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2046 is a journey through time and memories - the story keeps coming back to this hotel (room 2046), but the title also represents a date in the future significant to Hong Kong. Chow Mo Wan (Tony Leung Chiu Wai) is a writer traveling back and forth in time to revisit the gorgeous women who he has loved (or not) and lost (or left). 2046 is also the date in the future that Chow writes about - and experiences in his head (or maybe he's actually been there), when where people go to remember and nothing ever changes.
Su Li Zhen (Maggie Cheung) appears in 1960 and continues the story told in director Wong Kar Wai's previous movie, In The Mood For Love, then the same character (now played by Gong Li) appears later in Singapore as a professional gambler and woman of mystery. Lulu (Carina Lau) shows up for Chow's wild days, but doesn't stick around long - then reappears as the android in Chow's novel (who he also sleeps with). Bai Ling (Ziyi Zhang) truly loves Chow, but he treats her with cold disdain. Wong Jing Wen (Faye Wong) helps Chow with his writing and Chow has feelings for her, but she's not interested - she's the hotel owner's daughter and the love of her life, Tak (Kimura Takuya), is Japanese so her father refuses to accept him as a candidate for his daughter's hand.
Confused? You're probably not alone. One thing is undeniable, this movie
gets major points for its ambience - it's a work of art. The mood is all
about the sadness and regret of not being in the right place at the right
time, or with the right person. The story, on the other hand, is more than
a little challenging. It's as if somebody took several complete scripts
and ripped pages from each, threw them together and tried to make sense
out of what's left over. The women Chow chooses to be with tend to resemble
the one true love of his life because he can't get over her, but it makes
the story jumps that much more confusing.
The performances are terrific and Tony Leung plays an interesting character that you want to get to know - he has a certain "old Hollywood" quality about him that really plays well on the big screen, especially in this part. Fans of the director's work will find many characters and references from his other stuff, but if you're not a fan, this is unlikely to win you over.
If you like your films with a beginning, a middle, and an end, this is not the movie for you. It requires an effort to watch this (and press notes to understand all the nuances). On some levels, it might be worth it, but it feels like such a chore.
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