Brigitte Lin, Faye Wong, Takeshi Kaneshiro

Hong Kong director Kar Wai Wong i established a unique style with this cerebral film that tells two somewhat similar but unrelated stories about loneliness and disconnection in the big city. In the fi...( read more  read more... )rst story, a policeman pines after his former girlfriend and gives himself 30 days to find another woman; in the second story, another policeman catches the eye of an attractive waitress, who's intent on completely rearranging his life.

Flixster Users

94% liked it

33,059 ratings

Critics

96% liked it

27 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 37 min.

Directed by: Kar Wai Wong

Release Date: March 8, 1996

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DVD Release Date: May 21, 2002

Stats: 2,147 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (2,147)


  • September 30, 2009
    Wong Kar Wai's influences from the French 'New wave' are clear but he definitely brings his own style and flare to this beautiful and unconventional film
  • August 19, 2009
    an innovative and captivating drama of heart break told as two short films that are loosely connected by coincidental circumstances. wong's characters are engaging and most of the dialogue was well done. unfortunately, the short story of the two featured that i most enjoyed was...( read more) not fleshed out well enough and was the shorter of the two. the second story, which was also good but not as much so, was given most of the screen time and was fleshed out well. had the first story been given twenty or so more minutes this film could have reached masterpiece status for me, but even as it is i loved watching it and i highly recommend it.
  • April 15, 2009
    "Chungking Express" has been compared to the works of Jean-Luc Godard, and it's not hard to see why. The film defys most conventions: it's a loose free fall that's more about journey than destination, anecdotes than cohesive narrative. It also centers around quirky young lovers w...( read more)ith a love of American films and music, and you might expect the blonde wig-wearing femme fatale in the first of "Chungking Express"' stories to be something out of Godard's dreams. That being said, however, the film is no knock off, nor is it pretentious and overbearing. "Chungking Express" is a visionary masterwork that's colorful, vibrant, energetic, and completely romantic. It's a film by a guy who clearly loves film. Of everything i've seen from the highly decorated director, Wong Kar-Wai, "Chungking Express" resonated with me the most.

    The film centers around two disconnected stories, told one after the other. They do, however, share some similarities - the male protagonists are both police officers, and they both visit a small cafe called "Chungking Express". Each film centers around love, loss, the way we communicate, the way we flirt, the way we get noticed. It's also about the way we willingly change for our lovers to fit their ideal mold of a partner.

    The first of the stories centers around a policeman, He Qiwu (Takeshi Kaneshiro). He has been left by his girlfriend of five years, and is incapable of pulling himself together. He establishes a ritual: for one month, he'll buy a can of pineapple daily, each with an expiration date of May 1st. If May 1st comes and she has not taken him back, he will know that it's over. Meanwhile, we meet a mysterious, likely dangerous, blonde woman in large sunglasses and a yellow trench. He Qiwu attempts to win her affection at a bar - not because he's attracted to her in particular, rather he's attracted to being in love.

    The second story, which is longer and much better, centers around an unnamed police officer (Tony Leung). He has also been dumped and is now in a state of distant paralysis. To whip him back into shape and win his affection in the process, a young girl (Faye Wong) breaks into his apartment daily and rearranges things. She'll replace cups, replace labels on the cans, and so on. The girl, who works at "Chungking Express", is in love with "California Dreamin'", and states that she likes loud music because it drowns out her thinking.

    American films tend to get quirky romanticism all wrong, and they end up being more of a showcase of indie rock than actually being heartfelt. "Chungking Express", on the other hand, gets it completely right. It's charming, endlessly entertaining, and legitimately touching. Although the film is a bit uneven, i'd give it a heavy recommendation if only for the second story.
  • May 28, 2008
    I felt a little cheated by this film. It comprises two unrelated stories; the first one gets you interested in the characters and then they're gone. Maybe that is the point. Maybe it's well done, but it still felt unfair. The second story was a little confusing and a little impla...( read more)usible, but we get to know the characters quite a bit more (they are better actors and their characters more accessible).

    This is a beautiful, creatively rendered film, Kar Wai Wong at his best, about chance encounters and fleeting relationships. Everyone should appreciate that aspect of it.
  • April 5, 2008
    Wong Kar-wai's best film. told with expertise and beauty only he could give us. A fantastic love story.
  • November 11, 2009
    lame gile x layan kaneshiro's.
  • November 7, 2009
    It was okay. I didnt really see the point but it was a beautiful and colorful film.
  • October 27, 2009
    This was the film that saved me from a deep depression. As soon as I watched it, I fell in love with life all over again. A masterpiece.
  • October 25, 2009
    Perhaps I'm too young to truly appreciate this movie as others do. Don't get me wrong. Chungking Express is a wonderfully made flick. The story is good and the acting is fantastic, but I can't empathize with the characters as I would like to. I can surely see how many people can,...( read more) but unfortunately I cannot. I'm sure that when I watch this movie a few years from now, I'll love it on a level that I can't imagine at this stage in my life.
  • October 25, 2009
    Wong Kar Wai's brilliantly made indie flick about the fates of misanthropes colliding in a tiny take-out restaurant.

Critic Reviews


January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

This is the kind of movie you'll relate to if you love film itself, rather than its surface aspects such as story and stars. full review

January 1, 2000
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

More impressive than engaging. full review

View more Chungking Express reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • ekaniki
    August 10, 2009
    Hey people!!!
    Deleted scenes from Chungking Express:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xv-wkseAxvY&feature=related
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9uHQWuWTJs&feature=related
    It's really very interesting!
  • JeT0425
    October 7, 2008
    Finally being released by Criterion in November!
    This makes me extremely happy. I cannot wait!!
  • YLOWBSTARDreturns
    August 18, 2008
    I can't wait for the Criterion Collection release in Blu-Ray!

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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Chungking Express Trivia


  • What Mamas & Papas song does Faye Wong's character listen to incessantly in Chungking Express?  Answer »
  • Which movie had the tagline "If my memory of her has an expiration date, let it be 10,000 years..."?  Answer »
  • Which Wong Kar-Wai film prominently features the song 'California Dreamin'?  Answer »
  • Who directed Chungking Express, 2046, Days of Being Wild, and In the Mood for Love?  Answer »

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