Chungking Express

PG-13

Now Playing

1 hr. 43 min.

Comedy

List

88%

68 Reviews

Tomatometer

93%

25,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Every day, Cop 223 (Takeshi Kaneshiro) buys a can of pineapple with an expiration date of May 1, symbolizing the day he'll get over his lost love. He's also got his eye on a mysterious woman in a blond wig (Brigitte Lin), oblivious of the fact she's a drug dealer. Cop 663 (Tony Leung Chiu Wai) is distraught with heartbreak over a breakup. But when his ex drops a spare set of his keys at a local cafe, a waitress (Faye Wong) lets herself into his apartment and spruces up his life.

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Critics Consensus

Even if all it had to offer were writer-director Wong Kar-wai's thrillingly distinctive visuals, Chungking Express would be well worth watching; happily, its thoughtfully drawn characters and naturalistic performances also pack a potent dramatic wallop.

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Alec B

The first half is wildly unpredictable and funny so it is a little disappointing that the second half, despite Tony Leung Chiu Wai's great performance, is centered around a dud of a romance with a manic pixie dream girl. That said, I'm impressed that the near constant repeat of a few pop songs never gets tiresome.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/10/24

Full Review

S. C

Surely it doesn't let one down, like the previous, it's incredibly pretty to look at with vibrant colors, authentic sets and amazing cinematography. The soundtrack and score is phenomenal and even when overplayed you can't get enough of it. Lots of cool and creative technical shots and editing is also to find, which sometimes seems to be ahead of its time. Beautifully written characters and the cast is keeping that spirit up.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/13/24

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Bre C

love the soundtrack and the cinematography. is a must see!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/16/23

Full Review

Kevin L

Good stuff. Two interesting, unique stories to go along with a good soundtrack mix (though heavy on one track that sorta frames one character), and some nice camera effects. Kore-eda is a masterful filmmakers, and "Chungking Express" shows further signs of his increasing maturity. The conscious use of fast-action effects with one still figure works nicely along with the rushing burred chase scenes work to give a good sense of both a chaotic quality and about how life careens on around us whether we're in some pursuit or not. I really enjoyed the four lead characters and the actors bringing them to life. Especially good were Brigitte Lin and Faye Wong as two polar opposite personalities. Also good was Tony Leung as #663. The wistful, wacky waif thing Kore-eda had going for Faye got a bit cloying and went on a little too long. So 3.4 stars overall

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

11/18/23

Full Review

Matthew B

There are two stories in Chungking Express, and confusingly they are told one after another with seemingly little connection. They both involve police officers who attend the same snack food store, and that is the only connecting strand in the stories, at least in terms of the narrative. The director Wong Kar-wai had intended the film to include a third tale, which he instead made into a different film, Fallen Angels. This is unfortunate in terms of the artistic unity of this film. Another story would have made Chungking Express into a portmanteau film (a film made up of several short stories), a more familiar stylistic device. By contrast two stories of uneven length may confuse the unprepared viewer. However the decision to drop the Fallen Angels story from this film does allow the two stories to breathe more. The downside of portmanteau movies is that some stories end before the audience can fully enjoy them, which is why there are so few classic portmanteau movies. Here the stories both last for as long as they need to. While the two stories are only tenuously connected by the plot, there is a unity in their subject matter. It might even be said that Wong tells the same story twice, but he changes so many details that we might not immediately realise that this is what is happening. Both stories involve a cop who has broken up with his partner, and who is having a hard time moving on. Into his life comes a new woman who has the potential to disrupt his world, but who helps him to move past his failed relationship. Both stories contain sad elements, but Wong chooses to treat them lightly, and to emphasise their comic side. Wong Kar-wai's Hong Kong is a place where people can seek out their own dreams, and even transform their identity. There is two of almost everything in the movie – two cops, two women called May, two female snack bar assistants who might be interested in dating a cop, two women who choose to be flight attendants, and two women in blonde wigs. dentity is interchangeable here. Faye can take on the role of Cop 663's previous girlfriend, and even takes on her job as flight attendant. Cop 663 takes over the snack bar, and is listening to California Dreamin', thereby co-opting Faye's own identity. It seems that everyone can be someone else. Perhaps this is the solution to life in a bustling city where people are lost, and their identities blur into the mass. The film is about lonely individuals struggling to find a connection and companionship in a city that is filled with strangers. The mise en scène of the film (that is, its backdrop) gives the film its title, a combination of Chungking Mansions and the Midnight Express food stand. This is a part of the city where cultures mix, and crimes are committed. It seems like a microcosm of Hong Kong itself. Images on the screen are crowded with people walking by, and the camera work adds to our sense of malaise. Our perspective is altered by the dizzying effects of hand-held cameras, cross-cutting, scenes that are speeded up or slowed down, and blurry pixelated visuals, lending a music video look to the film. We do not become close friends with any of our four protagonists, but for a short time we are given a glimpse of warmth and intimacy, and a reminder that the better human instincts can survive in the toughest of environments. I wrote a longer appreciation of Chungking Express on my blog page if you would like to read more: https://themoviescreenscene.wordpress.com/2019/03/02/chungking-express-1994/

