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Happy Together
Happy Together
+7
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Happy Together

Happy Together

1997
Romance, Drama
1h 36m
Yiu-Fai and Po-Wing arrive in Argentina from Hong Kong and take to the road for a holiday. Something is wrong and their relationship goes adrift... (imdb)

Directed by:

Kar-Wai Wong

Screenwriter:

Kar-Wai Wong, Manuel Puig

Starring:

Chen Chang, Leslie Cheung, Tony Chiu-Wai Leung, Gregory Dayton, Shirley Kwan

Genres:

Romance, Drama

AKA:

Cheun gwong tsa sit

Country:

Hong Kong

Languages:

English, Spanish, Mandarin, Cantonese
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Happy Together

1997
Romance, Drama
1h 36m
Your probable score
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer
Avg Percentile 68.59% from 1258 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

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pompousasspompousass
Rated 26 May 2009
60
85th
Kar-wai demonstrates himself again to be a natural-born moviemaker, or shot-maker at any rate, with an offhand, on-the-run manner that makes light of his prodigious gifts. (The spirit of the French New Wave lives.) He toys here with film speeds; he switches capriciously from greenish black-and-white to coarse-grained color; he indulges a sensual feel for surfaces: brick, tile, wallpaper, woolen blanket, leather jacket, corduroy jacket, denim jacket, stencilled letters on shopwindows.
Rated 26 May 2009
leonardisLeonardis
Rated 02 Sep 2024
98
97th
Such a difficult watch. A film about having what you thought you wanted with someone, but NEEDING to get out despite not wanting to leave the past behind. In contrast with WKW’s other movies that are about longing for someone you can’t have at all. It is a very brutal, honest depiction of a toxic relationship. I’ve never seen it done with this much raw heartbreak. It’s a powerful story carried by exceptional camerawork and some seriously phenomenal acting. I personally loved the ending. Perfect.
Rated 02 Sep 2024
luna6ixLuna6ix
Rated 12 Mar 2018
67
27th
While it's fundamentally different, you can see a stylistic impression from "Trainspotting" with the flawed, human characters and sometimes baffling choices, and the fast cuts. It's a movie that doesn't really care if you get into its characters' heads. The same goes for the sometimes black and white, there's little rhyme or reason to it. Just like the focal relationship, much of this movie lingers beyond the point of enjoyment. Sometimes pretty, but often tedious.
Rated 12 Mar 2018
zmoatszmoats
Rated 05 May 2016
89
82nd
The first two things I noticed about this film were its absence of color and use of quick cuts. The cuts create an anxious feeling in the viewer, but don't speed up the pace of the way Wong Kar-wai's tells the story of two lovers. As Kar-wai phases color into the movie, the colors themselves are saturated in a way that I thought really beautiful. Finally, the performances of both Tony Leung (Yiu-Fai) and Leslie Cheung (Po-Wing) were stellar in this film.
Rated 05 May 2016
paxtonPaxton
Rated 20 May 2024
85
83rd
The most profound crying I've ever seen in a movie and this from someone who cries during Return to Me. And Babe. And Super. And Joe Versus the Volcano. You know what? Don't worry about this viewer's crying habits. Tony Leung nails this scene as well as anything I've seen, and this from someone who's seen Ghosts Can't Do It. And The Garbage Pail Kids. And Dust Nuggets. And Meatballs Part II. You know what? Don't worry about this viewer's viewing habits.
Rated 20 May 2024
deaddillydeaddilly
Rated 02 Jul 2020
90
94th
Probably my favourite WKW as it feels the most powerful and complete of his films on tainted love. The waterfall shots will make your soul cry.
Rated 02 Jul 2020
nathan_sNathan S
Rated 10 May 2019
4
74th
It's maddening to watch these two dig their heels deeper into this unhealthy hovel they call a relationship. I love the effervescence of Wong's previous romantic idylls, but compared to those, this is downright cynical, and probably far more sober and realistic. Worth mentioning how forward-thinking this normalized depiction of gay love is: 20 years after this movie, homosexuality is only just beginning to break away from adversity stories, niche cult films, and otherwise token representations.
Rated 10 May 2019
actionbergActionberg
Rated 05 Jun 2011
70
49th
