I am a great fan of not only Hong Kong cinema, but Wong Kar-wai in particular. And since this was a follow-up to his marvellous film "In the Mood for Love", which ties into the world founded in his elliptical, perplexing 1990 masterpiece "Days of Being Wild", the anticipation was high...
Unfortunately, "2046" represents a kind of self-implosion for Wong, whose films have always been stubborn in cutting their own path in the face of audience needs and expectations. Now, when he was making films like "Chungking Express", which is a film purely for film lovers, he alienated the mainstream while hitting chords with the cine-literate folk who had not had their pretentiousness fed in such ways since the heights of Godard. But "2046" sees the man who was once the most exciting film-maker in the world stray into David Lynch territory - not in terms of style, but the fact that he has finally fallen into making a pretentious film for pretentious people.
"2046" carries the familiar meditations on lost love and emotional masochism and detachment that are the staples of all of Wong's previous films, but the deliberately confusing structure make this blend of period drama and surreal sci-fi more frustrating than the joyous puzzles he usually presents. In distancing the audience so profoundly, Wong draws attention to the fact that his film is glorifying in its own triumph and importance.
It not only leaves you cold, but furthermore, it results in a film that fades from the memory extremely quickly - not a charge to be aimed at any previous Wong Kar-wai film.
Visually stunning as always, with scenes of real power and poetic insight, "2046" is well worth seeing, but does not compare to the other films this director has made.
Unfortunately, "2046" represents a kind of self-implosion for Wong, whose films have always been stubborn in cutting their own path in the face of audience needs and expectations. Now, when he was making films like "Chungking Express", which is a film purely for film lovers, he alienated the mainstream while hitting chords with the cine-literate folk who had not had their pretentiousness fed in such ways since the heights of Godard. But "2046" sees the man who was once the most exciting film-maker in the world stray into David Lynch territory - not in terms of style, but the fact that he has finally fallen into making a pretentious film for pretentious people.
"2046" carries the familiar meditations on lost love and emotional masochism and detachment that are the staples of all of Wong's previous films, but the deliberately confusing structure make this blend of period drama and surreal sci-fi more frustrating than the joyous puzzles he usually presents. In distancing the audience so profoundly, Wong draws attention to the fact that his film is glorifying in its own triumph and importance.
It not only leaves you cold, but furthermore, it results in a film that fades from the memory extremely quickly - not a charge to be aimed at any previous Wong Kar-wai film.
Visually stunning as always, with scenes of real power and poetic insight, "2046" is well worth seeing, but does not compare to the other films this director has made.