In the Mood for Love Stills

[Jamaica]

These stills (taken by Wing Shya) are from the Criterion Collection release of "In the Mood for Love." One of many wonderful extras on this dvd set.

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v327/JamaicaK/In%20the%20Mood%20for%20Love%20photo%20gallery/
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"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." - Groucho Marx

[In The Mood For Leung]

Even though ITMFL was mostly shot indoors, imo, it is the most sensuously Hongkong of all TL's films.
It is stylistically noirish but not really noir. And the delightful colors play an important role in the film.

I am so in love with and in the mood for this film.


Thanks jamaica for the link.

[Jamaica]

I always think of ITMFL, and 2046, both as noir pictures, even though, like you say, they don't really fit the definition of a noir picture - something about the atmosphere seems fitting to noir; and Chow Mo Wan, as a character, (particularly in 2046), seems like a character to step out of such a picture. I recently watched "Mood" again, for the tenth time, or so, and its full impact hit me. It really is a stunner. Though 2046 is my favorite of Tony's films, I don't think it will be so easy watch multiple times as ITMFL.... (but holy cow is Tony ever astounding in 2046! I can't believe that version of Chow Mo Wan springs from Tony, who seems so quiet, and ghostly, in his presence. Man! Acting is magic!)
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"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." - Groucho Marx

[In The Mood For Leung]

That 'magic' is what separates an actor from a movie star: the former inhabits the character he/she plays, the latter plays himself/herself in a movie.
An actor does not always and necessarily have to inhabit the character (method acting) to be a true actor, though; sometimes an actor is just so good in his/her craft that he/she is able to "fool" the audience/pull it off.
One can tell, though, that TL uses method more, which is great.
As a great actor, TL is in the same league as Joseph Cotten, Bette Davis and Marlon Brando to name a few and certainly not a movie star like Tom Cruise or Jude Law.
When I watch TL's films, I forget that I am his fan as I don't see him on the screen and I become absorbed with the character. Every film of his is a unique experience.
In contrast and as a point of comparison in HK pictures- if you have seen one Andy Lau movie, you have seen them all.

[Jamaica]

Frankly I found Andy Lau to be brilliant in "The Warlords." Definitely a different character than his Ming in "Infernal Affairs."

As for Tony, he has this nice knack to emit a different personality, even though all those characters will have the same crooked smile, same walk (in most cases), etc. Even though he starts from the outside in, to create a character, the differences in his his performances come from what's going on internally. Like he points out, as long as HE believes he's this character, the essence he emits is different than himself, or other characters he plays.

BTW, someone on IMDB said the exact same thing about Tony, that you did about Andy. Makes me wonder what it is an audience member brings to a viewing, that causes one of them to see the exact opposite in an actor, of what the next person sees.

I definitely agree that there is a strong western influence on Tony as an actor. I wouldn't be surprised if this was also true of Lau Ching Wan, (and I know it's true of Anthony Wong, who loves Pacino.) The Method influence sets them apart, for sure.

BTW, I definitely wouldn't put Jude Law on the movie star list. He may have spent a lot of time playing movie star roles, but he's a character actor at heart. First time I saw him was in "Gattaca" - he was perfect.

Then again, I believe there are two sorts of actors, and I don't divide them into the categories of "movie star" and real "actor." I divide them into actors who use their own usual selves to "channel" a character: Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman, Angelina Jolie, for example, and then there are the chameleons: Robert Duvall, Billy Bob Thornton, Gary Oldman, Daniel Day Lewis, ie. A person may be more impressed by one group than the other, but each group has it's strengths. The first group: their emotional believability is so strong, that it puts them on a whole different level than the Tom Cruises who "play themselves." The second group: half the time you don't realize you've seen them before in something else. I suppose Tony falls somewhere in between, and maybe that's where DeNiro and Pacino live.

In any case, even though in the world of acting, as far as I'm concerned, Robert Duvall is god, I still find great value in what Denzel Washington does - that man can make me bawl like a baby when he cries, because his anguish comes from his heart. One type doesn't necessarily have more value than the other. They present the truth in different ways, but it's still the truth.

As for Tony, all I know is that he moves me, tremendously, and he's awakened that old passion and excitement for acting, and movies, that I haven't felt in some time. He's made it all seem new again! I wish more of the film world would open up to him, and give him a broader selection of roles, because in watching most of his film career over these last several months, I've seen what incredible strides he's made over the years. My God, what talent! Just the difference between the quality and confidence in his work in "People's Hero," to "Hard Boiled" makes my head spin, and THEN to compare advances he's made from "Hard Boiled" to "2046," and "Lust Caution" is absolutely monstrous! What he could do, if more of the world's film industry would wake up, and consider him for their roles....

Oh dear..... don't get me talking about acting.....
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"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read." - Groucho Marx