| Director | Hou Hsiao-hsien |
|---|---|
| Producer |
|
| Writer | Chu T’ien-wen |
| Narrator | Shu Qi |
| Starring | |
| Music |
|
| Cinematography | Mark Lee Ping Bin |
| Editing | Liao Ching-sung |
| Distributor | Palm Pictures (U.S.) |
| Released | 19 May 2001 (Cannes); 17 November 2001 (Taiwan) |
| Runtime | 119 minutes |
| Country | Taiwan |
| Language | Mandarin |
| Hide | no |
|---|---|
| L | Mambo at the Year of the Turn of the Millennium |
| C | 千禧曼波 |
| P | qiānxī mànbō |
Millennium Mambo (Chinese: 千禧曼波) is a 2001 Taiwanese romantic drama film directed by Hou Hsiao-hsien. The film was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival, where Tu Duu-chih won Technical Grand Prize.[1]
Plot
The main character, Vicky (Shu Qi), serves as the principal narrator of this film, revealing to the audience in 2011 details of her life from a decade earlier. She describes her youth and the changes her life undergoes at the beginning of the new millennium. She works as a hostess in a trendy bar. Vicky is torn between two men, Hao-Hao and Jack, and her parallel love affairs showcase her inner life and her attitude towards her fleeting youth.
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Shu Qi | Vicky |
| Jack Kao | Jack |
| Duan Chun-hao | Hao-Hao |
| Chen Yi-Hsuan | Xuan |
| Jun Takeuchi | Jun |
| Doze Niu | Doze |
| Jenny Tseng Yan Lei | |
| Pauline Chan | |
| Huang Xiao Chu |
According to Maggie Cheung, speaking at a press conference for Wong Kar Wai’s In the Mood for Love, she and Tony Leung Chiu-wai were initially tapped to play the main roles in Millennium Mambo.[2]
Reception
Upon release the film received favourable reviews from critics, on Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 84% based on 34 critics, with an average rating of 7.4/10.[3] On Metacritic the film has a score of 72% based on 12 critics indicating generally favourable reviews.[4]
Stephen Short of Time Asia perceived the film's depth as shallow, calling the script "feckless" for not developing the relationship between Hao-Hao and Vicky further.[5]
Awards and nominations
- 2001 Cannes Film Festival[1]
- Won: Technical Grand Prize (Tu Duu-Chih for sound design)
- Nominated: Palme d'Or
- Chicago International Film Festival
- Won: Silver Hugo (Hou Hsiao-hsien)
- Ghent International Film Festival
- Won: Best Director (Hou Hsiao-hsien)
- Nominated: Grand Prix
- Golden Horse Film Festival
- Won: Best Cinematography (Pin Bing Lee)
- Won: Best Original Score (Lim Giong)
- Won: Best Sound Effects (Tu Duu-Chih)
References
- ^ "MILLENNIUM MAMBO - Festival de Cannes". Festival de Cannes. Archived 7 April 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
- ^ "In The Mood For Love Press Conference at the TIFF". YouTube. Films Extras. 11 October 2018. Archived 2021-12-21 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
- ^ "Millennium Mambo | Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. 2001-05-19. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
- ^ "Millennium Mambo". www.metacritic.com. Retrieved 2024-03-19.
- ^ Short, Stephen (2001-11-19). "Out of Step". Time Asia. Vol. 158, no. 20. Archived from the original on 2001-12-14. Retrieved 2025-10-17.