It's another Wong film dripping with a delectable style moves and shifts throughout the picture like a chameleon. The characters are a little less interesting here than Chungking Express or Fallen Angels, or perhaps the persistent plot device of weird romantic connections just feels a little stale. The most interesting stuff was the portrayal of Iguazu Falls as a metaphor, gorgeous in both its meaning and its majesty. It's very watchable, but not exactly must-see.
Rated 05 Jun 2011
jakeaestheteJakeAesthete
Rated 13 Jun 2008
98
98th
Wong's trademark themes of time, displacement, and love explored most fully and realistically here.
Rated 13 Jun 2008
scurryscurry
Rated 09 May 2008
100
99th
Just amazing. Fuck and Jesus Christ, this might be the best film I've ever seen. And I never thought I'd like it that much because of the sexuality angle, even though I'm admittedly a fan of Wong Karwai's. Happy Together is about love, if you hadn't guessed it from the director's name already, and it's got a banal pop music connection, which is one of his trademarks. It's not my type of music, but it doesn't detract because it's toned down. If you have any inclination at all, just see this film.
Rated 09 May 2008
magbMagb
Rated 18 Dec 2006
75
50th
I don't know what to say about Happy Together, for some reason. I liked it, but I couldn't get into it the way I could with Chungking Express. It's surprisingly forgettable.
Rated 18 Dec 2006
fredericg54frederic_g54
Rated 05 Oct 2024
6
35th
Look up the word ‘cinematography’ in a dictionary, and if the name Christopher Doyle isn’t mentioned, throw that book away asap.
Rated 05 Oct 2024
p_u_l_pP u l p
Rated 17 Mar 2019
79
87th
Turns out that lonely people are all the same.
Rated 17 Mar 2019
timon88Timon88
Rated 09 Jul 2018
87
92nd
Wong's usual themes of alienation and isolation are on full display here, and the cinematography is the usual stunning. Much is left unexplained... I found myself wanting a bit more background as to why the two have so very much anger between them. And what finally happened with Po-Wing's passport?
Rated 09 Jul 2018
sourheartsourheart
Rated 29 Mar 2018
4
72nd
Bittersweet. In that the sweetness is incredibly bitter.
Rated 29 Mar 2018
caffecaffe
Rated 06 Apr 2016
68
61st
Shot with stunning beauty by all-time great cinematographer Christopher Doyle, this provides plenty of powerful and memorable moments but suffers slightly from repetition and a certain aimlessness. That does not preclude it from being well worth of your time and certainly original in both it's choices of characters and locale.
Rated 06 Apr 2016
alex_watkinsAlex Watkins
Rated 14 Nov 2013
4
70th
An utterly toxic relationship from which neither of these two can escape. Wong/Doyle's characteristically effervescent style - a whirlwind of smeared color and light - seems tragically ironic here, but no less beautiful for it. As always, Wong's characters yearn to escape from their past - hence Po-Wing's obsession with "starting over" - but it's only by accepting their past and looking to the future that these men find any chance of redemption.
Rated 14 Nov 2013
bownBown
Rated 04 Nov 2010
88
88th
As is the norm for Kar-Wai, a beautiful, fun style, with focus on different types of film and colours. The story lost me once or twice, but was otherwise very bittersweet. Kar-Wai is very good at capturing that certain type of loneliness that so many of us feel.
Rated 04 Nov 2010
tds4aTds4a
Rated 08 Mar 2010
3
79th
Wong Kar Wai captures night life in a very specific, captivating way: the insanely over the top colours, the silence, the ambiguous sadness. A beautiful film.
Rated 08 Mar 2010
cinemaasiaCinema_Asia
Rated 15 Jan 2010
90
96th
This is one of Kar Wai Wong's best films in my opinion. It shows a relationship between two gay men without devolving into sentimentality or socio-political lecturing. The setting in Argentina is fantastic and the acting is solid throughout by Hong Kong Legends Tony Leung and Leslie Cheung (RIP) It's obvious that this film had a major influence on aspects of Brokeback Mountain.
Rated 15 Jan 2010
mentaculusMentaculus
Rated 12 Feb 2009
85
82nd
While I cannot connect with the content of the film, the universality of the themes transcend its subject. One of Kar-Wai's finest modern testiments to desire.
Rated 12 Feb 2009
peaceanarchyPeaceAnarchy
Rated 30 May 2008
84
77th
A beautiful film film with a pretty strong emotional punch and a great performance from Leung. That said I couldn't quite get into it which meant the slow pace began to wear on me a bit. Still a very good film that's worth watching, but not quite great.
Rated 30 May 2008
vospiVospi
Rated 13 Sep 2023
97
88th
And lived happily ever after.
Rated 13 Sep 2023
vandelay1Vandelay1
Rated 26 Aug 2023
58
61st
okay movie
Rated 26 Aug 2023
