Enustik Chunking express is one of Wong Kar Wai's masterpieces. The narrative is split in two: the first part portrays scenes of the life of a cop, a guy who was dumped by his girlfriend and keeps eating pineapple while waiting for her to come back; and a woman, a drug dealer that coordinates a group of Indians that transport the drug to outside the country. The second part has as main character a girl that works at her uncle's snack bar and dreams about going to California; and a police officer that was, as the one from the first part, dumped by his girlfriend and keeps suffering and waiting for her. All those characters live their lives in a busy Hong Kong. All of Kar Wai aesthetic marks are visible in this film: the use of lighting to dye the shots with deep colors, in case of this film, blue and green; a catching soundtrack with theme songs for each character and plot; the use of a narrator that gives voice to character's thoughts; a lot of tracking, slow motion and fast motion; and characters with strong personalities. The main theme that surrounds this film is the idea of time limit, or expiration date - there are many elements related to this theme, and the narrator keeps wondering about it. Also, what calls my attention is the contrast between female and male characters. While both male characters have been dumped by their girlfriends and the only thing they do is sit and wait for them to come back, the female characters are strong and independent. They are powerful; they travel around the world and follow their dreams. Chunking Express is a very artistic and deep film, and certainly one of my favorites.

Yashua Kimbrough (jimniexperience) Story surrounding two recently dumped cops falling for two tsunderes (women with cold appearances but cuddly hearts) .. Romantic comedy featuring amazing cinematography with a multitude of color palettes and lighting schemes , and the choppy frame editing providing either rushed, hurried, or stagnating feeling--------------------------------------------------------------------Cop 223: He splits up with his girl of 5 years on April Fool's, and believing it's a bad prank he eats her favorite meal, a can of pineapples, once a day until his birthday a month later. He vows when his birthday arrives he'll move on from his past girlfriend and fall in love with the next woman he lays eyes on ..That woman happens to be a cocaine dealer disguised in a raincoat, shades, and a blond wig. After a deal gone wrong, she's hunting for the men who set her up , when she has a fated encounter with Cop 223. It only lasts for a night, a restless night, as both want each other's company but fail to understand each other's feelings, instead spending the night tossing and turning in the bed and through t.v. channels …Cop 663: The California Dream Tale .. He visits a local coffee shop everyday in hopes he'll run into a flight hostess he had a one-night with. As he shares his stories of loneliness with the workers, the cousin of the owner - Faye - slowly begins to fall in love with the man. One night, the flight hostess goes to the coffee shop and returns the Cop's keys with a letter. The Cop doesn't want the letter (so he can keep dreaming of her return) and asks for Faye to hold on to it until he's ready. Few days later Faye runs into the Cop while he's on break and the rest is history …..She begins sneaking into his house when he's not home and redecorates. The Cop suspects someone is in his home but doesn't mind the company. Eventually she gets busted twice , but instead of admitting her affection for the cop, she escapes on a "plane" to California and leaves the cop a message to wait for her for one year …..8.5/10 …. Feels like a personal home video, a man with a camera venturing Hong Kong taking romantic shots of his friends 100/10 in the name of changing the game of cinematography

