Chungking Express
Chungking Express

Movie spotlight

Chungking Express

1994
Movie
103 min
Cantonese

Two melancholic Hong Kong policemen fall in love: one with a mysterious underworld figure, the other with a beautiful and ethereal server at a late-night restaurant.

Insights

IMDb7.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes93%
Metacritic84/100
Google Users90%
Director: Wong Kar-waiGenres: Romance, Drama, Comedy

Plot Summary

The film follows two separate, loosely connected stories set in Hong Kong. The first story involves a lovesick policeman who buys canned pineapples with an expiration date of May 1, his break-up anniversary. He becomes infatuated with a mysterious woman in a blonde wig. The second story centers on another policeman who spends his nights running and eating bananas, and encounters a quirky, energetic shop assistant who falls for him.

Critical Reception

Chungking Express was met with widespread critical acclaim, lauded for its stylish direction, unique narrative structure, and vibrant portrayal of urban life. It became a significant film in Hong Kong cinema and gained a considerable cult following internationally.

What Reviewers Say

  • Praised for its innovative and fragmented storytelling.

  • Celebrated for its visually dynamic and energetic direction.

  • Appreciated for its charming characters and romantic atmosphere.

Google audience: Google users overwhelmingly loved Chungking Express, frequently highlighting its stylish visuals, unique storytelling, and the captivating performances of its cast. Many found the film to be a charming and memorable exploration of love and connection in a bustling city.

Awards & Accolades

Won Best Film and Best Director at the Hong Kong Film Awards.

Fun Fact

The distinctive pop song "California Dreamin'" plays a crucial role in the first half of the film, particularly in the characters' daily routines and emotional states, becoming almost a character in itself.

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My Review

TMDB Reviews

4 reviews
Aardbol

Aardbol

A total surprise, in the negative sense. The story was very random with little logic in it. Weird characters that also made little sense, and the conversations were poor and uninteresting. It was more like a Japanese anime story because of ...

BornKnight

BornKnight

Filmed into the post production of two years of filming the Wuxia epic "Ashes of Time", with low resources, this movie is another example that we don't need millions of USD to make a masterpiece. Wong Kar-Wai have a personal style of usi...

CinemaSerf

CinemaSerf

This is probably my favourite film from Kar-Wai Wong. It tells the stories of two Hong Kong Police officers. The former, the dashing Takeshi Kaneshiro, who is struggling to come to terms with his recently ended relationship of five years. B...

eliasmata

eliasmata

A week has passed since I watched this film. I wanted to let it sit with me for a bit before watching it again and giving it a proper response. Films like this, which are hyped to an unbelievable degree, end up sending an audience to end...