2046

Certain filmmakers distinguish themselves by their willingness to be unconventional. They don’t get bogged down in traditional narrative and plot devices. Instead, they tell their story the way they want to tell it. Writer/director Wong Kar Wai has established himself as one of the more original and inventive guys making movies today. Atmosphere, emotion, and nuance are staples of any Kar Wai film. In 2046, Kar Wai takes us on a hypnotic journey to 1960s Southeast Asia to explore the romantic entanglements of struggling writer Chow Mo Wan.

Tony Leung plays Chow Mo Wan, reprising his role from In the Mood For Love. Heartbroken from his affair five years prior, Chow returns to Hong Kong and takes up residence at a seedy hotel to pen exotic pulp fiction. One of his stories tells of a futuristic train that travels to the year 2046 to a place where people can recapture memories. When he’s not writing, Chow indulges in drink and women. Leery of emotional attachment he beds as many beauties as possible. For all his writing and womanizing Chow cannot forget the loss of his one true love, Su Li Zhen.

Three of Chow’s women take center stage. First, a black-gloved gambler (Gong Li) who reluctantly eschews his advances; second, a neighboring seductress (Ziyi Zhang) who falls under his charming spell; third, Chow’s landlord’s introverted daughter (Faye Wong) who pines for her Japanese lover. Chow pursues each woman for different reasons but none can heal his wounded heart. He refuses to search for solace. Instead, sorrow consumes his weakened soul. Chow doesn’t want to forget his past; to forget would be too easy; to forget would deny his love existed.

2046(1)

Smeared lipstick. A dancing trail of cigarette smoke. Lovers playfully wrestling. A woman’s anguished face. Just a few of the memorable images in 2046. Kar Wai sets a mood that delivers. From the claustrophobic hallways and rooms of the Oriental Hotel to crowded restaurants and cramped gambling halls, Kar Wai keeps his camera close. A confined atmosphere traps the characters in frame and exposes the uncomfortableness of their heartache. They can’t escape their damaged lives. The audience can’t escape either. Wong Kar Wai keeps us engaged throughout. 2046 is a haunting film about the lovelorn and the broken.

The trailer for 2046: