Cheated by Love Grand Performances Heighten Romantic Power of ëMood for Loveí by Ky N. Nguyen From his perch at the vanguard of world cinema, Hong Kong auteur Wong Kar-wai delivers the stunningly gorgeous ìIn the Mood for Loveîóa title plucked from a Bryan Ferry song. A sort of second part to ìDays of Being Wild,î the story reunites Maggie Cheung (ìChinese Box,î ìComrades, Almost a Love Story,î ìGreen Snakeî) and Tony Leung Chiu Wai (ìFlowers of Shanghai,î ìHappy Together,î ìCyclo,î ìChungking Express,î ìHard-Boiledî), who also starred together in Wongís dreamy ìAshes of Time.î On the same day in 1962, Mrs. Chan and Mr. Chow move into their adjacent Hong Kong apartments without their spouses, who are always away at work. They eventually discover their spouses are having an affair. Turning to each other for support, Mrs. Chan and Mr. Chow become close but remain chaste. ìWe wonít be like them,î says Mrs. Chan. Nonetheless, in a claustrophobic society where every move is closely watched, they must take drastic steps to conceal their relationshipówhich is becoming something dangerously close to lov e. Wong recreates on film a detailed world that no longer exists. As usual, a sensational soundtrack, including romantic Spanish ballads sung by Nat King Cole, drives the mood on screen. Hou Hsiao-Hsienís frequent cinematographer Mark Lee Ping-bin shares duties with Wong regular Christopher Doyle, creating images that stand on their own as works of art. The color scheme is more subdued and classical than the Polaroid hues Doyle has used in Wongís recent films. Standard shots of rain and cigarette smoke are seen in a new light; theyíre as beautiful as theyíve ever been. Many tightly composed frames are viewed behind an object or around a corner, giving the audience a voyeurís perspective. The frequent changes of Cheungís lovely dresses (designed by William Chang, another long-time Wong collaborator) mark the passage of time. The efforts of Doyle, Lee, and Chang (for production design and editing) were rewarded with the Technical Grand Prize at Cannes 2000. Reportedly, Wong (Best Director, Cannes 1997 for ìHappy Togetherî) walked out of Cannes in a huff after the Palm DíOr went to ìDancer in the Dark.î Pop-star Bj^rkís performance also cost Cheung the Best Actress Award. Bj^rk is certainly capable in her last film role, but sheís no actress (as co-star Catherine Deneuve has said in press conferences). And sheís no Maggie Cheung, whose delicate expressions and gestures recall her scenes playing silent movie characters in ìThe Actressî (Best Actress, Berlin) and ìIrma Vepî (her prize was a husband, director Olivier Assayas). Cheung uses her beauty as an instrument, revealing Mrs. Chanís repressed emotions without words. Co-star Leung is no slouch either (Best Actor at Cannes), but Cheungís graceful Mrs. Chan remains etched in memory. After seeing ìIn the Mood for Love,î youíll ask: Why isnít Hong Kongís submission a nominee for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar? ìIn the Mood for Loveî (in Cantonese, Shanghainese, and French with English subtitles, 98 minutes) is playing at the Cineplex Odeon Outer Circle and Cinema Arts theaters. Bureaucracy in Action The Shooting Gallery kicks off its third series of foreign and independent films with the quietly engrossing ìLast Resort,î a festival favorite from Britain (not to be confused with the recent Israeli film). Single mother Tanya (Dina Korzun) and her pre-teen son Artiom (Artiom Strelnikov) have arrived at Londonís Stansted Airport from Moscow. Her English fiancÈ, who was supposed to meet them, is nowhere to be found and unreachable by phone. Under threat of deportation, Tanya applies for political asylum to remain in Britain. All asylum cases are sent to the bleak seaside resort of Stonehaven, a holding area where refugees must await a decision, which can take up to 18 months. Still unable to contact her fiancÈ, Tanya grows increasingly desperate while Artiom becomes involved with street kids. The only positive is the pairís friendship with arcade manager Alfie (Paddy Considine), who becomes interested in Tanya. Director Paul Pawlikowski has a background making documentaries, which is readily apparent here. In fact, the film began without a proper script, only an outline of characters. In a process somewhat similar to those used by Mike Leigh and Wong Kar-wai, scenes and lines were created in conjunction with the actors both before and during filming. Pawlikowski has created a low-key yet vivid portrait of his three main characters, offering many details to enhance the realism of their portrayals. Korzun and Strelnikov are very natural actors who almost seem like the non-professionals frequently used in Iranian movies. Reprising an apparently similar role in ìA Room for Romeo Brass,î Considine gives another distinctive performance. The grainy, often hand-held cameraworkóshot with minimal lightingó captures the townís grimness with an authentic feel. At other times, static composed wide shots help set what Pawlikowski calls ìthe atmosphere of a bad dream.