There is battered wife Valerie Barksdale (Hilary Swank), whose
philandering, white - trash husband Donnie (Reeves) believes that the womanly concern Annie shows for Valerie is the
start of an occultist brainwash; the bipolar Buddy Cole (Giovanni Ribisi), whose death wish ping - pongs between himself and acquaintances; and, eventually, the loved ones of the missing and presumed - dead Jessica King (Holmes).
Every other character — Li - zhen's
philandering boss, Chow's happy - go - lucky friend, the nosy landlady («Young wives shouldn't stay out so late — people will
start to wonder»)-- is a satellite, and the husband and wife go almost unseen, their offscreen voices used as rhythmic punctuations in a movie that feels less like a narrative than a beautifully drawn - out musical improvisation — Wong Kar - wai's «Blue in Green.»