Chungking Express (1994)
Reviewed by: hkcinema on 1999-12-08
I must say that I really disliked this film, though I did what I could to watch it with an open mind. The motion-blur cinematography was excruciating! The use of different dialects by the first narrator cop was very self-conscious and annoying. His acting was about as unconvincing as a high-school play -- never did I once believe he was a cop. On that point, none of the other actors and actresses play real characters that depart from their star personas either. Bridgitte Lin plays Asia the Invincible with shades, a blond wig and a gun. Faye Wong basically plays herself -- a ditsy mod chick with a girl-next-door crush. And I don't see what Tony Leung (one of my favorite Chinese actors) did to win best actor. Wong Kar Wei definitely leaves his signature on his work, and that's good. But whatever he does, I feel it must be judged honestly on its own merit. I think this is a terrible movie. It's all style and no substance. You can't even pass it off as art, either; it's purely craftsmanship. Come to think of it, it is kind of a two-hour music video, isn't it? For the Cranberries rip-off and the Mamas and Papas. Now for the disclaimer. This is just one guy's opinion.

[Reviewed by Anonymous]