2046 **1/2 (out 0f 4) seen in Theater

2004
Directed and written by Kar Wai Wong.
With  Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Ziyi Zhang, Faye Wong

2046 is the year that Hong Kong loses its economic and political independence.  It is also the name of a science fiction novel that the main character Tony Leung is writing as well as the room number of many of the beautiful girls with whom he has liaisons with.  Strangely enough, the majority of the story takes place in the 60's in the swinging city with it's night clubs and brothels.  People go through sexual partners like  we today go through coke cans.  It's seedy and erotic.  But one of the women  from 2046, played by the beautiful Ziyi Zang, is able to maintain a relationship with Tony a bit longer, but of course  the relationship is fatal and doomed in the end.  At the end there is all remorse and regret.  Perhaps a message about that kind off lifestyle?

There is a beautiful series of shots that really hit home with me because they reminded me of my own home movies that my parents and other parents across America took in those days.  In these scenes, one of the girls from room 2046  will sit or stand near the hotel sign (60's style) in there 60's outfit staring off into the sky looking very melancholy.  All this is shot in handheld, 8 mm film and has that shaky, grainy homemade look.

Oh, yeah and then there's that sci-fi theme which comes and goes and the  sequence of the story is so convoluted that it is really difficult to make any kind of sense of it.  The sci-fi portion I suppose is some sort of metaphor about memories.  I really had trouble with that idea.

Recommended for those whose taste is patient and leans toward the avant-garde.