2000 Alternate Oscars

I've trashed the infamous Sight & Sound movie poll often enough (here and here) that it's only fair to mention when they get one right.

Directed by Wong Kar-wai, In the Mood for Love is a bittersweet romance between two lonely people (Maggie Cheung and Tony Leung) who realize their spouses are cheating on them, meet to commiserate and, inevitably, fall in love. But instead of a traditional rom-com, noir thriller or sweaty sex drama, the film is filled with longing, misunderstanding and fidelity to a moral code that serves no great purpose.

To quote film critic Peter Travers, "in the hands of a hack, In the Mood for Love could have been a snickering sex farce. In the hands of Wong Kar-wai ... the film is alive with delicacy and feeling." And Scott Tobias wrote, "Further complemented by the gentle lull of Nat King Cole songs, In The Mood For Love casts a dreamy and melancholic spell that remains unbroken long after the closing credits have rolled."

In the Mood for Love was an immediate hit with audiences and critics alike, and directly influenced such filmmakers as Sofia Coppola and Barry Jenkins.

Highly recommended.

My choices are noted with a ★. A tie is indicated with a ✪. Historical Oscar winners are noted with a ✔. Best foreign-language picture winners are noted with an ƒ. A historical winner who won in a different category is noted with a ✱.