Chungking Express

Chungking Express is a 1994 Hong Kong romantic mystery comedy-drama film written and directed by Wong Kar-wai. The film consists of two stories told in sequence, each about a lovesick Hong Kong policeman mulling over his relationship with a woman. The first story stars Takeshi Kaneshiro as a cop who is obsessed with the break-up of his relationship with a woman named May and his platonic encounter with a mysterious drug smuggler (Brigitte Lin). The second stars Tony Leung as a police officer who is roused from his gloom over the loss of his flight attendant girlfriend (Valerie Chow) by the attentions of a quirky snack bar worker (Faye Wong). The film depicts a paradox in that even though the characters live in densely-packed Hong Kong, they are mostly lonely and live in their own inner worlds.

If my memory of her has an expiration date, let it be 10,000 years.. (taglines)

Cop 223

We're all unlucky in love sometimes. When I am, I go jogging. The body loses water when you jog, so you have none left for tears.
We split up on April Fool's Day. So I decided to let the joke run for a month. Every day I buy a can of pineapple with a sell-by date of May 1. May loves pineapple, and May 1 is my birthday. If May hasn't changed her mind by the time I've bought thirty cans, then our love will also expire.
Somehow everything comes with an expiry date. Swordfish expires. Meat sauce expires. Even cling-film expires. Is there anything in the world which doesn't?
If memories could be canned, would they also have expiry dates? If so, I hope they last for centuries.
In May's eyes, I'm no different from a can of pineapple.
At the high point of our intimacy, we were just 0.01 cm from each other. I knew nothing about her. Six hours later, she fell in love with another man.
[calling potential dates] Lulu? This is Qiwu. Want to come out for a drink? You're in bed already? This early? You were asleep? Never mind. Bye. Chieko-san? Guess who? This is Qiwu. That's right. Want to come out for a drink? Your husband? When did you get married? Five years! Has it been that long? You have two kids! You're happy, that's great! Okay, never mind. Is Kong Siu-wai there? This is He Qiwu. We were classmates in grade four. You don't remember? Nothing, goodbye.
Do you... like pineapple?

Cop 663

Since she left, everything in the flat is sad. Everything needed lulling to sleep. [to soap bar] You've lost a lot of weight, you know. You used to be so chubby. Have more confidence in yourself. [to washcloth] You have to stop crying, you know. Where's your strength and absorbency? You're so shabby these days.
I thought we'd stay together for the long haul, flying like a jumbo jet on a full tank. But we changed course.
[after he finds out his apartment was flooded] Did I leave the tap running, or is the apartment getting more tearful? I always thought it would cope okay. Didn't expect it to cry so much. When people cry, they can dry their eyes with tissues. But when an apartment cries, it takes a lot to mop it up.
[to new soap's bar] You mustn't let yourself go. You've gained weight so fast. She may have gone but life goes on. You must stop indulging yourself. [to new towel] You're a real disappointment to me. You've changed so much. You can't just switch personality like this. Her walking out is no excuse. [as it drips] It was such a relief when I saw it crying. It may look different, but it's still true to itself. It's still an emotionally charged towel.
[after his date failed to meet him in "California" restaurant] Actually she did go to California that evening. But it was the other one.
[to Faye about previous restaurant's owner] He has great business sense. First he sold me fish and chips, then the whole thing.

Woman in blonde wig

Somehow I've become very cautious. When I put on a raincoat, I put on sunglasses too. Who knows when it will rain, or when it will turn out sunny?
Actually, really knowing someone doesn't mean anything. People change. A person may like pineapple today and something else tomorrow.

Stewardess

[in a letter to Cop 663] Change of flight. Your place cancelled. Here's your key. Bye.

Dialogues

Cop 223: Any canned pineapple that expires on May 1?

Cashier: You know what day it is today?

Cop 223: April 30?

Cashier: Right. You think we sell outdated stock?

Cop 223: There's still two hours to go.

Cashier: Nobody would buy it. Get a fresh one.

Cop 223: People like you are hung up on freshness. You realize what goes into a can of pineapple? The fruit must be grown, harvested, sliced, and you just throw it away! How do you think the can feels about that?

Cashier: Buddy, I only work here. Who cares about how the cans feel? What about how I feel? Loading, more loading, unloading... How I wish cans wouldn't expire! It'd save me loads of work. You like expired cans? Help yourself! As many as you like! On the house!

Cop 663: You like noisy music?

Faye: Yes. The louder the better. Stops me from thinking.

Cop 663: You don't like to think? What do you like?

Faye: Never thought about it.

Faye: I'm not daydreaming.

Manager of "Midnight Express": Right. You're not daydreaming. You're sleepwalking.

Cop 663: What are you doing in my apartment?

Faye: You asked me to visit.

Manager of "Midnight Express": I told you 633 is a ladies man.

His co-worker: It's 663!

Manager of "Midnight Express": Oh, whatever it is.

Cop 663: Would you let a person on board with a boarding pass like this? It's dated today, but it got blurred in the rain. I don't know where it's taking me. Do you?

Faye: No idea, but I'll give you another.

Cop 663: Great.

Faye: Where do you want to go?

Cop 663: Wherever you want to take me.

Taglines

If my memory of her has an expiration date, let it be 10,000 years..

Cast

Brigitte Lin – Woman in blonde wig
Tony Leung Chiu-Wai – Cop 663
Faye Wong – Faye
Takeshi Kaneshiro – He Qiwu, nicknamed Ah Wu, Cop 223
Valerie Chow – Flight attendant who breaks up with Cop 663
Thom Baker – Double-crossing drug dealer
Chan Kam-Chuen – Manager of the takeaway restaurant 'Midnight Express'
Kwan Lee-na – Richard
Wong Chi-Ming – Man
Leung Sun – The 2nd May, who works at the 'Midnight Express'
Choh Chung-Sing – Man

External links

Wikipedia

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Chungking Express

Chungking Express quotes at the Internet Movie Database
Chungking Express at Rotten Tomatoes