Lai Yiu-Fai (Tony Leung) and Ho Po-Wing (Leslie Cheung), a gay Chinese couple, decide to start over again as they decide
to take a trip to Argentina. Their relationship falls apart after they get lost trying to get to Iguazo Falls.
They are without enough money to get back home. Yiu-Fai takes various jobs during the film while Po-Wing takes
up hustling. They connect again when Wo-Ping is beaten badly. Their relationship rebounds only to fall apart
again. Meanwhile, Yiu-Fai strikes up a friendship with a man from Taiwan who loves to record his thoughts ona
tape recorder.
HAPPY TOGETHER is visually stunning as it starts out as black and white only to let color slowly seep into the film.
It is a film that shows everyone looks for a place in the world and are lonely whether they are hetrosexual or homosexual.
Even though many may find the thought of watching a film about two gay men to be off-putting, it eventually descends into
a subtle look at loneliness and love. I cringed when Yiu-Fai took Wo-Ping back when I knew Wo-Ping was no good.
HAPPY TOGETHER is another film of romantic poetry from Wong Kar-Wai. It combines visuals, sound, music, and the
exploration of three people into a sad and yet ultimately captivating tale.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
BUENOS AIRES ZERO DEGREES (1999) is a fascinating 59 minute making of documentary that combines behind-the-scenes
footage, interviews, and deleted scenes. The dleted scenes show where the film could have went including a character
that basically was cut from the film and a darker fate for one character.
WONG KAR-WAI AT THE MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE (44 minutes, 2008) is Wong Kar-Wai being introduced by Ang Lee before
he is being interviewed by a guy who sometimes gets his Wong Kar-Wai mixed up and questions from the audience too. Also
included on the disc are the Chinese and Japanese trailers for HAPPY TOGETHER and FALLEN ANGELS in additional to a still gallery.
FINAL ANALYSIS: HAPPY TOGETHER is another interesting film from Wong Kar-Wai. Some fmight be turned off by
the fact it is about two gay Chinese men. What is worth seeing this one for is the beautiful way the director
puts the film together and the making-of documentary is just as fascinating as the film is.
this DVD Review is (c)4-16-2009 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission. send all comments to
lord_pragmagtic@hotmail.com
