With the recent release of Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings mainstream, American audiences are being introduced to Tony Leung for the first time. What many won’t realize is that Mr. Leung has been active in Chinese and Hong Kong cinema for around 40 years now. He has a cinematic background that most Oscar winning actors would be jealous of, but because little of it has ever reached US movie theaters, most folks aren’t aware of him.

In the Mood for Love (HBO Max linked to the image above) stars Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung. It is written and directed by the award winning Kar-Wai Wong. In the simplest terms, it is a love story. It is a love story between two people that cannot be in love. After the introduction of our cast of characters, Kar-Wai Wong presents the film entirely as the small moments where people connect, come to appreciate each other, and share intimacy. Besides being shot beautifully, the costuming is gorgeous and the acting phenomenal. For all of it’s film school pedigree, In the Mood for Love is an incredibly approachable movie that anyone who has an hour and a half to spare should seek out.