2046

Billed as a sequel to Wong Kar-Wai’s earlier film In the Mood for Love, 2046 can be viewed on its own merits but its likely to flow more easily if you’ve seen his earlier film, since the story continues with Tony Leung’s fiction writer, having finished his relationship with a married woman (Maggie Cheung) and now being enticed by a young exotic call-girl (played by hot acting talent Ziyi Zhang) who lives across the way from him in a seedy Hong Kong hotel.

In a way, 2046 is like Closer, in that both deal with the nature of attraction, but 2046 is more mysterious and far less transparent. It’s like a puzzle or at least a story that isn’t going to put its cards on the table that quickly, and it’s lovely for that. You’re easily swept along by Wong Kar-Wai’s snatches of engagement. Zhang and Leung make such a beautiful couple, you long for them to be together and feel sad at times when it looks like they won’t be.

What makes 2046 a seminal work is the way that its put together – this is a magical and yet lonely world that reminds you that love and loneliness are often bedfellows. It’s a melancholic film but because its subject-matter has been filmed so well, it’s strangely uplifting, merely because its been done so well. It also contains a wonderful final reel when in futuristic scenes taken from the writer’s book, pieces fall into place and as a viewer you may find yourself reflecting on romance, meaningful moments and the transient nature of life. The writer creates a world where people go to forget memories and naturally that can lead you to think of your own. It’s worth staying through the excellent final credit sequence too, since it has a magic all of its own. Will appeal to those that like a film to make them work hard and a must certainly for all Wong Kar-Wai fans.

Matt Arnoldi