The New Cinema Vérité

On a sunny afternoon in Paris' Latin Quarter, Jean-Pascal Croux stands on the sidewalk outside the Cinoches Cinemas, a modest movie house with a run-down box office and two small theaters that open directly onto the sidewalk. He's one of a dozen moviegoers waiting to see In the Mood for Love , Wong Kar-wai's lush tale about two people who suspect their spouses of adultery. Produced in Hong Kong and released three years ago, the movie is one of 13 playing on the theater's two screens. "I've heard it's visually beautiful," says Croux, 30. A cinephile, he sees a film a week,...