Chungking Express (1994)

Unusual film about two cops and their pursuit of romance, by Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai. The title of the movie shares the same name as the restaurant where the two cops regularly eat, serving as the location where both stories converge. Although funny throughout, the movie could neither be considered a comedy nor a romance, despite the obvious focus on love in both stories.

While not completely polished, the film was initially unique in its presentation, making use of stop-motion and liberal editing to create a feeling of nervousness and speed during the beginning of the movie. This feeling dominated the first cop's story and captured both his personality and his fleeting encounter with a troubled woman. The second cop's story was cuter, highlighting both his and his lover's shyness as they began to realize their love for one another, and served as a nice contrast to the first story's rougher, hard-boiled edge.

Unfortunately, an over-reliance on technique and form can't make up for weaknesses in dialogue and plot. Often less than inspiring, especially the scenes in the restaurant, the lackluster dialogue could simply have been a result of poor subtitling. Difficult for me to judge such things. A bit on the long side, I found myself wondering when the movie would end.