Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #33899 in DVD
• Released on: 2004-06-28
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English, Japanese
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 100 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Chungking Express tells two stories loosely connected by a Hong Kong snack bar. In one, a cop who's been recently dumped by his girlfriend becomes obsessed with the expiry dates on cans of pineapple; he's constantly distracted as he tries to track down a drug dealer in a blonde wig (played by Brigitte Lin, best known from Swordsman II and The Bride with White Hair). Meanwhile, another cop who's recently been dumped by his girlfriend (Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, from John Woo's Hard-Boiled and A Bullet in the Head) mopes around his apartment, talking to his sponge and other domestic objects. He catches the eye of a shop girl (Hong Kong pop star Faye Wang) who secretly breaks in and cleans his apartment. If you're beginning to suspect that neither of these stories has a conventional plot, you're correct. What Chungking Express does have is loads of energy and a gorgeous visual style that never gets in the way of engaging with the charming characters. The film was shot on the fly by hip director Wong Kar-Wai (Happy Together, Ashes of Time), using only available lighting and found locations. The movie's loose, improvisational feel is closer to Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless than any recent film--and that's high praise. Quirky, funny, and extremely engaging, Chungking Express manages to be experimental and completely accessible at the same time. --Bret Fetzer, Amazon.com

Synopsis
Acclaimed Hong Kong New Wave director Wong Kar-Wai presents a kinetic, offbeat look at his city in these two stories. The first concerns a young woman (Brigitte Lin) who has been double-crossed in a heroin deal and her budding romance with a lovelorn cop (Takeshi Kaneshiro). The second deals with another police officer (Tony Leung) whose air-hostess girlfriend has left him and the shy young waitress (Faye Wong) who lets herself into his flat and cleans for him without his knowledge. Featuring lively, stunning photography from Kar-Wai regular Christopher Doyle and the Mamas & the Papa's "California Dreaming," as part of the poppy soundtrack, this is a dazzling cult favourite.

Customer Reviews

Still his best film other than 2046
This early Wan Kar Wai masterpiece is considerably lighter but touches on many of his favorite themes (including isolation, unrequited love) and the two stories are woven together loosely. Absolutely essential movie for anyone who considers themselves a lover of HK cinema.

Rubbish
This is a serious contender for the worst film ever made. It does not warrant serious analysis.

Fun
OK, it's arty and more than a little strange, but it cheered me up considerably after a hard week. This film abounds in that off-beat cheerfulness which you find in so many films from Hong Kong, whether they're about very nasty gangsters or quirky love affairs, reminders that life is worth living, from the can-do capital of the world.

PS I'm no fan of Quentin Tarantino - if you're not either, don't be put off by his endorsement!