A gay couple from Hong Kong, living & working in Argentina, find their relationship indispensable & impossible in this too self-consciously arty Wong Kar-Wai pic that got the best director nod @ Cannes. Pourquoi? The cast & technical stylings are attractive in their various ways (ultra-contrasty b&w vies with highly posturized super-saturated color), but the two male leads fight for the Asian James Dean trophy, splitting his famous ticks & tricks. Tony Leung takes the thoughtful depressed side of Dean while Leslie Cheung gives himself a full work-out on the self-destructive manic side. (Or have I reversed the actors?) Right at the end of the film, there’s a riveting scene back in mainland China where one ex-lover discretely checks out the noodle stand run by the parents of his old love. In the teeming rush of street shoppers, Kar-Wai wakes up from his romantic revery and shows his best stuff, but it’s a small note in this sudsy concerto.
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