Happy Together

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Cast & Crew

Leslie Cheung
Ho Po-wing

Tony Leung Chiu Wai
Lai Yiu-fai

Chen Chang
Chang

Gregory Dayton
Lover

Chan Yecheng
Producer

Kar Wai Wong
Director

Kar Wai Wong
Executive Producer

Kar Wai Wong
Writer

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Critic Reviews for Happy Together

Audience Reviews for Happy Together

• Jul 10, 2019

  Incredibly touching, occasionally funny, and colorfully crafted, Happy Together is truly a cinematic gem for those longing for intimate, honest human stories. The acting and writing are superb, and the ending is spectacularly executed.
  Matthew Samuel M Super Reviewer
• Mar 05, 2010

  A gorgeously photographed but emotionally hurtful experience, Wong Kar-Wai's Happy Together hits all the possibles notes on a flailing relationship, whether it be same-sex or not. Even if the chinese filmmaker spares us no bitter rumpuses as the two lovers slowly discover that love means being able to let go of one another when it becomes destructive, this is definitely one film you'll want to watch more than once. Leslie Cheung and Tony Leung admirably commit to their characters, faring extremely well within the screenplay's small but gently revelatory moments. The film's universal applicability just makes it more essential, so you get the point : see this one.
  Laurence C Super Reviewer
• Jan 24, 2010

  Early Wong Kar Wai. It is in this film that you can see the genesis for his later efforts with In the Mood for Love and 2046. Interesting that Argentina is the location for this piece. An eyebrow lifter.
  

  John B Super Reviewer
• Jul 22, 2009

  No matter how terribly grounded you are, there is always Wong Kar Wai to take you flying away. He always succeeds at marrying realistic human drama with otherworldly beauty and atmosphere. The content is often raw, whereas the form is always stunningly beautiful. He is also a fantastic maker of love stories, usually stories of unfulfilled expectations. He never gives his characters happy endings, he's more interested in unfolding the ups and downs of relationships enveloped in ethereal settings. Happy Together is no exception to the rule; once more, and to my absolute joy, Kar Wai works his magic and makes me glad that he ever made this film. Leslie Cheung and Tony Leung play two lovers from Hong Kong who travel to Argentina to begin a new life. However, theirs is a very odd and unhealthy relationship, equal parts obessessive and indifferent according to their moods. Being in Buenos Aires, where they know only each other, makes them both strive to become independent, in an effort to free from theie mutual obssession, but also draws them nearer to each other, since they are, at the end of the day, all they have. The result is a painful dance of violence and tenderness. Theirs is the epithome of a love/hate relationship; Jealousy, rage, lust, sweetness, coming and going with equal intensity. All while they are in a foreign country and they represent everything "familiar" to each other. Even in this adverse environment, both characters have to let go. Their moments together become devastating more often than they are pleasant, to the point of leading them both to misery. All this happens in a very Wong Kar Wai fashion, in a Universe in which time and even space are uncertain and even the grittiest alleys, dirtiest and flea-infested apartments have an innate beauty that jumps to the eye. The director and Christopher Doyle create some of the most inspiring images I've ever seen. Their eyes just seem to elevate the story, as in all of their collaborations. I also loved how Kar Wai seemed to understand and profit from the spirit of Buenos Aires; the melancholic demeanor of the background characters, the buildings, the color, the light and the water. And, above all, the music. Leslie Cheung and Tony Leung are amazing! Every time I see him perform I become more convinced of Leung's versatility. He becomes Fai, making him sympathetic enough but still careless, unbalanced and aggressive. By himself he is not very appealing at all, but his circumstances, and how Kar Wai chooses to approach him ,bring out his substance. Leslie Cheung is also very good as Fai's reckless lover. I wouldn't say this is my favorite Wong Kar Wai film, but it's definitely a wonderful film and probably one of the director's most accessible works (only 97 minutes long). I barely noticed the passing of time, anyways, because the images and the performances are so absorbing. The scenes at the tango bar... I just wished they would last much longer! And, of course, I suppose that, as with any film, Happy Together can mean many things to many different people. To me, it was immediately about accepting the end of any relationship and walking away from what is bad for you, even if you don't want to. But there is probably much more to it. Or you can just stare at the wonderful colors and listen to the tangos.
  Elvira B Super Reviewer

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