for a long time i do not know weather i like this film or not . this be surprising and because i usually do know and but because the film do not go anywhere and i be a bit confused . two people move into a somewhat communal household setting . find their spouse constantly work or away on business trip and their attention and out of sheer loneliness and wanders to each other . after a platonic love affair and the male lead play by tony leung chiu disclose that he have a mistress on the side . su li zehn and play by maggie cheung be hurt and even though their love affair have not be physically consummate . chiu leave the country and only to come back year later and when everything have change . for the cynic part and the film be correct . by never actively or actually touch the part of love and but only approach it and the film and admittedly say more than so many others have on the subject . it be also true and i think and that nothing good could have come if they do go on to have the affair . at least that the feeling i get . if we be to believe it and however and when garica marquez write that . love be a state of grace while not the mean to anything but the alpha and the omega and an end in itself and then this film fall miserably short of this and a do all others . or and if you be incline to entirely incomplete minimalism and hit it right on the mark . what film in history have achieve and approach and or sustain this phrase and if for only a short while . my honest feeling in memory be that about two . when harry meet sally suggest effectively this romantic perfection while and the get be all in just get there . it be interest that in when harry meet sally and this be do in the course of woo and rather than in it attainment . can not anyone say anything good about love after it have be achieve by two individual . nicholas spark recent film the notebook come close to this perhaps than any other film while be we to believe that once love be achieve it fly of the radar only to exist in perfection in some other dimension and or and more true perhaps and become latent vehicle for other end . in the mood for love be an honest film and with gorgeous and generous cinematography worthy in all respect of the best that almodovar have to offer and yet all it manage to say in the end be that life be sometimes like this . now this be by no mean a diffident thing to say and especially if say well and but the problem really come at the end of the last act when kar wai wong try to round out the film by relate and only for the second time and a broad historical theme that play in the background of the relationship which have just take place . this be a worthy effort and and the variation on the musical motif play throughout the film be rather brilliant and but the theme relatively spare indictment play too little to have much more than a superficial effect on the holistically inclined audience and leave the viewer to split the difference and a mistake in any film . a director should know where he be go and and how to get there . but in all honesty and it be only one wrong turn . however and a anyone know and all it take be one notable imperfection to spoil the perfect barrel of honey . the effort and though and be definitely worth while while try to let a historical theme broaden and round out the film and raise it beyond the micro meaning of the couple and but without any real foreshadowing and it be the crucial mistake . in a word and and unfortunately and it be too little too late . it be also and i think and too much of a challenge for the non asian viewer not familiar enough with china history to appreciate completely this sweeping stroke .