Anjos Caídos

Visually stunning, with so many effects and shots - the neon lights, reflections, colors, wide angle lens, low frame rate, handheld camera, titled angles - and they all work without seeming like gimmicks, giving the film great style. I just wish the story and feelings had been as profound as the cinematography.

Wow. Fallen Angels really surprised me. I rarely read reviews or synopses of movies before viewing. So, I expected to see classic Hong Kong shoot 'em up gangsta film. Instead, I was intrigued and stunned by this incredible movie.

The characters are the focus as they each tell their stories. Literally, the title "Fallen Angels" gives you an idea of their plight. The film doesn't glorify the criminal lifestyle and shows aspects like isolation and loneliness. It's funny how the killer even tries to imagine how happy he'd be trying to live a "normal" life working a 9 to 5. Unfortunately, life's placed him in his predicament and must deal with the ramifications of it. Add to it his agent (played by knockout Michelle Reis) who is really enigmatic in this one. Her scene at the jukebox is one that displays the pain, agony, and confusion that she is going through. Plus, that song is like joy and torture for her at the same time!

Then, there is He. A man of few words who's story may be one of the most moving. Who could've thought a video could be so powerful and sentimental? This may be one of the most strangest, complex, yet fascinating characters I've ever onscreen. His silent nature, line of work (which is the oddest form of coercion I've ever seen!), and his struggles are really played well by Takeshi Kaneshiro, especially his scenes with his dad.

Wong Kar Wai's direction really makes the film. I really loved the dark, trippy music soundtrack which helped glaze on a slick, surreal coating. It sounds like something that would've been produced by Tricky, Massive Attack, or Portishead. While this may not have a bloody, high body count, the story told here makes this such a worthwhile movie and can be appreciated after repeated viewings.

Hong Kong: a contract killer tries to leave the business, while other side stories intersect and bond with each other.

Following Kar Wai's style, this film explores emotions and feelings, in this case, loneliness.

Among characters who want to change their lives, others stuck in memories and illusions, passing by personalities who have never created decent and beneficial human connections, there is a seductive and moving narrative that shows us that in a world of encounters and mismatches, in the end we are alone, regardless of what we do along the way.

The style of photography, where the camera is very close to the actors, distorting the proportions, leads us to be very close to the events, to easily create empathy and to experience the same as the characters. The score, as always, incredible and perfectly played.

Wong Kar-wai's Fallen Angels dives headfirst into the cultural alienation and milennial dread of modern-day Hong Kong. The film has a distinctly detached feeling about it that is certainly close to what its characters must feel. Some scenes are hypnotic and dreamlike, while others seem brutally real. The film's characters always seem to be wandering, or, perhaps, simply going through the motions of life. The voice-overs - which Wong uses as effectively as any director since the heyday of Terrence Malick - effectively add an extra dimension to the characters. The ending of Fallen Angels is one of the most beautiful, poetic, and true ever filmed.

While this film's predecessor, Wong's Chungking Express is a wonderful, exceptional movie, Fallen Angels is ultimately superior - a masterpiece that Wong only surpassed with his last film, the astonishing In the Mood for Love. Still, while In the Mood for Love may be Wong's best film to date, Fallen Angels remains (as it probably always will) the quintessential Wong Kar-wai picture in that it perfectly embodies the bold, Godardian, recklessness that the name Wong Kar-wai immediately brings to mind. 10/10

Movie is beautifully shot, cinematography is great, the atmosphere and colors, slow motion shots and visual effects are all great. Some parts are extremely boring but it fits the vibe of loneliness and sad lives the characters have. Film seems way longer than it actually is. I appreciate the visual side, characters are extrime but it still gets you tired from watching.