Natasha Liu Bordizzo is one of the most talented and beautiful actresses working in the film industry. The Australian actress made her debut with Netflix’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny in 2016. She followed it up with a small role in The Greatest Showman in which she starred alongside Hugh Zachman, Zac Efron, Rebecca Ferguson, and Zendaya. Since then she has starred in multiple brilliant projects and she has even joined the Star Wars universe through projects like The Book of Boba Fett and Ahsoka. So, if you love Brodizzo’s performances here are the 10 best movies and TV shows starring Natasha Liu Bordizoo you might want to add to your watchlist.
10. The Voyeurs (Prime Video) Credit – Amazon Studios
Synopsis: Pippa and Thomas move into their dream apartment, they notice that their windows look directly into the apartment opposite – inviting them to witness the volatile relationship of the attractive couple across the street.
10. The Voyeurs (Prime Video) Credit – Amazon Studios
Synopsis: Pippa and Thomas move into their dream apartment, they notice that their windows look directly into the apartment opposite – inviting them to witness the volatile relationship of the attractive couple across the street.
- 10/23/2023
- by Kulwant Singh
- Cinema Blind
When you go to a movie called “The Modelizer,” you assume certain things about your protagonist: that he’ll be a smooth-talking, pricelessly well-dressed cad, one who values women too much for certain assets (their looks) and not enough for others (everything else), and that the film will be engineered to give him a comeuppance. All that is true of “The Modelizer.”
What you don’t expect is that the movie, in this case, is going to take all that sexist-swinger-as-master-of-the-universe stuff and put it on one-percent-of-the-one-percent steroids. “The Modelizer” is set in Hong Kong, which the movie keeps reminding us is the most expensive city in the world. The hero, Shawn Koo (Byron Mann), is the scion of an outrageously wealthy Chinese real-estate family; they own one-third of the property in Hong Kong. Shawn, who sees each of his parents once a month and serves as their company’s managing director,...
What you don’t expect is that the movie, in this case, is going to take all that sexist-swinger-as-master-of-the-universe stuff and put it on one-percent-of-the-one-percent steroids. “The Modelizer” is set in Hong Kong, which the movie keeps reminding us is the most expensive city in the world. The hero, Shawn Koo (Byron Mann), is the scion of an outrageously wealthy Chinese real-estate family; they own one-third of the property in Hong Kong. Shawn, who sees each of his parents once a month and serves as their company’s managing director,...
- 7/14/2023
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Opening in theaters and on VOD July 14, Vertical’s “The Modelizer” offers a trailer that sells a romantic comedy that’s part of a new wave of “Hong Kong Films,” which are original features where the subject matter is distinctly Hong Kong but is in English.
Directed by Keoni Waxman and produced, written by and starring Byron Mann (who has seemingly aged about ten minutes since playing Ryu in the 1994 “Street Fighter” movie), the picture is a conventional mix of rom-com tropes (a well-off womanizer must change his ways once he finds someone – played by Rayssa Bratillieri — worth settling down for) and wealth porn, with the obvious hook being that it’s from a locale that isn’t often presented in such a fashion in mainstream Hollywood flicks.
The locale is usually for stranger-in-a-strange-land actioners like Dwayne Johnson’s “Skyscraper” (who co-starred Mann) and Rowann Atkinson’s “Johnny English Reborn...
Directed by Keoni Waxman and produced, written by and starring Byron Mann (who has seemingly aged about ten minutes since playing Ryu in the 1994 “Street Fighter” movie), the picture is a conventional mix of rom-com tropes (a well-off womanizer must change his ways once he finds someone – played by Rayssa Bratillieri — worth settling down for) and wealth porn, with the obvious hook being that it’s from a locale that isn’t often presented in such a fashion in mainstream Hollywood flicks.
The locale is usually for stranger-in-a-strange-land actioners like Dwayne Johnson’s “Skyscraper” (who co-starred Mann) and Rowann Atkinson’s “Johnny English Reborn...
- 6/16/2023
- by Scott Mendelson
- The Wrap
Exclusive: Vertical has acquired North American rights to Keoni Waxman’s romantic comedy The Modelizer, written by and starring Byron Mann (The Big Short), slating the film for a day-and-date release on July 14th.
