In the Mood for Love

"Feel the heat, keep the feeling burning, let the sensation explode."

2000 1h 39m CN

🙌

8.1

BANGER

★8.1TMDB · 3,400

DramaRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In 1960s Hong Kong, two neighbors form an intimate bond after making a discovery about their spouses in this visually stunning tale of unrequited love.

“Feel the heat, keep the feeling burning, let the sensation explode.”

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Cast

Maggie Cheung
Su Li-zhen
Tony Leung Chiu-wai
Chow Mo-wan
Siu Ping-Lam
Ah Ping
Rebecca Pan
Mrs. Suen
Kelly Lai Chen
Mr. Ho
Joe Cheung Tung-Cho
Man Living in Mr. Koo's Apartment
Chan Man-Lei
Mr. Koo
Koo Kam-Wah
Mrs. Koo

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Wong Kar-Wai
Writers: Wong Kar-Wai, Liu Yichang
Languages: Cantonese, French, Spanish
Countries: Hong Kong, France

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $3.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Made its money back 5.3× over at the box office.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

26 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 3 languages: Cantonese, French, Spanish.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: Hong Kong, France.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

AWARDS

Did you know

Part of the "Love Trilogy" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

AWARDS

Did you know

Directed by Wong Kar-Wai, shot by Christopher Doyle. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Michael Galasso. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Wong Kar-Wai directs. Christopher Doyle behind the camera. Michael Galasso scores. William Chang Suk-Ping cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in Hong Kong, France. Dialogue in Cantonese, French, Spanish.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $3.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Made its money back 5.3× over at the box office.
326 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
4Dialogue crosses 3 languages: Cantonese, French, Spanish.
5International production across 2 countries: Hong Kong, France.
6Part of the "Love Trilogy" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
7Directed by Wong Kar-Wai, shot by Christopher Doyle. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
8Original score by Michael Galasso. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
9Editor William Chang Suk-Ping shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
10Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Siu Ping-Lam carry the top of the cast.
11Marketing tagline: "Feel the heat, keep the feeling burning, let the sensation explode.".
12IMDB entry: tt0118694 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
13Classified under 18 themes, including "adultery", "newspaper", "secret love", "martial arts".
14Released under 14 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: Christopher Doyle
Original score: Michael Galasso
Editing: William Chang Suk-Ping
Production design: William Chang Suk-Ping
Costume design: William Chang Suk-Ping
Makeup / hair: Kwan Lee-Na
Runtime: 99 min · 1h 39m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $3,000,000
Box office: $15,867,968
Return: 529% of budget
Original language: CN
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: In the Mood for Love (2000)

Awards

European Film Award for Best Non-European Film
German Film Award for Best No-German Film
César Award for Best Foreign Film
Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor
Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actress
National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Foreign Language Film
National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Cinematography
Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actor

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Part of

Love Trilogy

Also by

Wong Kar-Wai

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2023-08-28
★ 7/10
This is a fine piece of cinema from Wong Kar-Wai that tells us a story of two people whom circumstance throws together - but not in a way you might expect. We start with two couples who move into a new building. One a newspaper man with his wife, the other a business executive and his wife. The businessman is rarely at home, nor is the journalist's wife - which leaves the other two at increasingly loose ends. It isn't long before a friendship develops - usually over some noodles - and though entirely platonic, their relationship becomes solid and trusting. Then, something entirely unexpected occurs that causes the two to refocus their relationship in the face of betrayal and disappointment - and well.... What helps this film stand out are the performances from both Tony Leung ("Chow Mo-wan") and the gorgeous Maggie Cheung ("Mrs. Chan") - it's a love story, and it burns intensely - but not physically - as their story subsumes both themselves and the audience. The film looks marvellous, is paced stylishly and uses quite a bit of Nat King Cole to set and keep the mood atmospheric, romantic and interesting. The photography offers us lingering close ups, we get a sense of them falling in love as if we, too, were undergoing the same experience and that all adds to the richness of the story. To give us a breather from the intensity, there are some fun scenes with their very close neighbours who love nothing better than to sit up all night playing mahjong!! Super film, this - flew by.

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