In mid-1960's Hong Kong, a womanizing writer in a hotel interacts with various guests, is haunted by his past, and imagines the metaphor-laden, futuristic story he's working on.
At the recent turn of the century/millennium, Wong Kar-Wai was perhaps the most acclaimed and exciting filmmaker in international cinema, a winner of many critics' and festival awards, and an influence on modern directors as varied as Quentin Tarantino and Sofia Coppola. An odd blend of the pop kineticism of early Jean-Luc Godard with the nostalgic introspection of Terrence Malick, Wong's hallmarks include shifting, existential narration from various characters, a dreamy sense of reverie, vintage and current pop songs on the soundtrack, and a heady, expressionistic visual atmosphere.
Wong's previous work In The Mood For Love (2000) earned him the best notices of his career. 2046 is a loose dovetail sequel to that film and his earlier Days of Being Wild (1990), with several older characters revisited, but in a distinctly separate plot. Easily his most ambitious project to date, Wong's common practice of open-ended shooting stretched out for years, with Wong's longtime collaborator, Australian cinematographer Christopher Doyle, eventually leaving for other work. The editing process was equally drawn-out, with the film arriving mere hours before its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.
Starring in the film are some of China's biggest movie stars, including Wong veterans Tony Leung, Faye Wong, Carina Lau, Maggie Cheung, as well as Gong Li (Raise The Red Lantern), and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon co-stars Zhang Ziyi and Chang Chen. Besides Doyle, Wong's other trusted collaborator behind the camera is William Chang, who handled the production design, costume design and the film editing.
The response at Cannes was mixed, with some feeling the film was overcooked. Wong continued to edit the film before its wide release. Many American critics raved the theatrical version, and in a nationwide poll of critics conducted by Film Comment magazine, it was ranked the second best film of 2004. At the Hong Kong Film Awards, winners included Leung, Zhang, the cinematography, the costume design, art direction, make-up, and original score.
Wong subsequently began a new chapter in his career with an American-set film featuring English-speaking actors, My Blueberry Nights (2007), and in 2013 is releasing his return to Hong Kong cinema (and Tony Leung) with The Grandmasters.
Running time is approx. 2 hrs.
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