A hitman finds himself torn between the affections of a business partner he rarely sees and a prostitute he becomes involved with, and an escaped convict finds love while on a crime spree.
Wong Kar-Wai is a Hong Kong filmmaker who set himself apart from his contemporaries with his off-beat approach to character and a style that became one of the most influential in modern cinema. In the 1980's and 90's, Hong Kong was the epicenter of hip action films, home to trailblazing directors like John Woo and Tsui Hark, and martial arts icons like Jackie Chan and Jet Li. Wong's second film, Days of Being Wild (1991) would bear the hallmarks of a distinct imprint found in every one of his subsequent works: shifting, existential narration from various characters, a dreamy sense of nostalgia, vintage and current pop songs on the soundtrack, and a heady, expressionistic visual atmosphere.
Fallen Angels was originally meant to be the third segment in a triptych for his previous film Chungking Express, but Wong added on a fourth story and turned it into a separate film, though it is viewed by many as a companion piece, appearing to inhabit the same world as its predecessor and with similar stylistic choices.
Starring in the film is Japanese actor Takeshi Kaneshiro (who also appeared in Chungking Express) and former Miss World contestant Michelle Reis. Wong's regular collaborators behind the camera are Australian expatriate and longtime Hong Kong resident Christopher Doyle, and William Chang, who edited as well as designing the sets and costumes.
Hong Kong has rarely been captured with as much energy as in this film, with Doyle's wide-angle lens used heavily and bursts of neon light lacerating the screen. Wong manages to veer deftly between comedy, violence, and both the infatuation and melancholy sides of romance. One minute the viewer is lost in a moody reverie, the next caught in a frenzy of movement and color.
The film was nominated for nine Hong Kong film awards and won for its cinematography, score, and for supporting actress Karen Mok. It helped turn Wong into a critical darling, making him the hottest international director of the mid-1990's. His influence can be found in the work of admirers from Quentin Tarantino (who would later help distribute Chungking Express in North America) to Sofia Coppola (whose Lost In Translation bears much homage to Wong).
Running time is approx. 90 minutes.
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