greenerGreener
Rated 25 Apr 2023
85
92nd
How to Leave Behind a Toxic Relationship, by Tony Leung.
Rated 25 Apr 2023
moraesfelipemoraesfelipe
Rated 18 Mar 2023
90
95th
An unique chronicle of painful love about two broken-hearted lovers who just can't quite be together -- because they eventually turn everything, even the small act of buying cigarettes, into an abrasive encounter. Doyle's cinematography manages to make the most mundane corner of the world simply otherwordly, as the lovers drift apart little by little through jobs they hate and things they never did together -- like visiting Iguaçu. Love as the ultimate feeling of displacement -- home or abroad.
Rated 18 Mar 2023
shockularSHOCKULAR
Rated 04 Jan 2023
70
41st
Pretty good story about a messy relationship between two men from Hong Kong living in Argentina. I didn't like it as much as I've liked some of Kar-Wai's other stuff, though. He's so good at using color, though, especially reds and yellows/golds. It always makes his movies so pretty. Still, a worthwhile watch, though a bit disappointing.
Rated 04 Jan 2023
capodelnullacapodelnulla
Rated 08 Dec 2021
80
81st
it's exemplary of how the uniqueness of a director's approach to form can elevate a banal story.
Rated 08 Dec 2021
metismetis
Rated 06 Aug 2021
75
59th
2016.11.5/?????
Rated 06 Aug 2021
nobambanobamba
Rated 20 Jul 2021
60
62nd
I couldn't stand the toxic violent relationship so it was nice to see a turn to a more normal, ambiguous, but more platonic relationship with Chang. Walking through the night lights of Buenos Aires and the money situation reminded me of Midnight Cowboy. Their apartment was cozy and I want that TV. Fav scene: Chang and Leung hanging out at the bar and even though Chang's a cool bro, it only makes Leung feel even more lonely as he sobs into the Walkman.
Rated 20 Jul 2021
chengmingchengming
Rated 22 Jun 2021
75
77th
Looks fantastic, but drags a bit in the middle.
Rated 22 Jun 2021
carlosproCarlospro
Rated 15 Jun 2021
90
97th
filmes que te fazer ter uma saudade imensa de uma sala de cinema (visto no 15o mês de pandemia, sem pisar em uma sala desde março/2021)
Rated 15 Jun 2021
zwykzwyk
Rated 09 Nov 2020
70
59th
It's very well written and directed, but it looks like a more contained work that wants to be pleasing enough to be acknowledged.
Rated 09 Nov 2020
wetwillieswetwillies
Rated 03 Jul 2020
90
80th
Viewed July 2, 2020.
Rated 03 Jul 2020
karatoprakkaratoprak
Rated 31 Jul 2019
82
93rd
"I felt very sad. I felt like there should be two of us standing here." sorry, i treated you wrong. my score of '72' from January 24th, 2014 to the score of '82'
Rated 31 Jul 2019
fenixdownfenixdown
Rated 12 May 2019
68
30th
An impressionistic view of a complicated relationship.
Rated 12 May 2019
larmorlarmor
Rated 05 Oct 2018
45
35th
I couldn't go past the absolutely horrendous editing that ruined my experience of the movie.
Rated 05 Oct 2018
driscarpindriscarpin
Rated 14 Feb 2018
87
82nd
Tem um motivo para eu só assistir filmes com casais homossexuais no Valentine's Day, é porque eu desisti do amor heterossexual, mas obviamente esse filme não é o exemplo mais saudável de relação que poderíamos imaginar, aliás, ele tem a mesma premissa de Phantom Thread de que relacionamentos são possíveis apenas se um dos parceiros está debilitado, no fim das contas a verdade é essa: seres humanos em estado natural são egocêntricos e não se permitem dividir o mesmo espaço.
Rated 14 Feb 2018
fancymikeFancyMike
Rated 17 Nov 2017
5
91st
i think this might just be the most beautifully shot film ever
Rated 17 Nov 2017
schnofelschnofel
Rated 10 Jun 2017
38
23rd
At least there's some down and dirty visual intimacy to the stasis of this relationship "drama" - because only aesthetically does it find momentum and resolution. Also, when these dull bastards are not fighting, some Argentine tango can be seen and heard from the sidelines, speaking of sweet, sweet love and pain. Though you might get the fuller experience by just listening to an Astor Piazzolla record.
Rated 10 Jun 2017
disasterDisaster
Rated 07 Mar 2014
82
66th
While parts of the film were slow, I never felt like I'd rather be watching something else. I loved how this felt truly Wong Kar-Wai while also feeling like at times both very French and sometimes like a Pedro Almodovar film (at least in music choices).
Rated 07 Mar 2014
zarkonZarkon
Rated 01 Nov 2013
87
81st
The Argentina setting was used wonderfully by Kar-Wai, and I felt that this had the most impactful depiction of melancholy among his films with the exception of In the Mood for Love. The first act is a bit disorienting and dull, but it continues to build and ends on a high note.