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

08/17/23

Full Review

Mikey H

Absolute perfection. This film made me feel nostalgic as I watched it. Top 5 for me.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/27/23

Full Review

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Kar-Wai Wong

Director

Brigitte Lin

Woman in Blonde Wig

Takeshi Kaneshiro

He Zhiwu, Cop 223

Tony Leung Chiu Wai

Cop 663

Faye Wong

Faye

Valerie Chow

Air Hostess

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Robert Horton

Film Comment Magazine

What Chungking Express has are a couple of interesting situations, which don't quite justify a feature-length movie.

Apr 10, 2018

Full Review

Jeff Shannon

Seattle Times

I've never been a big fan of technique that calls attention to itself, but Wong's frenetic blend of slow motion, pixilation, rushing backgrounds and frozen foregrounds (or vice versa) is as integral to this movie as its bubbly story and characters.

Rated: 3/4

May 28, 2014

Full Review

Peter Travers

Rolling Stone

[Wong's] hypnotic images of love and loss finally wear down your resistance as seemingly discordant sights and sounds coalesce into a radiant, crazy quilt.

May 28, 2014

Full Review

Tim Brayton

Alternate Ending

One of the greatest treasures of 1990s filmmaking.

Rated: 5/5

Mar 30, 2023

Full Review

Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

…a minor miracle of modern cinema, a sweet-hearted lightheaded meditation of the ups and down of romantic love that should leave any audience walking on air…

Rated: 5/5

Feb 23, 2023

Full Review

Panos Kotzathanasis

Asian Movie Pulse

Not much more to say, “Chungking Express” is one of the greatest films of all time, a must-watch for every fan of cinema.

Rated: 10

Dec 26, 2022

Full Review

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Synopsis

Every day, Cop 223 (Takeshi Kaneshiro) buys a can of pineapple with an expiration date of May 1, symbolizing the day he'll get over his lost love. He's also got his eye on a mysterious woman in a blond wig (Brigitte Lin), oblivious of the fact she's a drug dealer. Cop 663 (Tony Leung Chiu Wai) is distraught with heartbreak over a breakup. But when his ex drops a spare set of his keys at a local cafe, a waitress (Faye Wong) lets herself into his apartment and spruces up his life.

Director: Kar-Wai Wong
Executive Producer: Kar-Wai Wong
Screenwriter: Kar-Wai Wong
Distributor: Miramax Home Entertainment [us] , Miramax Films
Production Co: Miramax
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: Chinese
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 8, 1994, Original
Release Date (DVD): May 21, 2002
Box Office (Gross USA): $114.9K
Sound Mix: Stereo

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