Carina Lau, Chen Chang, Faye Wong

He was a writer. He thought he wrote about the future, but it really was the past. In his novel, a mysterious train left for 2046 every once in a while. Everyone who went there had the same intention ...( read more  read more... )-- to recapture lost memories. It was said that in 2046, nothing ever changed. Nobody knew for sure whether it was true, because nobody who went there had ever come back -- except for one. He was there. He chose to leave. He wanted to change.

Flixster Users

85% liked it

40,124 ratings

Critics

84% liked it

106 critics

R, 2 hrs. 9 min.

Directed by: Kar Wai Wong

Release Date: August 5, 2005

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: December 26, 2005

Stats: 2,796 reviews

Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Your Rating



clear rating
Share on: Facebook Twitter

Flixster Reviews (2,796)


  • October 1, 2009
    Just when you think Wong Kar Wai couldn't make a better film he follows up In the mood for love with this, his amazing follow up is faultless! Stunningly beautiful cinema!
  • March 19, 2009
    A step back for Wong Kar Wai because he essentially remakes In the Mood for Love but in a more convoluted and unnecessary manner.
  • December 18, 2008
    The technical aspect of a film has to be at the service of the story, and never the other way. Wong Kar Wai is yet another lecturer of visual masturbation with very few reasonable arguments to make a cinematic statement. This film is like a series of advertisements, beautifully s...( read more)hot, but non-transcendental, dull and meaningless. It surprises me that some people think the man behind this empty shell is the second coming of Christ.
    Vacuous and endlessly pretentious.
  • July 11, 2008
    I'd consider myself an unusually patient moviegoer for someone of my age. Now, I don't mean to sound like a snob - I just recognize that my age group tends to gravitate more towards flashy gunfights or revolting sexual humor. I like films that are methodical with full fleshed cha...( read more)racters... films that give you enough time to "soak it all in". That being said, this movie was so frustrating to me that I found myself getting bored and restless. I couldn't quite place why. A lot of the writing is very clever, and some of the visuals are absolutely beautiful... but simply put, I just couldn't care. The two hours went by in three or four.

    Giving a plot synopsis of the film is no easy task. Really, it's a complete collage of a film. Characters come in and out, and everything always seems to be evolving. However, the focus of the film revolves around Tony Leung's (Chow Mo Wan) love life. "2046" is in reference to both the science fiction novel he is writing, and the hotel room in which his lovers stay. We see a lot of clips from the actual story he's writing, "2046", in which he uses characters representing people in his own life. The setting of the novel is a train with beautiful androids, and people head to 2046 to regain lost love.

    This is a fascinating story that really provides some very interesting and clever observations. I very much enjoyed all the parallels from 2046 to Leung's romances. The whole story is obviously extremely metaphorical - however it never comes off as flat. It's not there for the sake of being smart and showing off, it's there to explore these avenues in the human psyche as it regards to love. The film is about loss, and attempts to move on after a relationship is over.

    It should be noted that I haven't seen any of Kar Wai's previous works. This film is the third of a trilogy - and although this is really considered a stand alone picture, I do feel that the other films would of increased my enjoyment. I felt like the character development of Leung was skipped and we started right off from the second act - I never felt like I knew him, yet I know that his personality had probably already been explored in great depth in "In the Mood for Love". I definitely felt completely out of the loop, and that was a big reason that I didn't take a whole lot out of this film.

    My favorite thing about the film was unquestionably Christopher Doyle's cinematography. Even when I was uninterested with where the story was going, it's impossible to deny the beauty of the film. It's one of those movies where you can take a snapshot of literally any frame in the movie and it wouldn't be out of place on your wall. It's absolutely beautiful and breath-taking, especially the scenes in 2046.

    However, my problem with the cinematography and all the flashy direction and editing was that there wasn't much else going for it in terms of plot. This is again really baffling to me as this is a fascinating story. Something about it is so cold and uninteresting in the way it plays out. All the movie really evoked in me was a "mood", no real substance. I never felt anything, or was legitimately touched by the picture, but I certainly was focused on the visuals. In fact, near the end of the film I found myself forgetting to read the subtitles I was so frustrated and disconnected. This movie evolves at such a rapid pace that you always feel one step behind. It's a film that needed three hours to do it justice, but even two hours was asking too much of the viewer. I don't know exactly what that means, but I do know that something wasn't right for me.

