“In the Mood for Love” and “Happy Together,” February 9

Friday, February 9

In the Mood for Love: 7 p.m.

Happy Together: 9 p.m.

Rozz-Tox, 2108 Third Avenue, Rock Island IL

A pair of iconic titles from Hong Kong's legendary writer/director Wong Kar-wai will enjoy a special double-feature screening at Rozz-Tox on February 9, with the Rock Island venue hosting back-to-back showings of In the Mood for Love and Happy Together, both works included on Sight & Sound's esteemed list of the greatest motion pictures of all time.

​In the sleepy, proper Hong Kong of 1962, In the Mood for Love's Mrs. Chan (Maggie Cheung) and Mr. Chow (Tony Leung) move into neighboring apartments on the same day. Their encounters are formal and polite – until a discovery about their respective spouses creates an intimate bond between them. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May of 2000 to great critical acclaim and a nomination for the Palme d'Or, while Leung won Best Actor – the first Hong Kong performer to receive the award. In the Mood for Love is often listed as one of the greatest films of all time and one of the major works of Asian cinema. In a 2016 survey by the BBC, it was voted the second greatest film of the 21st century by 177 film critics from around the world, and in 2022, the movie placed fifth in Sight & Sound's "Greatest Films of All Time" critics' poll, rising from its previous position of 24th in 2012. It is the organization's highest-ranked film released between 1975 and 2022.

Meanwhile, Happy Together finds ​Lai (Tony Leung Chiu-Wai) and his lover Ho (Leslie Cheung) going on a trip to Buenos Aires from Hong Kong. Their torrid relationship lives out among lusty tango bars and the salsa music of La Boca sidewalks. But tensions grow between the two lovers, as they find themselves far from home with their lives drifting in opposite directions. The 1997 film was regarded as one of the best LGBT films in the New Queer Cinema movement and received critical acclaims and screened at several film festivals such as the 1997 Toronto International Film Festival. It was also nominated for the Palme d'Or and won Best Director at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival. In 2022, Happy Together was ranked the 225th greatest film of all time in the Sight & Sound critics' poll, while six years earlier, the movie was ranked the third-greatest LGBT film of all time in the British Film Institute poll.

Wong Kar-wai's films are characterized by nonlinear narratives, atmospheric music, and vivid cinematography involving bold, saturated colors. A pivotal figure of Hong Kong cinema, Wong is considered a contemporary auteur, and ranks third on Sight & Sound's 2002 poll of the greatest filmmakers of the previous 25 years. His films frequently appear on best-of lists domestically and internationally, and among his additional works are 2046 (2004) and The Grandmaster (2013), both of which received multiple awards and nominations worldwide.

In the Mood for Love will be screened in Rock Island at 7 p.m. on February 9, with Happy Together starting at 9 p.m., and more information on the double feature is available by calling (309)200-0978 and visiting RozzTox.com.