Fallen Angels (1995)
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Two intertwined storylines explore the isolation and yearning for connection in the bustling, neon-lit streets of 1995 Hong Kong.
The story
Set in 1995 pre-Handover Hong Kong, the film follows two intertwined storylines. One follows a hitman, Wong Chi-ming, who is weary of his life in the criminal underworld and seeks to quit, while his mysterious, unnamed partner remains obsessed with him. The other storyline follows Ho Chi-mo, a mute ex-convict on the run from the police, and a mentally unstable woman named Charlie who is struggling with a recent breakup. Both narratives weave through the city's night scenes, highlighting the characters' profound sense of isolation and their desperate search for human connection amidst the urban landscape.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The film follows hitman Wong Chi-ming, who communicates with his 'partner' only via letters and faxes. After being shot and growing weary of his life, he decides to quit and tries to meet his partner in person, while also becoming involved with an eccentric woman named 'Blondie.' He eventually dies in a final showdown, finding a sense of free will in his final moments. Simultaneously, Ho Chi-mo, a mute ex-convict, lives in the same building as the hitman's partner. He works as a forced merchant and encounters a woman named Charlie. After a series of events, including his father's death and a change in his lifestyle, he eventually encounters Charlie again. The film concludes with the hitman's partner and Ho Chi-mo finding a brief moment of shared connection and warmth in the city's night, seeking emotional redemption as the sun rises.
- Original title
- Fallen angels
- First release year
- 1995
- Runtime (minutes)
- 99
- Production countries
- British Hong Kong
- Original languages
- Cantonese; Mandarin
- Directors
- Wong Kar-wai
- Writers
- Wong Kar-wai · writer
- Cast and characters
- Leon Lai · Wong Chi-ming; Michele Reis · the hitman's "partner"; Takeshi Kaneshiro · Ho Chi-mo; Charlie Yeung · Charlie; Karen Mok · Situ Hui-Ling, known as "Blondie"; Chan Fai-hung · the man forced to eat ice cream; Chan Man-lei · Ho Chi-mo's father; Toru Saito · Sato; Benz Kong · Ah-Hoi
- Genres
- neo-noir; crime; comedy-drama
- Themes
- loneliness; alienation; urban isolation; post-colonial modernity
- Tone and mood
- mood-driven; atmospheric; bleak
- Premise and plot tags
- non-linear narrative; noir; urban
- Content notes
- violence
- Reception
- The film received considerable critical success and was praised for its visual style and atmosphere, though some early critics found it self-indulgent. It is widely considered one of Wong Kar-wai's best films and a significant work of the 1990s.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 7.90 · scale: 10 · review count: 22; Metacritic · score: 71 · scale: 100 · review count: 13
- Awards and nominations
- Best Supporting Actress · 15th Hong Kong Film Awards · 1996 · Won; Best Cinematography · 15th Hong Kong Film Awards · 1996 · Won; Best Original Score · 15th Hong Kong Film Awards · 1996 · Won
- Production trivia
- Originally conceived as the third story of Chungking Express.; The film is considered a 'time capsule' of Hong Kong's cultural golden age.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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