Wong Kar-Wai made a name for himself exploring the lovelorn lives of twenty-somethings in the hustle and bustle of contemporary Hong Kong - with his multi-award winning In the Mood for Love he opted to take us back in time to 1962 for a tale of spousal betrayal and unrequited love. When Chow Mo-wan (Tony Leung) rents an apartment next door to Su Li-zhen (the gorgeous Maggie Cheung) it doesn't take long before they both realize that their respective spouses are having an affair. As they seek comfort in one another in an attempt to deal with feelings of shame and betrayal, their feelings for one another blossom into something more than platonic companionship. Yet their unwillingness to stoop to the same level of their spouses and consummate their feelings means that this love is forever doomed. The beautiful cinematography, which seems to caress the light as it bounces off the sumptuous costumes, belies the melancholic undertone which runs throughout In the Mood for Love. Following in the tradition of such films as Brief Encounter, it is a reminder that some love affairs were never meant to be.
