While a product of the fertile Hong Kong filmmaking community of the '90s, writer/director Wong Kar-Wai did not traffic in the over-the-top action blowouts favored by the likes of John Woo and Tsui Hark. Instead, his films took their inspiration from the seminal work of Jean-Luc Godard and the French New Wave, painting idiosyncratic and romantic tales of the young and disenfranchised uniquely representative of the myriad cultural influences which distinguish his native land.

Essentially, Wong restructured a sector of the entertainment genre that thrives on action in a way that would allow him to use its traditional themes in order to make art films, proving himself to be a rarity within the genre. Equally unique is Wong's bold style, which thrives on pixilated slow motion action scenes, distorted close-ups, and fight sequences shot from several disoriented angles.

Far from being alienated within the film community, Wong has become a favorite among both critics and the Honk Kong acting circuit. Drawn to his fascination with mood and texture over a more straightforward narrative approach, action favorites including Maggie Cheung, Tony Leung Kar-Fai, and Brigitte Lin Ching-hsia have enjoyed working with Wong, claiming that it gave them a rare opportunity to play meatier, less conventional roles.…  » Read more