IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE (2000, HONG KONG)

MILLENNIUM MONTH (MM): MOVIES FROM THE YEAR 2000...

AND IN MEMORIAM

(Post 4 of 11)

In the Mood for Love

The feel of In the Mood for Love is understated in the same way that Hong Kar-Wai's Chungking Express is. The plot of In the Mood for Love involves two married spouses having an affair. The twist is that the characters we see and certainly sympathize with are the spouses being cheated on! It's a fairly penetrating character study and I like the unusual point-of-view.

Richard Mulligan

Obituary of people with 1001 movie connection: Richard Mulligan (1932-2000). I remember Richard Mulligan mostly for being my favorite character on the late 70's TV show Soap. But let us not forget his most memorable performance as George Armstrong Custer in Little Big Man. Mulligan plays the General as an self-aggrandizing lunatic. And rightly or wrongly, that's the way I still think of Custer. 

David Tomlison

David Tomlison (1917-2000). David Tomlison was almost certainly best known for playing Mr. Banks in Mary Poppins. And the fact that the recent movie about the making of that film is called Saving Mr. Banks doesn't hurt. But I also remember Disney's early 70's attempt to recreate the success of Mary Poppins with Bedknobs and Broomsticks. A magical main female character, animation interspersed with live-action have made some (perhaps unfairly) dismiss Bedknobs as nothing more than a Poppins knock-off. But I like the fact that Bedknobs brought back the blustery Mr. Tomlison in one of the lead roles. And to be honest with you, I kind of prefer Bedknobs and Broomsticks to Mary Poppins.

CHUNGKING EXPRESS (1994, HONG KONG)

My own personal March movie madness. My goal is make 31 posts in 31 days about 31 movies. They all must be non-U. S. films that I haven’t seen before. Why do I make this stipulation? Don’t know exactly, by we all have to have goals, don’t we?

Day twenty-seven, from Hong Kong, while still under the control of the British Empire
Chungking Express (Expiration date: 1994)

You know...sometimes with an art film you might watch it once, you know, and ask "What was that about?" or say "I didn't get it." Then, you know watch it again and you're like, "Hey, I get it! That was a pretty cool film." That was true for me of Chungking Express. The two stories in this film didn't seem to have anything to do with each other, yet they did, but that was the point. Wasn't it? Or was it? I think I've confused myself. I'll bet Godard never used any Mamas and the Papas song in his movies, eh? Not that that's important. Anyway, would I see more Wong Kar Wai films? Why, yes I would.