sharky_55 One centimetre separates the two stories of Chungking Express. Two cops drift in the aftermath of the breakdown of long term relationships. Cop 223 wanders and buys cans of pineapples, hoping that their expiry dates are just false promises and that he will be given a second chance. Cop 663 stops by the Midnight Express food stall each night on his shift, but cannot seem to move on from his stewardess ex-girlfriend. This is the night-life of Hong Kong at its most vivid, taking its cues from the French New Wave; the hand-held camera barrels around cramped alleyways and corners bursting with the hum drum of the makeshift shops, neon signage and lights are deliberately overexposed, and each setting carries its own colour coding. The streets are cool blue, crowded yet lonely. Cop 223's apartment is sterile and bathed in green; he's one of those people that get super tidy after a breakup, instead of the opposite. The bar has an orange-red glow where he negotiates a lonely encounter with our other primary character, a drug dealer with a blonde wig, coat and sunglasses. There is also the step-printing effect that this movie is famous for - replicating frames which creates the staggering, blurry effect that would normally be associated with a drop in frame rate and shutter speed. This ups the kinetic chase scenes to almost sensory overload; the dim hallways, the multicoloured lights streaking all along the streets, car horns blaring from all directions. Wong Kar Wai isolates these characters within a paradox; they wander the streets of Hong Kong, one of the most densely populated cities in the world, but find themselves to be lonely at the end of each night. More than once, we find ourselves staring at Faye compartmentalised and squished between the shelves in the frame, with a sort of voyeuristic longing behind the gaze. Doyle and co. will use strong telephoto lenses to enhance this theme; one choice scene involves Leung beckoning her to lean in before whispering a joke. While they may be mere centimetres from one another, the focus instead has his face crisp and in the foreground while hers is further away and blurred. There is no better way to express 'close yet so far away'. The most iconic technique is the way WKW freezes our primary characters in these little moments while the rest of the Hong Kong crowd bustles and rushes past them. It's a breathtaking effect that locks them down within their own small pocket of eternity. The first instance is the most striking scene in the film; the big doe eyes of Faye staring across at Leung as he seeks to indefinitely delay the bad news and finality of what lies inside the envelope. Later this feeling is visualised the same way again, as he waits for a date that will never show, distracting himself by pushing coins into a jukebox. These seconds drag on agonisingly while the city rushes on, careless of their little crisis. Some detractors have complained about the repetition of the soundtrack and how it drones on and on. I think this marks, to some extent, the difference of attitudes and contexts of the western and eastern viewer. We are blessed to have musical and media overload, to have chart-topping hits at the touch of a button and more musical range than we could ever consume. For the Hong Kong of Chungking Express, pop songs leak through, and those that do, are treasured dearly. See how the camera sways in motion to a working Faye as she dances to California Dreaming for the umpteenth time. For her, it represents not literal California (although she does visit, and it isn't up to the fantasy), but the desire to escape the rat race of Hong Kong and travel. For Cop 663, it is that hazy, dreamlike apartment that she shared with his ex which contained all his love and comfort. As the cinematography overexposes the light coming in through the windows in those nostalgic rooms, it links itself to the reconciliation scene in the convenience store where the lights blare just as brightly and he finally finds his closure. Time for a new 'California'.

p-seed-889-188469 I watched this movie as one of a group of 5. Of these, 3 would have gladly turned it off after 30 minutes and 2 thought it was outstanding. Evidently this film, or more precisely, this style of film, is not everyone's cup of tea.The movie is somewhat confusing in that it is actually two movies within one. The first, shorter "movielet" involves a policeman who is pining for his recently deceased relationship with a woman we never see. In parallel with this we see a drug deal gone wrong, in which the central character is an Asian woman perpetually wearing a blonde wig, raincoat and sunglasses. These two stories intersect towards the end as the policeman and the woman meet in a bar. The story, if there is one, ends with policeman at a shabby takeaway, which may or may not be the "Chungking Express".This is where the "tag" takes place, the first "movielet" steps out of the ring, and the new one steps in. If you don't realise this you're in big trouble, for now we have a whole new story without really knowing that the first one has finished or even understanding what it was about. It is a bit of a grunchy and unexpected gear shift to a related but different world. The second and much longer story involves the new employee at the takeaway, a very boyish looking girl called Faye, and a second policeman, someone we only know by his number, "633", who is also recovering from a relationship breakup. Thereafter follows a very sutble and utterly disarming dance between Faye and 633 as they get to know each other. The character of Faye is played by Faye Wong who I had never heard of but on further research find is a living legend in HK, China and Japan. I can find no words that adequately do justice to her performance, she is simply spellbinding. One of the other viewers compared her character to that of Audrey Tattou's Amelie, and this is true to some extent. Both Amelie and Faye are "quirky' characters but whereas Amelie portrays hers through facial gestures, and the intentions of her quirky actions have very specific goals, Faye's quirkiness is completely random - she's quirky for no other reason than that's who she is and it is sheer magic to behold. There are many, many truly touching and drolly amusing moments which may not make you split your sides laughing but keep you smiling gently all the way through. It is a very subtle, real, everyday, slightly off-the-wall humour that leaves you with a luminous feeling of warmth. I mean, how many movies have you seen lately in which the main character has deep and meaningful discussions with his dish cloth? Basically I'm gobsmacked at yet another example of the subtlety and nuance Asian directors can bring to a movie, and their ability to conjure so much from so little. It is really a kind of magic that has been lost, or maybe never existed, in the West.Apparently this movie was a side project made in 23 days, with the script written as they went along. Many would say that this shows. While it is difficult to call any movie that was conceived under these conditions and which was basically a "throwaway" to fill in time a masterpiece, it really is an extraordinary achievement. Does it have a story? Well, sort of but not really. Did it have an "ending". I think so. Do I feel better for having seen it? Oh, yes. Will I watch anything with Faye Wong in it again? You bet! Not for everyone, if you're after explosions, car crashes and a story, sit this one out. As for me I'm giving it 8.