Milo’s review published on Letterboxd:
The second film I've seen by Wong Kar-Wai, In The Mood for Love is a masterpiece and one of the most beautiful movies ever made. Whilst my personal preference out of the two is Chungking Express, it's hard not to fall in love with this slow-burning, understated drama that follows a man and a woman who live in the same building and one day find out that their significant others happened to have an affair with each other.
The colour palette of In the Mood for Love is fantastic and the atmosphere helps makes this film feel so unique. It's melancholic and stylish, yet not quite as in-your-face about it. Everything is subtle and full of depth and nuance, brought to life in wonderful high definition by Criterion on Blu-Ray and there should really be no other way to watch this film. It just looks so good, bringing out the colours to the forefront and making every detail feel as vivid as possible.
The partnership of Tony Leung Chiu-Wai & Maggie Cheung is fantastic here. Both actors excel in their respective roles, and there's clear chemistry between the two. The decision to play it against type of your traditional romance in favour of something completely unique is a bold one but one that is very well executed all the same. There's no added drama or forced tension, everything feels natural and like it belongs, clicking into place perfectly.