Wong Kar Wai-Chung Hing sam lam ('Chungking Express') (1994)

CHUNGKING EXPRESS, cult filmmaker Wong Kar-Wai's hugely influential breakthrough, is a supremely stylish combination of love story and thriller, set in and around Hong Kong's infamous Chungking Mansions, a vast complex of shabby hostels, bars and clubs. The film tells the stories of two lovelorn cops (Takeshi Kaneshiro and Tony Leung) and the woman with whom they become involved: a mysterious drug dealer dressed in a blonde wig and sunglasses (Brigitte Lin), and an impulsive young dreamer (Faye Wong). Featuring a charismatic cast, cool pop soundtrack and stunning photography by Christopher Doyle, CHUNGKING EXPRESS is an unconventional and dazzlingly original modern day noir. Artificial Eye




Tasty take-out isn't the only thing served hot at this little fast-food place - the lives and loves of its colorful customers also criss-cross over the counter! From a lovesick cop and a mysterious blonde to a free-spirited girl pursuing a secret love, spicy romance is the specialty of this house! For deliciously crowd-pleasing romance and fun, Chungking Express delivers! KINO




Wong Kar-Wai's movie about two love-struck cops is filmed in impressionistic splashes of motion and color. The first half deals with Cop 223, who has broken up with his girlfriend of five years. He purchases a tin of pineapples with an expiration date of May 1 each day for a month. By the end of that time, he feels that he will either be rejoined with his love or that it too will have expired forever. The second half shows Cop 663 dealing with his breakup with his flight attendant girlfriend. He talks to his apartment furnishings until he meets a new girl at a local lunch counter. (http://imdb.com/title/tt0109424/plotsummary)




Two stories, two lovelorn cops, two objects of desire: one a big-time heroin dealer in deep trouble with her boss after the cargo disappears, the other a seriously flaky take-out waitress who inadvertently gets hold of the keys to her admirer's apartment, all shot in a breathless kaleidoscope of color and hand-held camera work to create a mesmerizing portrait of Hong Kong in the 1990s. (http://imdb.com/title/tt0109424/plotsummary)




Chungking Express tells two stories loosely connected by a Hong Kong snack bar. In one story, a cop who's been recently dumped by his girlfriend becomes obsessed with the expiration dates on cans of pineapple; he's constantly distracted as he tries to track down a drug dealer in a blond wig (played by Brigitte Lin). Meanwhile, another cop who's recently been dumped by his girlfriend (Tony Leung Chiu-Wai) mopes around his apartment, talking to his sponge and other domestic objects. He catches the eye of a shop girl (Hong Kong pop star Faye Wang) who secretly breaks in and cleans his apartment. (–Bret Fetzer - Editorial Reviews - Amazon.com)




If you're beginning to suspect that neither of these stories has a conventional plot, you're correct. What Chungking Express does have is loads of energy and a gorgeous visual style that never gets in the way of engaging with the charming characters. The movie was shot on the fly by hip director Wong Kar-Wai using only available lighting and found locations. The movie's loose, improvisational feel is closer to Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless than any recent film–and that's high praise. Quirky, funny, and extremely engaging, Chungking Express manages to be experimental and completely accessible at the same time. (–Bret Fetzer - Editorial Reviews - Amazon.com)