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Brigitte Lin, Faye Wong, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Valerie Chow, Tony Leung Chiu Wai

Wong Kar-Wai's movie about two love-struck cops is filmed in impressionistic splashes of motion and color. The first half deals with Cop 223, who has broken up with his girlfriend of five years. He pu... read more read more...rchases a tin of pineapples with an expiration date of May 1 each day for a month. By the end of that time, he feels that he will either be rejoined with his love or that it too will have expired forever. The second half shows Cop 663 dealing with his breakup with his flight attendant girlfriend. He talks to his apartment furnishings until he meets a new girl at a local lunch counter.

Flixster Users

93% liked it

37,323 ratings

Critics

96% liked it

28 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 43 min.

Directed by: Kar Wai Wong

Release Date: March 8, 1996

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DVD Release Date: May 21, 2002

Stats: 2,460 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (2,460)

  • itsjustme2004
    February 2, 2012
    itsjustme2004
    Fast paced cinematography adds a lot of rather good visuals to this movie. This film is a two parter. The first story ends abruptly, and without a clear resolution, and I can't say that cared for that one much. The second story, however, works a little better. Rather interesting,... read more and quirky. This film was a little more "artsy" than I prefer.
  • fb1216165431
    September 10, 2011
    fb1216165431
    Two police officers and two distinct, compelling, and peculiar stories of intimacy, The Chungking Express is a Kar-Wai Wong masterpiece that perfectly captured the Hong Kong night culture with inventive cinematography, exuberant music, and exceptional talent. Irresistible.
  • 76Majikat
    March 12, 2011
    76Majikat
    This wasn't an instant hit with me, it plodded along slowly and seemed to have little structure in storyline, however it does begin to grow on you as the characters develop and the plot thickens. The photography style also gives the film a very modern look.
  • dwt5411
    February 20, 2011
    dwt5411
    Wong Kar Wai broke all kinds of cinematic molds with this Hong Kong black comedy about drug mules, expired pineapple cans, brief loves and twisted obsessions. Wong's frenetic stylistics and ostentatious use of music highlight Chungking Express, an international filmic pioneer.
  • SarahG1988
    January 23, 2011
    SarahG1988
    Simply amazing! I loved every minute of this film. The whole storyline seemed familar, though, at times. I feel that is because Hollywood has used this type of film structure in many films that I have seen.

    I enjoyed the storyline, two lonely cops both connected by a Honk Kong... read more snack bar- just brilliant. Although I have to say the second part of the film was a lot better than the first and was the heart of the film for me.

    Once again the cinematography was amazing and I've noticed re-accuring themes such as; love and connections in Wong's films. I'm certainly going to watch more of his films, as I've loved all that i've watched so far.

    I wish we saw more original films in Hollywood today and why can't they all be as beautiful like this?

    Some brilliant performances from Tony leung and faye Wong, which for me made the film what it is. Again, I'll be watching more og Leung's films as he is becoming one of my favourite actors.

    Really, everybody should watch this film. I can't recomend this enough!
  • axadntpron
    May 1, 2010
    axadntpron
    A fantastic and beautiful movie about loneliness in a big city. This film is split up into two stories about heartache. I would love to see this movie get released in the United States. It takes patience and while not giving anything away, you find the heartfelt but quirky ways t... read morehat people deal with loneliness.
  • LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    December 11, 2009
    LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    "If my memory of her has an expiration date, let it be 10,000 years..."

    Two stories, two lovelorn cops, two objects of desire: one a big-time heroin dealer in deep trouble with her boss after the cargo disappears, the other a seriously flaky take-out waitress who inadvert... read moreently gets hold of the keys to her admirer's apartment, all shot in a breathless kaleidoscope of color and hand-held camera work to create a mesmerizing portrait of Hong Kong in the 1990s.

    REVIEW

    I finally got a chance to finish this movie and I have to say that I love it. It's a very expressionistic piece with a lot of attention to film details, such as editing, framing, camera-work, etc. that makes film geeks like me gush with enthusiasm. There's a buoyancy and an energy to almost every second of the film that makes the budget production quality seem like an enhancement rather than a problem--it's as though this film could only be made on a limited budget, using a hand-held camera, cheaper filmstock and so forth. First of all, this film is not about story or even characters in the traditional story sense, although there is a little character development, it's more about communicating the experience of the characters to the audience in a way that incorporates the entirety of the film. In that way, it reminds me of Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless. However, this film is a bit more centered on the characters' experience of getting over heartbreak and attempts to find new love amidst the heartbreak.