î He sought to make a film with the humanism defined by ìpeople who defied the norm, whose personalities defied their environment, who despite being social underdogs havenít lost their ability to yearn.î He feels such humanism, though once common in European cinema such as neo-realism and the Czech New Wave, can now be found only in Chinese or Iranian cinemaóechoing praise stated by Werner Herzog. In fact, ìLast Resortî surpasses many modern Chinese and Iranian films of this ilk by developing characters and narrative that effectively engage the audience. ìLast Resortî (in English and Russian with English subtitles, 73 minutes) plays at least through March 8 at the Cineplex Odeon Foundry. ëWidow of Saint-Pierreí ìThe Widow of Saint-Pierreî is French director Patrice Leconteís rich follow-up to his dazzling ìThe Girl on the Bridge,î also starring the brilliant Daniel Auteuil. In the fall of 1849, a drunken murderer (Emir Kusturica) is sentenced to die on the tiny island of Saint-Pierre off the coast of Nova Scotia. Because Saint-Pierre is on French soil, the law requires that the condemned man, Neel, be executed by guillotine, which must be shipped from Martinique after the winter. Neel lands in the prison commanded by the garrisonís captain (Auteuil). Commonly called ìMadame La,î the liberal captainís wife (Juliette Binoche) takes on Neel as her protÈgÈówhich becomes problematic as the guillotineís arrival approaches. The French title, ìLa Veuve de Saint-Pierre,î is a play on words meaning both widow and guillotine. As usual in a Leconte film, the scope cinematography by Eduardo Serra is spectacular. The wide landscape shots set up the atmosphere of isolation, and the clasps show details of characters and objects. Leconte directs Clause Farraldoís script with gripping pacing. The spare dialogue is precise and often wittyóone scene is reminiscent of ìRidicule.î This movie is told largely by images, but the actors have plenty to do. All three principals flesh out their roles through subtle looks and mannerisms. In his debut non-cameo performance, Bosnian director Kusturicaís wonderfully understated performance transforms Neel from criminal to hero. Of course, the expectations are the very highest for veterans Auteuil and Binoche, among the finest actors of their generation. They do deliver with their unforgettable portrayals of a couple passionately in love. Binoche also shines expressing Madame Laís emotional relationship with Neel. Itís a credit to the marketing machinery at Miramax that landed multiple surprise Oscar nominations for the fluffy ìChocolat,î including a Best Actress nod for Binoche. Sheís pleasant enough, but her talents are far underused compared to her luminous performance in ìThe Widow of Saint-Pierre.î ìThe Widow of Saint-Pierreî (in French with English subtitles; 112 minutes, scope) has an anticipated March opening in Washington, D.C. Repertory Notes March brings many repertory screenings to Washington venues. In the midst of heightened tension following the Israeli elections, the Center for Policy Analysis on Palestine (www.palestinecenter.org, (202) 338-1290) continues Visions of Palestine on March 6, 13, and 20. The free video series presents documentaries of Palestinian life, including refugee issues. The National Gallery of Art completes its retrospective of Italian director Valerio Zurlini. The Freer and Sackler Galleries begin a series of Iranian director Abbas Kiarostamiís films, which will be packed with eager fans. Tickets can be reserved at 10 a.m., two Mondays before each event via Ticketmaster (ticketmaster.com, 202-432-SEAT). The behemoth Environmental Film Festival (www.capaccess.org/eff, (202) 342-2564) runs March 15 to 25 with screenings all over town. After talkies were invented, it was not uncommon for studios to shoot a film with separate takes in more than one language. In the year of Marlene Dietrichís 100th birthday, see her debut in the rare English version of ìThe Blue Angel,î March 2 at the Mary Pickford Theater of the Library of Congress. The Hirshhorn continues its winter-spring series March 1 and 2 with ìYi Yi (A One and a Two)î by Taiwanese director Edward Yang (Best Director, Cannes 2000). The DC Independent Film Festival (www.culturalassets.org, (202) 686-8867) launches with an International Womenís Sidebar at the National Museum of Women in the Arts on March 7. For all films, consult the International Film Directory and Film Clips for details. Ky N. Nguyen is the film reviewer for The Washington Diplomat.