Days of Being Wild-Theater

Days of Being Wild (1991), Dir. Wong Kar-Wai

First, let me make it clear that I love Wong Kar-Wai. I also love Christopher Doyle. This film does not disappoint. It contains scene after scene of quiet beauty, which is oh so refreshing with today's constant onslaught of indulgent, overwrought "moviemaking". Doyle chooses to move his camera slowly, deliberately, and quietly. There is no bravura in his movement. The form of the shots follows the function, as it should be. This creates an architectural structure that pulls you into the picture and doesn't let go. Once you've been pulled in, Wong makes the most of every moment for the next 90 minutes, which is really the point of the whole film. With a clock here and a clock there, one becomes quietly aware of the importance of time without the need for someone to say 'time is important' as they would in your typical Hollywood film.

Add to this the understated acting of Maggie Cheung (looking so young, by they way), and the suave Leslie Cheung, and you have a film that is so gracefully beautiful, you'll wonder why you don't watch this film every day.