2046 (2004) - Timelessly Aesthetic Personal Drama with Imaginative Science-Fiction Elements - 9/10 (21/10/24)

2046 is the eighth full length feature film by renowned Chinese director Wong Kar-Wai and it's also by far my favourite movie by him. This film combines elements of science-fiction and personal drama. It is loosely connected to some characters and events shown in previous movies Days of Being Wild, also known as Ah Fei Jing Juen, and In the Mood for Love, originally titled Fa Yeung Nin Wah. While it helps knowing the previous movies, you can still enjoy 2046 on its own and understand it very well.

This movie tells the story of a journalist and writer named Chow Mo-Wan, who meets different people in an apartment complex in Hong Kong. In chronological order, this includes extroverted cabaret dancer Lulu, as well as Jing-Wen who is in love with a Japanese man despite her father's vehement opposition, followed by young, seductive and inexperienced Jie-Wen, up next high-class prostitute Bai Ling and the protagonist's enigmatic former lover and gambler Su. All these characters search for happiness, love and recognition but struggle significantly to achieve any of these goals.

This movie convinces on numerous levels. First and foremost, it takes its time to flesh out its different characters in a detailed way thanks to a perfect running time clocking in just above two hours. The characters are diversified, realistic and unique which makes it easy to empathize with them or develop opinions upon them. The acting performances are outstanding and I would particularly point out Li Gong who excels in her mysterious role of an unpredictable gambler and Wong Faye who excels as a beautiful robot on a futuristic train who coaxes sincere feelings from a hapless human voyager. The latter science-fiction elements give this film a creative, fresh and unique perspective that is particularly memorable. The movie's settings are astonishingly colourful and make the description moving pictures particularly accurate. The film's moody soundtrack enhances the film's different atmospheres perfectly.

If Wong Kar-Wai had only decided to tell all the stories of these numerous fascinating characters until the very end, this movie would be considered a masterpiece. However, he has decided to adapt the same strategy he has been using time and again for the past fifteen years by letting viewers imagine what's not told on screen.

To conclude, 2046 is Wong Kar-Wai's most beautiful movie and goes down as a timelessly aesthetic personal drama with imaginative science-fiction elements that even outclasses the director's numerous other moving pictures.