Rated 01 Nov 2013
icarusIcarus
Rated 07 Oct 2013
40
8th
While I appreciated the formal inventiveness of the camera, I found the continuance of this relationship beyond the first fifteen minutes or so to be completely insufferable.
Rated 07 Oct 2013
glm01glm01
Rated 07 Oct 2013
82
71st
82.000
Rated 07 Oct 2013
muteashesMuteAshes
Rated 22 Sep 2013
73
53rd
for Leslie Cheung.
Rated 22 Sep 2013
bakcheiabakcheia
Rated 07 Sep 2013
96
94th
I am not sure if this was entirely intenional, but the film's strong roots in Argentina clearly set a rather apropos theme to the movie involving the tango-like orbit of love, dependence, and abuse the lovers Lai and Ho traverse throughout the entire film. The film has very strong acting, and, of course, Doyle's cinematography was absolutely splendid. I love Wai's stories so much because they manage to provide loads of drama without ever breaching into melodrama. Well done, WKW.
Rated 07 Sep 2013
w00dyW00DY
Rated 23 Aug 2013
76
74th
Beautiful story, beautifully shot.
Rated 23 Aug 2013
karamazovkaramazov.
Rated 04 Jul 2013
67
88th
RIP Leslie.
Rated 04 Jul 2013
hulothulot
Rated 01 May 2013
100
96th
watched: 2013, 2024
Rated 01 May 2013
nepetaNepeta
Rated 19 Jan 2013
85
80th
A sensual and beautifully shot film poignantly tackling all sorts of issues as regards relationships, as well as evoking displacement and loneliness in a manner that is distinctly Wong's own. I'm not always completely sold on the formal experimentation which occasionally risks obscuring the emotions on show (though said experimentation also has moments of sheer excellence), but for the most part the film is very affecting.
Rated 19 Jan 2013
fra_paolofra paolo
Rated 28 Aug 2012
77
84th
Something of a counterpoint to the relationships depicted in Chungking Express and Fallen Angels, this focuses more on the breakdown than the coming together (or not). For some reason it still didn't work as well for me as his previous films. (a re-watch, original score 67)
Rated 28 Aug 2012
graveyardtangraveyardtan
Rated 03 Aug 2012
95
93rd
No one makes romances as great as Wong Kar Wai.
Rated 03 Aug 2012
stevekimesstevekimes
Rated 31 Mar 2012
60
6th
A very disturbing story about a very disturbing relationship. It was so well done, I couldn't finish it. This was a relationship I had to walk away from.
Rated 31 Mar 2012
chemical404chemical404
Rated 14 Dec 2011
72
87th
Technical side of this film is nearly perfect, especially the work of cinematographer Christopher Doyle. Some scenes are filmed in monochrome, others in rich colors, heck, some scenes are upside down! The story and flow of the film requires patience, but the emotions it evokes are genuine.
Rated 14 Dec 2011
theyshoot11theyshoot11
Rated 02 Dec 2011
57
14th
#851
Rated 02 Dec 2011
natebarriosnatebarrios
Rated 05 Mar 2011
75
75th
Touching, and stunning to view, like what you'd expect from Wong Kar-wai. Most scenes are pretty well done, a few kind of lack energy, but overall it's a well-done film.
Rated 05 Mar 2011
joojooJooJoo
Rated 02 May 2010
6
95th
This is the moment in time when Wong left behind the adolescent fantasies and got real. My favorite of this director. He would nearly equal it in later attempts, but I just love the style this has.
Rated 02 May 2010
theyshoot10theyshoot10
Rated 15 Jan 2010
57
14th
869
Rated 15 Jan 2010
kahKAH
Rated 06 Aug 2009
4
93rd
This is one good looking movie. Doyle deserves as much credit as Wong here, as the lighting, colors and constant search for interesting camera angles make it visually compelling. The pace is also brilliant, alternating between the frantic editing style of Chungking Express and longer takes. A heartfelt exploration of love and displacement.
Rated 06 Aug 2009
muutanetmuutanet
Rated 22 May 2009
37
28th
How would Hong Kong look like upsidedown? One good Frank Zappa song, but the story itself was totally forgettable and sluggishly slow! I have no problem with same sex relationship, but this one did not talk to me anyhow.
Rated 22 May 2009
cinemahellcinema_hell
Rated 31 Dec 2008
72
39th
Wow, two Zappa songs in the soundtrack!
Rated 31 Dec 2008
theyshoot08theyshoot08
Rated 19 Dec 2008
58
16th
834
Rated 19 Dec 2008
shaulbennushaulbennu
Rated 13 Sep 2008
91
42nd
É muito bom, com um fotografia exelente do Christopher Doyle, apesar que a sala em que eu vi zoava a imagem.
Rated 13 Sep 2008
theyshoot07theyshoot07
Rated 02 Mar 2008
62
39th
# 751
Rated 02 Mar 2008
vincentevincente
Rated 10 Dec 2007
79
69th
null
Rated 10 Dec 2007

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