Halfway House: In the Mood For a Nap

halfway house halfway through the day, we stop a movie 'bout halfway through... what do we see?

49 minutes into In the Mood for Love: a sticky rice snack and short nap

Mrs. Chan (Maggie Cheung) and Mr. Chow (Tony Leung Chiu Wai) are eating sticky rice, killing time until the coast is clear and she can leave his rented room. They haven't cheated on their spouses (who never appear in the movie) but they're obsessed with appearances

Mr. Chow: What would they assume?
Mrs. Chan: One can't put a foot wrong

...and with good reason, too. It's not hard to read their love, however languidly they try to sidestep it. Director Wong Kar Wai, his art director/costumer (William Chang) and cinematographers (Christopher Doyle and Pin Bing Lee) are also obsessed with appearances. The beauty of this movie can render one speechless.

In the Mood For Love just aches with longing throughout. Every time I see this couple I just want them to tear each other's clothes off and pretend they're in Lust, Caution instead. They're so painfully separated even when they're sharing a frame. It's a heartbreaker and one of the masterpieces of the decade.
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