Love is a "thing" now. Every commercial, every song, every film... is more or less about it. But, even if love is "everywhere", we live in a society were we "love" everyone and consider love a piece of cake, something simple and easy to obtain, thus something utterly shallow, something like a sweet to feel better and show our happiness. We want to look nice so that they love us and we are loved. In the end we are transformed into that superficial and non-authentic beings that only care about what others "feel" about them and consider that the more they are being loved the more good things they'll say about them, the more famous and likable they tend to become. Alas, though, form time to time, certain films and works of art pop out and make us reconsider what love and emotions and our self truly are. These are films like "Her" by Spike Jonze or "Lost in Translation" by Sofia Coppola and "The Lobster" by Yiorgos Lanthimos or every single song of "Radiohead" or... a
sweet and intimate film called "In the Mood for Love" by Wong Kar-Wai.
It's about two people who realize that their spouses are having an affair, so they decide to test how they managed to do that by acting like them and meanwhile they create their own affair and form a strong bond, but choose to follow a platonic relationship so as not to sin like their spouses.
The reflections of the characters form mirrors, the close-ups to their looks and smiles, the smoke of a burning cigarette, a narrow stairway, a look from the window, a walk into the dark streets, a hug to ease the pain, the reds and the blues... all these ARE the film. It is a really astheticly preside film that creates a hallucinating and lovely tone, but never feels too much. It gives attention to the small moments. That glance of happiness, a small for an instant, a look of pain, a tear in the eye, Love is about silence. About speaking and feeling one without even talking, The glares, the touches, the eyes. Love can be transported through all of these.
This film is also really different in its storytelling and that is because of the characters, They are single-layred. They acquire ethos and have a moral code so they never give in to their natural and justifiable temptations and desires to be loved and kiss and make love and be one. They are controlled and also stand up for tragic figures who have found ultimate love but because of their character and loyalty cannot reach it. This is masterfully depicted through the constant denial of the lovers to be like their spouses.
Also, these film serves a story of pain. One of the main characteristics that brings the 2 together is the identical pain they both suffer from. They have been betrayed and trying to see what their spouses' affair seemed like made it even more harsh. The pain of their lost love but also of their inability to form a bond of love now is beating the characters too hard, We see it in their eyes, in their constant and immutable sadness.
The mood and tone are those of love and desire and sadness and pain and it all perfectly depicted on the screen. The directing is spot on, so subtle and stylish. The acting is superb.
I only had one really small issue with the film. First, there is a certain track which is repeated 8 or 9 times in the whole film and although I loved it I felt that they could have used another track in some scenes, I mean, the soundtrack is really great and there is a variety of different types of songs... why didn't they use another lovely track? And the director has said that it is because of the theme of the film to repeat itself and I really respect that, especially during the room sequences but I felt that at times there was no reason to play that particular track.But that is a really tiny bug for which I did not bother that much.
The result is a mesmerizing and heartfelt film about passion, our inner wants and needs, about how complex and weird can love be, about pain and sorrow and lost love and longing for it. It is a secret kept deep in the bole of an old tree. But it's not a secret to us. I will never forget this deeply moving and passionate story and I will always be coming back when I am in the mood for...
Love
It's about two people who realize that their spouses are having an affair, so they decide to test how they managed to do that by acting like them and meanwhile they create their own affair and form a strong bond, but choose to follow a platonic relationship so as not to sin like their spouses.
The reflections of the characters form mirrors, the close-ups to their looks and smiles, the smoke of a burning cigarette, a narrow stairway, a look from the window, a walk into the dark streets, a hug to ease the pain, the reds and the blues... all these ARE the film. It is a really astheticly preside film that creates a hallucinating and lovely tone, but never feels too much. It gives attention to the small moments. That glance of happiness, a small for an instant, a look of pain, a tear in the eye, Love is about silence. About speaking and feeling one without even talking, The glares, the touches, the eyes. Love can be transported through all of these.
This film is also really different in its storytelling and that is because of the characters, They are single-layred. They acquire ethos and have a moral code so they never give in to their natural and justifiable temptations and desires to be loved and kiss and make love and be one. They are controlled and also stand up for tragic figures who have found ultimate love but because of their character and loyalty cannot reach it. This is masterfully depicted through the constant denial of the lovers to be like their spouses.
Also, these film serves a story of pain. One of the main characteristics that brings the 2 together is the identical pain they both suffer from. They have been betrayed and trying to see what their spouses' affair seemed like made it even more harsh. The pain of their lost love but also of their inability to form a bond of love now is beating the characters too hard, We see it in their eyes, in their constant and immutable sadness.
The mood and tone are those of love and desire and sadness and pain and it all perfectly depicted on the screen. The directing is spot on, so subtle and stylish. The acting is superb.
I only had one really small issue with the film. First, there is a certain track which is repeated 8 or 9 times in the whole film and although I loved it I felt that they could have used another track in some scenes, I mean, the soundtrack is really great and there is a variety of different types of songs... why didn't they use another lovely track? And the director has said that it is because of the theme of the film to repeat itself and I really respect that, especially during the room sequences but I felt that at times there was no reason to play that particular track.But that is a really tiny bug for which I did not bother that much.
The result is a mesmerizing and heartfelt film about passion, our inner wants and needs, about how complex and weird can love be, about pain and sorrow and lost love and longing for it. It is a secret kept deep in the bole of an old tree. But it's not a secret to us. I will never forget this deeply moving and passionate story and I will always be coming back when I am in the mood for...
Love