Many people here seem to be of the opinion that this film is not very typical of Wong's work. I would like to disagree. To me, this film is a very typical Wong film. That is, if you are expecting the absolutely perfect colours, pictures and frames of 'In the Mood for Love', you will be disappointed. This film, like many of his other films, has a more rough quality to it.

All you who have seen 'In the Mood' and liked it should really see this film, as I don't think you can understand 'In the Mood' without having seen this one. I was not particularly overwhelmed by 'In the Mood', but now that I have seen this film, I at least understand the later film better. So maybe also those who did not like 'In the Mood' should see this one, as it might change their perception of that film.

To me Wong Kar-Wai's best film is still Chungking Express. And this film, although kind of in line with that film, does not reach up to that standard. I am glad I saw this film, as it explains other parts of Wong's work to me, but were it not for the sake of understanding that bigger picture, I don't think I would recommend it.

I don't recall having seen any of Wong Kar-wai's movies before now, so I suppose that his "A fei zing zyun" ("Days of Being Wild" in English) is an OK place to start. It focuses on a playboy in 1960 Hong Kong and his relationships while he tries to find out the identity of his birth mother. Much of the movie takes place in dark settings, making Hong Kong look like a seedy place, far different from the image that we usually get of it. This is one movie that really tests your attention span.

I guess that I can't fully assess this movie without having seen the rest of Wong's movies. Even so, it's a profound, thought-provoking look at the characters and their interactions with each other. Often when I watch these movies, I wonder if I've missed certain cultural nuances. Whether or not I have, I still recommend it, just as long as you remember that you really gotta pay attention here.