This is Kar Wai Wong’s first movie filmed in the United States. It is a very loosely linked set of three tales of obsession and lost love. Nora Jones stars. Hers is the first story, with Jude Law as the friendly cafe owner who holds her hand as she tries to get over a past relationship, and slowly falls for her. Then Jones travels west, where the second story (and easily the best) centers on David Strathairn, who spends his nights on a barstool pining for his ex-wife. Finally Jones meets up with Natalie Portman, as a gambler with father issues, before returning to New York and Jeremy (Law). It is typically lush, and Kar Wai Wong does silences, and brief moments of slow motion as well as anyone. But the story is too thin to contain a movie, and the performances are weak, with the exception of Strathairn. This is ultimately a little disappointing coming from the director of Chunking Express, In the Mood for Love, and 2046.
I somewhat agree with Chris. A little disappointing. But only a little. I want to emphasize how beautiful this film is. Wong Kar Wai does more with color than any director I know of. Absolutely gorgeous. My thought is that this is a small film, with small performances (though yes, Strathairn is big excellent, and Jude Law is quite good too), but there isn’t a shot not worth looking at.
Maybe the film wasn’t lush enough? Should more cream have been poured on the pie?
wanted to like this more. the relentless trains (and the occasional tram — what midwestern-or-southern small town has a fucking tram?!?) got on my nerves. yes, beautiful colors, but ultimately boring. i love, though, that wong kar wai is not afraid to drench his films in red. red seems a difficult color to negotiate on the screen, especially when so much of today’s cinematography aims for cool mutedness.