Set in Hong Kong’s high octane, ultra-rich fast-lane, The Modelizer follows Shawn Koo (Mann), son of a Chinese tycoon family, and his partner-in-clubbing Narin “Bucky” Sakpiporn (K-pop star Nichkhun), who enjoy a lavish lifestyle of parties, privilege and international model girlfriends. After a string of short-term relationships, Shawn gets a wake-up call, realizing that all the money in the world is not enough to buy the love of a woman. As he begins falling for the charming yet defiant Camila (Rayssa Bratillieri), a Brazilian model unaccustomed to his lifestyle, Shawn must change his tactics and clean up his act if he intends to win her heart.
Also starring Dominika Kachlik, Han Hrzic, Celinde Schoenmaker, Julia Nickson...
Set in Hong Kong’s high octane, ultra-rich fast-lane, The Modelizer follows Shawn Koo (Mann), son of a Chinese tycoon family, and his partner-in-clubbing Narin “Bucky” Sakpiporn (K-pop star Nichkhun), who enjoy a lavish lifestyle of parties, privilege and international model girlfriends. After a string of short-term relationships, Shawn gets a wake-up call, realizing that all the money in the world is not enough to buy the love of a woman. As he begins falling for the charming yet defiant Camila (Rayssa Bratillieri), a Brazilian model unaccustomed to his lifestyle, Shawn must change his tactics and clean up his act if he intends to win her heart.
Also starring Dominika Kachlik, Han Hrzic, Celinde Schoenmaker, Julia Nickson...
- 4/20/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
There is a particular challenge in most cinema genres in making your work stand out. “Code of the Assassins” had a particularly hard route to the screen. Initially started in 2017, all sorts of production and financial problems led to a 5 year wait for it to be completed. Taking a steam punk aesthetic and directed by visual stylist Daniel Lee it certainly has potential. The only question is that after five years and a troubled production will it live up to that?
on Amazon by clicking on the image below
The Assassins of Ghost Valley adhere to an ideal that their role is to maintain the order of the world. Blue Asura (William Feng) is a relatively new recruit that has recently completed his training. His motivation is revenge on those that wiped out his clan and family and joined so that he could seek vengeance. Ghost Valley...
on Amazon by clicking on the image below
The Assassins of Ghost Valley adhere to an ideal that their role is to maintain the order of the world. Blue Asura (William Feng) is a relatively new recruit that has recently completed his training. His motivation is revenge on those that wiped out his clan and family and joined so that he could seek vengeance. Ghost Valley...
- 3/21/2023
- by Ben Stykuc
- AsianMoviePulse
Sunday’s SAG Awards ceremony will be a streaming event for the first time on the Netflix YouTube channel. One of the highlights each year is the special In Memoriam segment. It’s been a particularly rough year with over 100 deaths of prominent actors and actresses who were likely members of SAG/AFTRA. Show producers typically are able to include approximately 40-50 people in a tribute.
Among that group will certainly be Oscar winners Louise Fletcher, William Hurt and Irene Cara, plus nominees Angela Lansbury (a SAG life achievement recipient) and Melinda Dillon. Emmy champs Mary Alice, Kirstie Alley, Leslie Jordan, Ray Liotta, Stuart Margolin, Robert Morse and Barbara Walters.
SEECelebrity Deaths 2023: In Memoriam Gallery
Here is our expansive list of over 100 people who died since last year’s ceremony, several of whom will be honored on Sunday’s event:
Ralph Ahn
J. Grant Albrecht
Mary Alice
Rae Allen...
Among that group will certainly be Oscar winners Louise Fletcher, William Hurt and Irene Cara, plus nominees Angela Lansbury (a SAG life achievement recipient) and Melinda Dillon. Emmy champs Mary Alice, Kirstie Alley, Leslie Jordan, Ray Liotta, Stuart Margolin, Robert Morse and Barbara Walters.
