Tuesday 4 June 2013

Chung King Express (1994)


Chung King Express (HK 1994 101min.) written and directed by Kar Wai Wong.

Romantic comedy drama. In Hong Kong, two lovesick policemen become involved with unsuitable women - one a ruthless drug dealer, the other a fast-food waitress.




"If my memory of her has an expiration date, let it be 10,000 years... "

Two non-intersecting love storys that both feature the fast food bar of the title as a central locale.

Lovely to look at - it's intercut with a series of impressionistic splashes of colour and movement that make Hong Kong appear as though it's a futurescape straight out of Bladerunner.

The first half tells the story of the unnamed Cop 633 - he mourns his lost love, discovers the epicene delights of tinned pineapple and fall for a deeply unsuitable woman who, we know but he doesn't, is a drug runner and cold blooded killer.

The second half belongs (in every sense of the word) to Faye Wong as the dizzy dreamer who works on the counter at the Chung King Express. It's about her hopeless romantic spirit and the pursuit (borderline stalking) of He Zhwiu, Cop 223.

Faye Wong steals all the acting prizes for the film - a dreamer who floats through her days lost in thoughts of love and romance with a soundtrack provided by The Mamas & The Papas. It's a magnificent performance.

Australian director of photography Christopher Doyle fills every scene with magic, light is bent and shaped and choreographed. Neon signs dance and shimmer, the cityscape is bathed in the most gorgeous hues.

And what's it all about ? - nothing much really. If it has a "message" it's about how much Kar Wai Wong loves Hong Kong, popular culture and modern life. It's a three minute pop single disguised as a film - light,catchy and unforgettable.

A remarkable and memorable film; all the more so for being a stop-gap project for the writer/director with the entire shoot taking just twenty three days. I promise you'll love it and that you'll never hear "California Dreaming" or The Cranberries' "Dreams" in quite the same way ever again.

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