The romantic mood and intimate, at times claustrophobic, cinematography, of this compelling masterpiece pull you in closely, and make you experience the melancholy mood and longing of the main characters first hand, for an almost dizzyingly intense experience. The end left me scratching my head a bit, with especially the disconnected footage of De Gaulle suggesting that I maybe missed a whole level of allegory to the plot, but then again, maybe not. It matters little either way.
There are many great things about this film, but what sticks out most of all is what little in terms of plot and dialogue Kar Wai needs to develop deep characters, and the complex emotional mood of confined desires expressed in every single, beautifully shot frame.
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