A gay couple from Hong Kong takes a trip to Argentina in search of a new beginning but instead begins drifting even further apart.
Tony Leung Chiu-Wai
Lai Yiu-fai
Leslie Cheung Kwok-Wing
Ho Po-wing
Chang Chen
Chang
Gregory Dayton
Lover
Director, Writer
Wong Kar-Wai
Novel
Manuel Puig
March 28, 2022
6
I felt the opening few scenes offered great promise, they are gritty and illustrative not just of a sexuality, but also of the physical nature of a relationship. When the two men travel to Argentina however, on an holiday, it is quickly clear to all that the relationship is on it's last legs. They separate and both find themselves leading lives that neither would have sought or really want - but yet they cannot go back; don't want to go back - even though one life takes on new positive meaning, whilst the other hits the skids. It's beautifully shot with director Wong Kar-Wai making full use of the grand scenery offered by the Argentine, but somehow I think that grandeur subsumed the story. The characters are strong, and both lead actors deliver well and consistently, but I couldn't help feeling a certain element of ennui as I watched it. It would be unfair to describe it as melodrama, but somehow the characters didn't engage me. Whilst I felt sympathy for "Po-wing" (Leslie Cheung) I found him rather irritating; his introspection grated on me after a while. "Yiu-fai' (Tony Leung) offered more by way of validation - of optimism, but again it just didn't quite get my engagement genes firing. Maybe it is because European cinema has largely long since lost the ability to truly shock, that this has much less impact than I had anticipated - but though thoroughly watchable, it still left me underwhelmed.
Status:
Released
Original Language:
Cantonese
Budget:
$125,000.00
Revenue:
$5,000,000.00