That time Tony Leung went totally gay in this queer cinema classic

Celebrating his 60th birthday today is the Hong Kong-born screen legend Tony Leung, one of international cinema's finest actors. In many ways, Leung has been the director's muse throughout their careers, delivering astounding work in iconic films like Chungking Express and In The Mood For Love, one of the sexiest movies ever made, which earned the star the Best Actor honor at the Cannes Film Festival. For our purposes, notable among Leung and Kar-wai's many collaborations is the 1997 drama, Happy Together, often heralded as a landmark in the New Queer Cinema movement. Released just weeks before the United Kingdom ended its colonial ruling of Hong Kong, Happy Together fashions itself as a metaphor for a changing time with an uncertain future, but its focus on two gay protagonists means it still stands out as rare example of a queer narrative to come out of China. Around its debut, Kar-wai was reticent to label it a "Gay film," saying, "It's more like a story about human relationships and somehow the two characters involved are both men." Even still, there's no denying that the movie is uniquely informed by the gay relationship at its core, and the thoughtful approach to their connection distinguishes it as one of the first Hong Kong cinema features to treat its queer characters as something more than a punchline. Leung is characteristically sensitive and nuanced in his portrayal of Lai, leading viewers through the character's emotional rollercoaster. In celebration of Tony Leung's 60th, there's no better time to check out this gorgeous, moody milestone of queer film history.