SEECelebrity Deaths 2023: In Memoriam Gallery
Here is our expansive list of over 100 people who died since last year’s ceremony, several of whom will be honored on Sunday’s event:
Ralph Ahn
J. Grant Albrecht
Mary Alice
Rae Allen...
- 2/24/2023
- by Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Asian Pop-Up Cinema: Season 15 is taking its show on the road to various ethnic communities throughout Chicago and the north suburbs. The in-person festival will present 31 films and opens on September 10 and runs through November 6. Tickets are on sale now at https://buytickets.at/apuc
The festival will highlight the best of Asian animation with a unique lineup of films from Taiwan, China, and South Korea. Programming highlights include films from Japan and special guest appearances from Japan Cinema Showcase host Mark Schilling; this year’s Bright Star Award recipient, Hong Kong actress Jennifer Yu (Pretty Heart); director Yeung Chiu-hoi (The First Girl I Loved); and lead actor Kaki Shum, director Amos Why, and producer Teresa Kwong of Far Far Away.
To enhance the audience’s understanding of the cultural and artistic background of the films, Columbia College Chicago’s Professor Ron Falzone will be leading the post-film discussion...
The festival will highlight the best of Asian animation with a unique lineup of films from Taiwan, China, and South Korea. Programming highlights include films from Japan and special guest appearances from Japan Cinema Showcase host Mark Schilling; this year’s Bright Star Award recipient, Hong Kong actress Jennifer Yu (Pretty Heart); director Yeung Chiu-hoi (The First Girl I Loved); and lead actor Kaki Shum, director Amos Why, and producer Teresa Kwong of Far Far Away.
To enhance the audience’s understanding of the cultural and artistic background of the films, Columbia College Chicago’s Professor Ron Falzone will be leading the post-film discussion...
- 8/26/2022
- by Adam Symchuk
- AsianMoviePulse
Kenneth Tsang, who made his mark in Hong Kong’s golden age of film before coming to the US and scoring roles in several prominent movies, died at age 87 today. He was found after quarantining in a Hong Kong hotel after entering China from Singapore, per that country’s Covid-19 protocols.
Tsang’d talent manager confirmed his death. “I’m deeply saddened by the news and will miss his laughter and his friendship,” Tsang’s manager, Andrew Ooi, said in a statement.
“He was a pioneer and a legend of his time in the golden age of Hong Kong cinema, who broke boundaries with his fearless performances not only there but in Hollywood too. His legacy will live on in the movies he’s made and my heart goes out to his family in this difficult time.”
In addition to his Hong Kong films, Tsang appeared in Hollywood movies Rush Hour 2...
Tsang’d talent manager confirmed his death. “I’m deeply saddened by the news and will miss his laughter and his friendship,” Tsang’s manager, Andrew Ooi, said in a statement.
“He was a pioneer and a legend of his time in the golden age of Hong Kong cinema, who broke boundaries with his fearless performances not only there but in Hollywood too. His legacy will live on in the movies he’s made and my heart goes out to his family in this difficult time.”
In addition to his Hong Kong films, Tsang appeared in Hollywood movies Rush Hour 2...
- 4/27/2022
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Kenneth Tsang, a veteran Hong Kong actor who starred in pioneering martial arts movies, has died. He was 87.
Tsang (aka Tsang Kong) was staying in the Kowloon Hotel on Nathan Road, a venue used for passenger quarantine after overseas travel, and was found dead in the room on Wednesday. No immediate cause of death has been given by Hong Kong authorities.
Tsang had traveled home on Monday after a visit to Singapore. His rapid Covid test on Tuesday had tested negative for the disease.
With a career spanning some 65 years, Tsang had over 220 film credits, mostly as bad guys, as well as key roles in multiple TV series. He is best known for supporting roles in 1960s kung fu movies. He is reported to have appeared in 25 film in 1969.
In the 1980s and 1990s he appeared in several influential titles by John Woo including “A Better Tomorrow” and “A Better Tomorrow 2...
Tsang (aka Tsang Kong) was staying in the Kowloon Hotel on Nathan Road, a venue used for passenger quarantine after overseas travel, and was found dead in the room on Wednesday. No immediate cause of death has been given by Hong Kong authorities.
