Alternate Best Actor 2000: Tony Leung in In the Mood For Love

Tony Leung did not receive an Oscar nomination, despite winning CANNES, for portraying Chow Mo-wan in In the Mood For Love. 

In The Mood For Love follows the relationship between two neighbors whose spouses are having an affair with each other. 

The description of that plot is one that may be that for salacious melodrama, which is something severely rejected by Wong Kar-wai's approach to this story. A story that is about little moments rather than big scenes, gestures rather than declarations. The opening sequence we see two new couples moving into a cramped apartment through different doors whose furniture is frequently mistaken for each other's, and we see a matter of fact life of the two central characters of Leung's Chow Mo-wan, and of his neighbor Su Li-zhen aka Mrs. Chan (Maggie Cheung). The initial scenes like that of the furniture emphasize this all the more, though as much as they are sort of just normal life moment scenes, we are granted the nature of the characters within their lives. We see Cheung's Su going about her life as a secretary and seeing about her husband, whom we only ever hear or see just the brief glimpse of what seems to be his back at some point. The same is true for Chow who we see at his work at closing time, occasionally conversing with his friends, and sometimes seeing after his wife. There is a key within Leung's performance, and perhaps contrasting to what we see in Cheung's performance, where we see more so the discovery of what will be the affair, there are indicators of the awareness of the nature of his wife much earlier on within Leung's performance. Leung has a quiet sombernes in the moments of wherever he is, and Leung creates the sense of a man which is weighing on his mind. When his friend for example notes his wife's prettiness, Leung's reaction is that of a burden in reacting to the thought rather than any kind of comfort to him. 

The affair unfolds around the two, to the point spouses go on "separate" trips leaving Chow and Su alone. One of those little moments of the film coming after this point where separately each go to a food stand to get a meal outside of the comfort of their home and without their spouses, Su picking up a meal and Chow eating at the stand, passing each other with gentle cordiality though no more. And rarely will you see such pain in a man when eating a perfectly fine meal than what is exuding from Leung as he eats his dumpling. Which brings us to the specific nature of Leung as a performer, and his role within the scheme of the film. Leung's performance is extremely minimalistic as he performs the part of Chow as a man who does not appear to wear his emotions on his sleeve in terms of the standard definition, however this isn't a case of a simple repression rather an accentuation on the modesty and withdrawn nature. Leung's presentation is fascinating because he does wear the emotions just not in the way expected, rather much like the film itself his performance is all about the smallness of his performance, looking for the little moments to find the reality of the character. Even in that dumpling moment, his pain is present, but limited, you can see closely in the man, however hidden within the man's modest approach to his existence. 

There is a contrast between the early interactions of Su and Chow, that go beyond just neighborly passive hellos. There is the false version of this where the two discuss the affair their spouses are having and the two essentially decide to do a mock version of the affair themselves. Cheung and Leung's performance here is a little more performative than anything as you see the complicated layers as the two order for each other at a restaurant, since they don't know each other's spouses and pretend to have "an affair" themselves. There's a mix of joy and tension that comes and goes within the expressions of each performer as you see them move between ideas so naturally, of having the fun of playing this pretend as a kind of revenge, that is waved away though at other times as this sadness alludes to their painful situation, but also another quality where in certain glances the intention no longer is pretend but real. Both actors are amazing because as unnatural of a display as it is in some ways, they make it unnatural in creating the performance of it, but so very natural in expressing the underlying emotions that are pushing them into these actions that we see waver between an emotional pain and a connection. Something that only goes so far as we have the key gesture of Chow trying to touch Su's hand, that is fully genuine in Leung's performance. 

The complication of that sequence contrasts strongly by the moments of Su and Chow connecting over their mutual love of martial arts serials. Something that begins as just a friendly interaction of two neighbors sharing their collection of items that they just happen to both love as a diversion. These scenes that begin with just expressing their interest, then progressing to Chow writing his own serials, with support from Su are perhaps the most direct love sequences between them in a most remarkable way. These moments of interaction are indeed without the complication of any affairs, or reaction to betrayals or anything of the ilk, rather each performer just shows two people absolutely loving to share their passion with one another. These scenes are wonderful because neither Leung and Cheung make them complicated in the way they articulated that previous sequence, they just rather are so direct in these moments. The joy in each is just that much honest expression of this, and the joy we see only grows in the way they find each other to love this together so strongly. We see the two without their reserve in these scenes because the two are essentially able to declare their love for one another, just through the calm and ease of their interaction and expressing their passion for the martial arts serial. Something that could sound even silly, yet both actors make it so very real, and really something truly sweet and actualized within the scheme of a film about not taking that extra step, we see each unfettered so poignantly through these casual conversations.

We witness the progression of the relationship through the two contrasting types of scenes of the "play acting" and the writing of the serial, each scene showing that connection in the latter, but in the former both actors are absolutely brilliant in the way we see this way they become both more intense yet more guarded at the same time. The moments between them, which truly are moments of glancing, often not directly looking at one another, or making certain false movements of playing the affair, we see a fascinating reverse in each performance. Leung and Cheung make the internalized attraction between them that much more potent in the glances, yet their body language brings that same intensity as they maintain the defense. The two show the conflicting thoughts of each in every moment and you see both wanting to, needing to take the next step in their eyes, yet creating that physical stiffness trying to protect each other from fully embracing the strange danger of these feelings. The two never make that step more, yet the performers are essential, along with Wong of course, in creating that essential emotional tension that is all about how the string holding back their relationship is so taut it is about to break, with each playing on that very edge of the break without ever going beyond it. The closest instead is only Chow embracing Su, not in loving making, rather just reaffirming hold as she breaks down, that is all about their love even as they still hold back even in this moment. The closing scenes of the film are the two separate again, though all asking about the other, and again the power of Leung's work is what he's doing just within the surface. The pivotal moment being his visiting the apartment building they shared once, and his looking down at Su's old apartment one last time. It is only a couple seconds long, yet tremendous in its impact, because the nuanced expression speaks to such volumes of all that Chow is holding back, wishing for her in the moment but also accepting of the sad silence of his life. The classic final scene, classic in terms of a Wong surprise switch, being Chow visiting Cambodia and performing a ritual of putting something important into a wall with mud. A completely dialogue-free scene but essential within Leung's performance. Because within the scene, Leung's physicality has an openness as you see the revealing his secret to the hole, and in the moment you see that freeness within Leung as admits the truth, though no one can hear it. Leung's work here is a performance I've always liked but perhaps have taken for granted to a degree. A benefit of these reviews is that it forces me to look closer, sometimes that is less favorable but sometimes it reveals much more in terms of what the actor is doing. Naturally, with as modest, subtle and withdrawn as this performance is, Leung's work here is such a performance. A performance that is heartbreaking and intensely emotional, despite not shedding a single tear or raising his voice once. Yet never do you feel disconnected for a moment from Chow's journey, the opposite is in fact the truth, it resonates so powerfully, and while Wong conducts those essential moments to center us on Leung, Leung brings into the fundamental intimacy of this tremendous personal journey.