KHSargenius

This is one of those films that prove movies can be more than mere entertainment - this was a deeply moving personal experience for me.

I'm an adoptee myself, and being immersed in this world from the side of the prospective parents, well I guess I never really stopped to consider that very much. Now I do.

Set the popcorn aside and watch this film, and then think about family and relationships and the impact the arrival and anticipation of a child can have, especially if that child arrives by 'other means'.

Congrats Claire, and thanks for making me THINK of the thing that most people take for granted - family.

Do you ever have those dreams where you know you're dreaming and this knowledge becomes part of the dream itself? That's the feeling I had when I first watched this one. It's sheer magic - every frame soaked w/ that atmosphere balancing on a tight rope just exactly half way in between the conscious and the sub-conscious.

The plot itself is not really important - it's the fascination of the journey itself that is the most important. Just imagine those unreal shots from inside the car at night - they're like from an alien place, inside you.

It is a different story for every viewer. A story that is only hinted at, never spoon fed and if you pay attention and open up to it it'll stay w/ you for a long time. It's that kind of movie.

I've only been to Hong Kong once. But from what I could see it must be a bit of a strange place to live.

And judging by most of Wong Kar-Wai's movies I'm not the only one to think so.

Normal cinematic convention has it that we get know the characters through their needs and desires. And there's no doubt that every single person in this kaleidoscopic merry-go-round is searching for something. But exactly what that is, is left for each and everyone of us to figure out ourselves. Densely layered the movie speak of alienation, loss and search of identity, and coping with not finding yourself in the position where you'd like to be. We meet most of the people in sort of a middle space - they're trying to leave their old places and selves but hesitating to move forward - not knowing where to go.

As far as story telling goes this is some of the most purely visual stuff I've ever seen. Chris Doyle's cinematography is mind blowing. The visual's are the first and foremost - dialogue and the excellent VO's serve like tinted glasses, giving colour and mood to what we see, slightly altering our vision but always allowing the visuals to be the leader.