45 - Days of Being Wild (1990)

I have been on a Wong Kar-Wai kick lately. This powerful film was voted No. 3 in 100 Best Hong Kong films. It continues pursuing two of Wong’s themes of searching for love and reacting to being rejected. If the main character Yuddy (or “York”), played with sensitivity by handsome Hong Kong actor Leslie Cheung, has elements of James Dean, it is well to remember that the film gets its name from the title given to Rebel Without a Cause when it was released in China.

Set in 1960-1961 Hong Kong and the Philipines, York picks up innocent Su Li-zhen (Maggie Cheung) and promptly dumps her. York has issues stemming from being adopted and raised by an ex-prostitute Rebecca (Rebeca Pan) who refuses to reveal who his Philipino mother is. York picks up dance hall worker Leung Fung-ying aka ”Lulu” or “Mimi” (Carina Lau), Mimi moves in and intends to stay with him. York’s best friend Zeb (Jacky Cheung) quickly falls in loves Mimi and is rejected. Su returns for her things, but hopes to hook back up with York. After he rejects her again, she begins a tentative friendship with a caring policeman named Tide (Andy Lau).

The script by Jeffrey Lau and Wong Kar-Wai seems more interested in building moods and creating psychological moments than concentrating on substantial plot. When I think of the film, I tend to remember the brooding close-ups more than locations or actions.

The introduction at the end of a new character, Chow Mo-wan (played briefly by Tony Leung Chiu Wai), is explained by a note on IMDB which says that he was intended to be the main character in a second film which was never made.

Strong performances and an interesting mood piece.

Days of Being Wild (1990) ****