Chungking Express (1994)

  This was tied for 88th place with The Shining on Sight and Sound's Best Movie poll, released a couple of weeks ago.  Not sure how that sort of thing gets tabulated as those are two wildly different animals, but that's film nerds for you.

Chunking Express links two separate vignettes of lonely, heart-broken cops (and the deeply problematic women they're in love with) by vibes only.  He (Takeshi Kaneshiro), was dumped by a woman just before his birthday, so he drowns his sorrows in 30 cans of pineapple chunks, and then with alcohol, promising himself that he will fall in love with the next woman to walk through the door.  A blonde-wigged criminal (Brigitte Lin) walks in and He attaches himself to her, desperate for any connection.  Meanwhile, Cop 663 (Tony Leung) is slowly moving on after being dumped by a stewardess, but not fast enough for Faye (Faye Wong), who works at the sandwich shop 663 stops by every night of his shift.  She reads his Dear John letter, pockets the key, and begins letting herself into his apartment when he is out.

Like I said, Deeply Problematic.  Kaneshiro and Leung are incredibly charismatic actors, and probably the only reasons this film works at all.  They both manage a deep vulnerability without seeming weak.  Lin is enigmatic, world-weary, femme fatale all the way, but Wong is a prize away from full Cracker Jacks no matter how Manic Pixie she is.  I kept yelling "RUN, MAN, SAVE YOURSELF" at my TV.

No, I don't think this is equal to or better than The Shining.  And I don't even like The Shining; I think it's overrated as hell.  Wong Kar-Wai is a master auteur but this film used an extremely annoying camera motion where everything looked like it had been dragged through an oil slick.  If you're prone to seasickness, maybe give this a pass.  Otherwise, it's currently streaming on the Criterion Channel.