Chungking Express: Wong Kar Wai’s film, which takes a look at two beat cops from the same neighborhood in Hong Kong and who are hilariously stuck in past failed relationships, could nevertheless be more romantic and upbeat. The two stories share that premise and the general locale, but are very different: the first one plays with elements of a crime film, the second one of a rom-com. Yet, they form a cohesive whole because the protagonists are very winning. Baby-faced Kaneshiro Takeshi plays an ever-dreaming cop who could not be more different than the tough and mysterious woman he eventually falls for, played nicely by Brigitte Lin Ching-hsia. The second half matches Tony Leung Chiu-wai, playing it quietly, with the very alluring, pixie-like, and peculiar Faye Wong, who has to be the highlight of the film. The use of music is exemplary. The lively camerawork (by Christopher Doyle and Andrew Lau Wai-keung) is beautiful, injecting color and movement into what could be a drab environment.