Here's a treat exclusively for DVD Corner readers north of the border ; one of last year's most highly acclaimed theatrical releases is coming to DVD in Canada on January 22nd, on this disc from Seville Pictures. (Those of you in the U.S. will have to wait for the Criterion release, on February 26th.) In a recent year-end wrap-up, one of the critics at the New York Times called this the best movie of 2001 ; you won't get much of an argument on that point from me.

Hong Kong, 1962. Mr. Chow (Tony Leung) and Mrs. Chan (Maggie Cheung) move with their spouses into apartments next door to one another. Their conversations are polite and restrained, though they soon find that they share an unfortunate bond: his wife and her husband are having an affair. As the realization becomes clear to them both, they spend more and more time together, sneaking undetected between apartments, stealing meals here and there, even role playing, what it might be like to confront a spouse with evidence of the affair. (These scenes quickly degenerate into recriminations ; they seem too hard for the characters to take, and they back off from them quickly.) They seem to ache for one another, and though the film doesn't hit the point too hard, their relationship seems never to get any further than the odd accidental grazing of hands. But the squint of Leung's eyes or furtive glances at one another as Cheung sways up a flight of stairs are more than sufficient to convey the depth of their emotions. Everyone else, though, seems to be engaged in some sort of infidelity. Part of Mrs. Chan's job description is tending to the boss's mistress, and seeing that she and his wife never cross paths; Mr. Chow's best friend at work ; he's a newspaperman ; frequently regales him with tales of his excesses, and even hits Chow up for money when he's in debt at the local whorehouse. (Here we see what I think is the one misstep in the otherwise pristine subtitles: the speak of dollars as their unit of currency, an unnecessary effort to Westernize the dialogue.) It's a story of smoldering and unconsummated passion that rivals Brief Encounter and The Remains of the Day in heartbreak, but it's as visually stunning and fluid as a Scorsese picture. And for those of us in the Western world, it's also a fascinating look at another time and place, the curious juxtapositions of Eastern and Western traditions in the early 1960s. (Costumes are particularly worth mentioning here: Maggie Cheung's dresses are informed both by the traditions of the kimono and the Jackie Kennedy aesthetic, and apparently the movie was a huge influence in fashion circles last year.) There isn't always tremendous narrative drive on display, but that's sort of the point ; it's a movie much more about the moment-to-moment mood (the English version of its title is no accident), not about the question that a dumbed-down Hollywood version would ask in every scene: Are they ever gonna get together? Wong Kar-Wai's camera work is extraordinary, as is his choice of images: he's frequently content to show an empty frame, recently vacated by one of his characters ; we'll see just a doorway, or a window, or an empty room. He's also nearly fetishistic about objects, and the passage of time ; one of his favorite devices is an extreme close-up of a clock, while the dialogue we hear is spouses lying to one another.

Picture: This is a gorgeously shot movie, and you'll revel in the cinematography and the production design. Costumes are sumptuous, as is the sinuously moving camera, especially when it slows down the action. There's the occasional bit of debris or pock mark on the screen, the kind of thing that you're likely to let slide in a picture shot in a more pedestrian manner, but unfortunately these little imperfections are magnified as the camera, say, sloooowly moves in on Maggie Cheung's retreating figure. The filmmakers have set the bar high, so it's only these tiny little imperfections that keep the disc from getting an A on this one. Sound: Not speaking a word of Cantonese, I cannot vouch for the clarity of the dialogue tracks, but things generally sound pretty good in terms of music and aural dynamics. Part of the near-fetishism of the filmmaking extends to the soundtrack ; when, for instance, Mr. Chow lights a cigarette, his lighter sounds like a jackhammer. The original score is nicely balanced with period music ; the filmmakers are after the muddled international effect of watching Hong Kong actors over Western music, especially Nat "King" Cole singing in Spanish.

There's a fine featurette here, that runs seventeen minutes or so ; it's clips of the movie interspersed with interviews with the director and the two lead actors. (Their English is excellent; the actors are a bit clearer than Wong Kar-Wai.) They describe a seemingly endless shoot, though they're clearly pleased with the results, as they should be; the director discusses his hatred of writing, which may account for the lack of conventional narrative thrust, and for the apparently rudderless feeling that seems to have permeated the set. There's also a photo gallery, a minute and a half of stills flashing by as the score plays; a screen listing the many awards the film won; biographies of the lead actors and the director; and trailers for this movie, as well as for Chinese Box, Eat Drink Man Woman, and Three Seasons. Additionally, there's a small section called "The World of In the Mood for Love," which briefly describes the costumes, hair, and "food menu." My favorite detail: with the success of the film, a Hong Kong restaurant where some of it was shot offered a special with your movie stub: a re-creation of a dinner out in the movie, $180 for two. (What a bargain!)

In the Mood for Love is a beautiful movie, though its rhythms and style may be less familiar to audiences weaned on shoot-em-ups. It's well worth seeking out and luxuriating in, and this disc provides a worthy version for those of you up north. Sit tight stateside, or brave the cold and travel: this movie is a worthy addition to any DVD collection.