Join us for another Friday night pick by Jamison Standridge. This time featuring the 4k version of IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE, plus a previously-unseen 9 minute short film by Wong Kar Wai that follows the feature in this presentation.
The film: In 1962, journalist Chow Mo-wan (Tony Leung Chiu Wai) and his wife move into a Hong Kong apartment, but Chow's spouse is often away on business. Before long, the lonely Chow makes the acquaintance of the alluring Su Li-zhen (Maggie Cheung Man-yuk), whose own significant other also seems preoccupied with work. As the two friends realize their respective partners are cheating on them, they begin to fall for one another; however, neither wants to stoop to the level of the unfaithful spouses. Rated NR, 1h38m
Thank you to everyone who came to the screening of Vermiglio in June. It was such an exciting turnout for my first monthly curated screenings! The response has been overwhelming, and I was particularly heartened by the conversation that took place after the film as we discussed many aspects of the movie together as a group.
For my next pick, which will take place on Friday, July 18th at 7:00pm, I have chosen the film In the Mood for Love, regularly cited as one of the best films of the 21st century, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a special theatrical edition. While not all my choices in the future will be foreign films, I could not let this exciting opportunity pass by.
It will soon become apparent, but breathtaking and lush cinematography is an easy way for a film to make an impression on me, and cinema doesn't come any more beautiful than the movies of Hong Kong director Wong Kar-Wai and his faithful cinematographer Christopher Doyle.
Set during the 1960s, when HK was still under British occupation, two people find themselves shaken by a revelation that draws them towards one another in complex and fraught ways. This is a delicate, moody, impossibly sexy, and layered story of attraction, of social mores, and the ephemeral nature of youth, beauty, and love.
In the Mood for Love is a defining film that has influenced cinema for a quarter of a century and is one that requires being seen on the big screen. So please join me this July and stick around after the film for what will certainly be another lively and exciting discussion. I am looking forward to seeing you there!
Jamison