    I wouldn't necessarily call this movie pretentious, although a lot of it certainly is. We definitely get a sense of "art for art's sake" in some sequences, however to the movie's credit it does seem fairly aware of itself. It seems like a disjointed collage, but i'm not necessarily sure that Kar Wai would want it in any other way.

    There's no reason that I shouldn't of liked this film, but I just really didn't. At times it was fascinating, but I spent the majority of the time trying to catch up - frustrated, and uninterested. This isn't a bad film by any means, but to me it was certainly a disappointment.
  • June 19, 2008
    I don't see why people like this movie so much
  • November 16, 2009
    Visuellement parfait, les couleurs sont magnifiques. Un excellent film, poétique.
  • October 24, 2009
    I fell asleep while watching it, through no fault of the movie. It had just been a really crazy busy day. I need to finish seeing the last 20 minutes of it. So far tho, even if at first I wasn't sure what was going on or if I was even interested, it slowed creeped into me and I w...( read more)as more and more into it. I must finish this movie.
  • October 22, 2009
    The production design, cinematography, acting and music are indeed outstanding, no question about it, but the plot is flat, redundant and obvious, as if written by a 15 year-old. To make matters worse, the main character is downright unlikable.
  • September 5, 2009
    Warning: This is not about the future. Decadent and erotic at times. Mostly good for insomnia.
  • September 3, 2009
    First of all I want to admit main theme of the movie... it's great... Shigeru Umebayashi is really one of the best modern composers... the movie is very interesting and very sad as every film of Kar Wai.

Critic Reviews


September 1, 2005
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer

It's all terribly atmospheric, and if you're in the mood for atmosphere, 2046 delivers. full review

September 1, 2005
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

It's like a sketchbook. These are images, tones, dialogue and characters that Wong is sure of, and he practices them, but he does not seem very sure why he is making the movie, or where it should end. full review

August 26, 2005
Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times

2046 isn't entirely successful: It's very high-concept and can be difficult to follow. But when it was over, I immediately wanted to watch it again. full review

August 26, 2005
Nick Schager, Lessons of Darkness

A letdown. full review

August 25, 2005
Colin Covert, The Minneapolis Star Tribune

The film is a beautiful reverie, a kind of poem about lovers briefly glimpsed and never forgotten. full review

August 19, 2005
Ty Burr, Boston Globe

Long, enigmatic, rapturously beautiful meditation on romance and remembrance. full review

August 15, 2005
Anthony Lane, The New Yorker

Wong's admirers, like those of Stanley Kubrick, thrill to his visual dictatorship, but in both instances the inquiry into passion can seem a weirdly impassive affair. full review

View more 2046 reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • dannycook123
    February 26, 2007
    All FANS of ZHANG ZIYI who are on BEBO please become a GROUPIE of ZHANG ZIYI's FAN page at,

    http://Zhang-Ziyi-Fans. bebo.com

    thanks.

    P.S Zhang Ziyi is rules.
  • niffstipples
    January 27, 2007
    It was fucking crap. The shittiest movie ever made. I would rather have my face ripped off then watch this piece of shit again.
  • columbiatch
    August 25, 2006
    this is the most visually beautiful movie I've ever seen, every shot is stunning.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Official Trailer

More Like This


Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • Fa Yeung Nin Wa (In the Mood for Love)
    Fa Yeung Nin Wa (In the Mood for Love) (88%)
  • Reconstruction
    Reconstruction (50%)
  • Sleep
    Sleep (0%)
  • Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind
    Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (50%)

Facts


No facts approved yet. Be the first

2046 : Watch Free on TV


2046 Trivia


  • 2046 is the follow up to what Wong Kar Wai masterpiece?  Answer »
  • Hong Kong director Wong Kar-Wai ordered an entire set to be rebuilt and all the scenes in it reshot after photographs of the set were leaked before the film '2046' was released.  Answer »
  • Who directed the films 'In The Mood for Love' and '2046'?  Answer »
  • Who directed Chungking Express, 2046, Days of Being Wild, and In the Mood for Love?  Answer »

Movie Quizzes


No quizzes for 2046. Want to create one?

Recent News


No recent headlines. Got one?

Most Popular Skin