in the slow, deliberate pace of the film.
Wow. After watching this film, you know you've just seen the work of a filmmaker at the top of his game. Wong Kar Wai has done some fascinating work. In the mood for love and Days of being wild are both masterpieces. But in 2046 he manages to put together the sort of layering that i thought was only possible in lengthy novels. Story builds on top of story between two parallel worlds, one real and one fictional. The score's amazing, the imagery is compelling, and the writing is sharp as a knife. If you're a fan of WKW and haven't seen this movie, then you shouldnt immiedietly go find a copy and a good place to view it. If you've never heard of Wong Kar Wai, I'd recommend watching Days of Being wild first. And if you're not into films revolving around intense human relations with each other, i wouldn't recommend any of Wong Kar Wai's work. Because honestly, that's a good 75% of what his movies revolve around.you need to watch the "numerology" featurette If you're still puzzled at the end, be sure to watch the numerology featurette. Being from China, this movie had to be a bit more subtle with its messages, political or not.
To wit: Hong Kong's previous capitalist system and life-style would remain unchanged for 50 years, or until 2047
