One of the key films on which Wong Kar-Wai’s international reputation was forged, In the Mood for Love sees the auteur reunite with collaborators Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung for a tale of forbidden love between two neighbours left alone when their respective spouses frequently depart for personal and professional reasons. Building on his work in Happy Together, Wong takes his time to establish the relationship between these lonely people before expressing its evolution by way of his distinctively vibrant cinematic style. Leung won Best Actor at Cannes for his work, a performance of trepidatious passion and searing regret equalled only in Cheung’s pained expressions of disallowed longing. To act on their love would be a dishonesty unto their spouses, to not unto themselves. A beautiful recurring musical motif accompanies Wong’s lucid imagery, making In the Mood for Love a cinematic experience overwhelming both visually and sonically.