    The acting in the film is just fine, although I'd have to give the upper hand to the second half of the film's duo over the first. However, despite the solid acting overall, this film is really a director's film. Some of the tricks that director Wong Kar Wai pulls are just so perfect in capturing mood and emotion. The writing is a little unspectacular, but then again, the use of voice-over and the simplistic nature of the dialogue all help drive the experiential effect of the film. There are weaknesses in the film, like the story and the occasional moments where my suspension of disbelief is tested, but these are minor details, since the film's emotional and experiential power had me feeling quite effervescent at the end of the film. I loved it.
  • dunmyer
    November 3, 2009
    dunmyer
    The stylish but superficial Wong Kar Wai is the most over-rated filmmaker in Asia. He is Asia's answer to the clever but shallow Coen Brothers. With 1994's "Chungking Express," Mr. Wong bores us to tears by playing the song "California Dreamin" by the Mamas and the Papas about a ... read moredozen times.

    Hearing the same song over and over is like Chinese water torture. Mr. Wong's screenplay is another form of torture. We meet four characters who have as much going on in their heads as the goldfish in the main character's aquarium. These human goldfish swim through life blithely and aimlessly, looking for the next scrap of mild pleasure to amuse themselves.

    To them, relationships are mild trifles to be enjoyed before one moves onto something else. So we just watch them flit along vacuously. Yet Mr. Wong is not presenting this view of the world in a critical way. He intends his audience to have the same kind of mild pleasure as the characters on the screen do. He brings a sophisticated style of cinematography to the table, but his stories are even more shallow than the average TV sitcom. Why, oh why, does this filmmaker/goldfish continue to get great reviews around the world?
  • SirPant
    September 30, 2009
    SirPant
    Wong Kar Wai's influences from the French 'New wave' are clear but he definitely brings his own style and flare to this beautiful and unconventional film
  • sanjurosamurai
    August 19, 2009
    sanjurosamurai
    an innovative and captivating drama of heart break told as two short films that are loosely connected by coincidental circumstances. wong's characters are engaging and most of the dialogue was well done. unfortunately, the short story of the two featured that i most enjoyed was... read more not fleshed out well enough and was the shorter of the two. the second story, which was also good but not as much so, was given most of the screen time and was fleshed out well. had the first story been given twenty or so more minutes this film could have reached masterpiece status for me, but even as it is i loved watching it and i highly recommend it.

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Critic Reviews

Kevin Thomas
February 14, 2001
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times

As fresh as falling rain, a pair of love stories full of pain and humor. Full Review

Jeff Millar
January 1, 2000
Jeff Millar, Houston Chronicle

It's interesting enough to watch for most of its length because of Wong's incisive camera work and his intense immersion of the Hong Kong night culture.

Roger Ebert
January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

This is the kind of movie you'll relate to if you love film itself, rather than its surface aspects such as story and stars. Full Review

James Berardinelli
January 1, 2000
James Berardinelli, ReelViews

Once the viewer gets past bouts of confusion (the film demands more than one viewing), the result is a uniquely memorable look at the ties that bind all people. Full Review

Gary Kamiya
January 1, 2000
Gary Kamiya, Salon.com

A frenetic one-way ride through The Land of Vaporous Plot, with stops along the way at Irritatingly Cute Extended Metaphor City. Full Review

Mick LaSalle
January 1, 2000
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

More impressive than engaging. Full Review

Joe Baltake
January 1, 2000
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee

A movie that has Tarantino's brand of kinetic, eccentric energy but that's much more soulful. Full Review

Jason Anderson
April 20, 2011
Jason Anderson, eye WEEKLY

Quentin Tarantino and Xavier Dolan are just two of the directors who've worshipped at the altar of Wong Kar-wai. Chungking Express remains the best reason why. Full Review

Rob Nelson
September 1, 2009
Rob Nelson, City Pages, Minneapolis/St. Paul

As Time Goes Wild Full Review

Matt Noller
November 25, 2008
Matt Noller, Slant Magazine

Despite the liveliness of Chungking Express's first half, it's this second story that catapults it into the company of Wong's best films. Full Review

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    • He Quiwu Cop 223: Do you like pineapple?
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Chungking Express Trivia

  • What Mamas & Papas song does Faye Wong's character listen to incessantly in Chungking Express?  Answer »
  • Which movie had the tagline "If my memory of her has an expiration date, let it be 10,000 years..."?  Answer »
  • Which Wong Kar-Wai film prominently features the song 'California Dreamin'?  Answer »
  • Who directed Chungking Express, 2046, Days of Being Wild, and In the Mood for Love?  Answer »
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