2046 movie review

      Directed by Wong Kar-Wai, Starring Tony Leung, Gong Li, Faye Wong, and Zhang Ziyi. Ive been really meaning to see this film for years and years upon its release because at the time it came out back in 2004, there was really no possible way I could see it because of its R rating for some explicit sex. Its a nice feeling you have when you actually can view something you weren't allowed to do at one point of your life.... adds a whole mystique... anyways thats besides the point. Taking place in the 1960s, the movie focuses on the life of a man which I thought was a hustler and tells the many relationships he's had with many of the women he's come by throughout the decade. Some ending with blood, and some ending with tears. He lives in an apartment complex next to the room his past lover lived in, no. 2046, because he was going to move in with her at some point before she was stabbed to death by a jealous ex-boyfriend.  He then meets other women, having glamorous relationships with in the same apartment number. He is  writing a science fictional story about a japanese man boarding a train with a butler and female androids which the man falls in love with, but it is very uncertain where this train will take him. This story he says is a reflection of his life and contrasts the characters with people whom he has met. The movie is told through a series of stories and is spoken in mandarin and japanese which can be hard to track at times.

     Overall I'd rank this movie as the best romance film of all time. Its a highly ambitious film that takes you through the past and future. The romance in this movie is absolutely appealing. There is also a lot of romantic depth and symbolism. The visuals are absolutely stunning both in the science fictional scenes and the scenes in the 1960s. The music builds a very dramatic atmosphere which is used very well throughout the film. The characters were very distinguished and complex. The camera also has a panavision effect to it which I loved. Ive heard that the film won several awards when it was released in the Cannes film festival. This film reminds me of a time in my life when I made stories about science fictional worlds and parallel realities. I would've really enjoyed it if I saw it back when it was released, but oh well! This movie gets a rating of: A.