40
In the absence of any genuine emotional wallop, it is the directorial pizzazz that pulls you through. Just about.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
50
Happy Together feels joylessly fussed over.
50
Christian Science Monitor by David Sterritt
Wong Kar-Wai, whose energetic and inventive style isn't enough to give the shallow story the substance and resonance it needs.
100
San Francisco Chronicle by Edward Guthmann
Loose, buoyant and bracingly original.
88
San Francisco Examiner by G. Allen Johnson
Happy Together is Wong's most fully realized work. It is a pleasure to watch an interesting mind feel his way, and the result is something more than just a passing fancy.
70
Chicago Reader by Jonathan Rosenbaum
Structurally and dramatically this is all over the place, but stylistically it's gripping, and thematically it suggests an oblique response to the end of Hong Kong's colonial rule.
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto) by Liam Lacey
Wong returns once more to what he seems to know best - the visual poetry of the urban Asian night, a world of characters on the move, coming and going, never really getting anywhere. [5 Dec 1997]
67
Entertainment Weekly by Lisa Schwarzbaum
The vignettes don't add up to a story, but Wong's nervy brio and subterranean-fantasy style make for an arresting work about an exotic subculture.
89
Austin Chronicle by Russell Smith
Thanks largely to the raw bravery and intensity of the two leads' performances, Happy Together takes a quantum leap forward in terms of visceral power.
80
The New York Times by Stephen Holden
Stylistically brash, pulsing with life.
This film is as masterfully executed as Wong Kar-wai's "In the Mood for Love", but it examines love through a much harsher lens and with unforgiving proximity. Wong's unparalleled attention to detail makes this film feel true to life, even if some scenes are difficult to watch. The symbolism of the tango shows that Wong has his finger right on the pulse of this relationship, which is characterized by kinetic energy and antagonism. This film is visually striking, and deeply moving.