Fallen Angels (1995)

This Hong Kong-set crime drama follows the lives of a hitman, hoping to get out of the business, and his elusive female partner.

Director:

Kar-Wai Wong

Writer:

Kar-Wai Wong

Stars:

Leon Lai, Michelle Reis, Takeshi Kaneshiro

8 wins & 15 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Leon Lai	...	Wong Chi-Ming / Killer
Michelle Reis	...	The Killer's Agent (as Michele Reis)
Takeshi Kaneshiro	...	He Zhiwu
Charlie Yeung	...	Charlie / Cherry
Karen Mok	...	Punkie / Blondie / Baby
Fai-Hung Chan	...	The Man Forced to Eat Icecream
Man-Lei Chan	...	He Zhiwu's father (as Chen Man Lei)
Toru Saito	...	Sato
To-Hoi Kong	...	Ah-hoi
Lee-Na Kwan	...	Woman Pressed to Buy Vegetables
Yuhao Wu	...	Man forced to have his clothes washed

Storyline

A disillusioned killer embarks on his last hit but first he has to overcome his affections for his cool, detached partner. Thinking it's dangerous and improper to become involved with a colleague he sets out to find a surrogate for his affections. Against the sordid and surreal urban nightscape of contemporary Hong Kong, he crosses path with a strange drifter looking for her mysterious ex-boyfriend and an amusing mute trying to get the world's attention in his own unconventional ways.

---

Plot Keywords:

female masturbation | slow motion scene | urban setting | pineapple | heartbreak | 

---

Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Romance

---

Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

The McDonald's restaurant frequently visited by Wong Chi-Ming and Blondie (and where they first meet) is the same exact restaurant visited by Cop 663 in Chungking Express (1994).

---

Quotes

[first lines]
The Killer's Agent: Are we still partners?
Wong Chi-Ming: [voiceover] We've been business partners for nearly three years. This is the first time we've ever sat together. We hardly ever see each other. I know how hard it is for a man to control his passion. Partners shouldn't get emotionally involved with each other.

---

Connections

Referenced in Amélie (2001)

---

Soundtracks

Karmacoma
Written by Tricky, Robert Del Naja, Andrew Vowles, Grant Marshall, Tim Norfolk and Bob Locke
Performed by Massive Attack

User Reviews

Suffers from Sequel-syndrome

I loved Chungking Express, so I did enjoy this movie. However, Fallen Angels suffers from what many sequels suffer from--too big a reliance on things that worked in the first film.

Chungking Express showcased Wong's trademark stylized camerawork. But Fallen Angels went over the top. I felt like I was watching a prolonged music video. The oblique camera angles, quick pans and other assorted camera tricks detracted from the stories. At times, the story didn't progress at all. Chungking Express had two distinct plots where you really cared about the characters and where they were headed.

It also seemed like Wong tried to reproduce the quirkiness of his previous characters in Chungking Express, but this time with tedious, over-the-top excess. Watching Takeshi overact got really tiresome, whereas in Chungking Express it was funny and charming.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed the movie. Perhaps it was too much of a good thing (after Chungking Express)? Wong Kar-wei is still the master, though.

Details

Country:

Hong Kong

Language:

Min Nan Japanese English Cantonese Mandarin

Release Date:

30 January 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Fallen Angels

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$13,804, 25 January 1998

Gross USA:

$163,145

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$164,913

Company Credits

Production Co:

Block 2 Pictures, Chan Ye-Cheng, Jet Tone Production

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1