Movie No. 30 (2016): DAYS OF BEING WILD

Days of Being Wild (1991)
Director: Wong Kar Wai
Cast: Leslie Cheung, Maggie Cheung, Andy Lau, Carina Lau
In Chinese, with English subtitles

Every character in this film is desperate to find connection. The lead character (York or Yuddy) learns that the ex-prostitute who has raised him is not his real mother. In the midst of this feeling of being incomplete, he lets two women who have the misfortune of falling for him compete for his attention. He compares himself to a bird with no legs which keeps on flying, resting and sleeping in the air if tired, and shall land only when ready to die. 

This film came earlier than Chung King Express and In The Mood For Love. However, when the film got released in the west in early 2000, many 'discovered' the genius in Wong Kar Wai. It's quite evident in this film the directing style that we saw in his later films. There's always magic on the screen when extreme close ups flash on the screen, or when western music is played to complement or contrast character's mood, or when exquisite cinematography courts the eye, or when all of these happen at once. Simply hypnotic! 

This film is not just among the best films that come from Hong Kong or made by Wong Kar Wai. It's one important masterpiece of world cinema.

Rating: 4.0/4.0

Date seen: June 26, 2016

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