Tsang had traveled home on Monday after a visit to Singapore. His rapid Covid test on Tuesday had tested negative for the disease.
With a career spanning some 65 years, Tsang had over 220 film credits, mostly as bad guys, as well as key roles in multiple TV series. He is best known for supporting roles in 1960s kung fu movies. He is reported to have appeared in 25 film in 1969.
In the 1980s and 1990s he appeared in several influential titles by John Woo including “A Better Tomorrow” and “A Better Tomorrow 2...
- 4/27/2022
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
“Dark Asset,” a spy action thriller film, starring Byron Mann and Helena Mattsson, has completed its principal photography and will seek a release in 2022. The film was written and directed by Michael Winnick.
The film tells of a charming guy, portrayed by Mann who attempts to pick up a woman in a bar by spinning a tale involving spies, implanted microchips and the dangerous military scientist hunting him. But who is to say that the tale is not true? Or that the unimpressed woman is not actually the hunter?
Mattsson plays the femme fatale, while Robert Patrick plays a mysterious military scientist.
A co-production between Lankis Entertainment, Cherokee Productions and Across The Board Entertainment, “Dark Asset” is produced by Shani Rigsbee, Narbeh Tatoussian, Lan Kay, Ned Kisner and Sargon Yoseph. Winnick, Mann, Patrick, Lan Kisner, Andy Lyon and Michael Walker are executive producing. It is being launched in time for...
The film tells of a charming guy, portrayed by Mann who attempts to pick up a woman in a bar by spinning a tale involving spies, implanted microchips and the dangerous military scientist hunting him. But who is to say that the tale is not true? Or that the unimpressed woman is not actually the hunter?
Mattsson plays the femme fatale, while Robert Patrick plays a mysterious military scientist.
A co-production between Lankis Entertainment, Cherokee Productions and Across The Board Entertainment, “Dark Asset” is produced by Shani Rigsbee, Narbeh Tatoussian, Lan Kay, Ned Kisner and Sargon Yoseph. Winnick, Mann, Patrick, Lan Kisner, Andy Lyon and Michael Walker are executive producing. It is being launched in time for...
- 11/2/2021
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Celinde Schoenmaker (Rocketman), Julia Nickson (Rambo First Blood Part II), Rayssa Bratillieri (Malhação Vidas Brasileiras) and Hana Hrzic (Métèque) have joined the cast of the romantic comedy Hong Kong Love Story. They join previous announced cast members Byron Mann (Wu Assassins), Dominika Kachlik (M jak milosc) Nichkhun, and Kenneth Tsang (Die Another Day). Production is set to begin in Hong Kong on December 18.
Based on real events, Hong Kong Love Story follows Mann and Nichkhun as scions of tycoon families as they stumble their way around Hong Kong to find love. Their friendship gets tested when a Polish model played by Kachlik comes into their lives.
On the stage in London’s West End, Schoenmaker played Fantine in Les Misérables as well as Christine in Phantom Of The Opera. She played Elton John’s ex-wife in Rocketman and appeared in the Red Light series which was nominated for best foreign...
Based on real events, Hong Kong Love Story follows Mann and Nichkhun as scions of tycoon families as they stumble their way around Hong Kong to find love. Their friendship gets tested when a Polish model played by Kachlik comes into their lives.
On the stage in London’s West End, Schoenmaker played Fantine in Les Misérables as well as Christine in Phantom Of The Opera. She played Elton John’s ex-wife in Rocketman and appeared in the Red Light series which was nominated for best foreign...
- 12/16/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Wu Assassins and Little Fires Everywhere actor Byron Mann is set to star alongside award-winning Polish actress Dominika Kachlik, K-pop star and actor Nichkhun and legendary Hong Kong actor Kenneth Tsang are set to star in Hong Kong Love Story.
Filmmaker Keoni Waxman will direct the romantic comedy based on a spec written by Mann. This marks a reunion between the pair who previously worked together on The Ravine.
Based on real events, Hong Kong Love Story follows Mann and Nichkhun as scions of tycoon families as they stumble their way around Hong Kong to find love. Their friendship gets tested when a Polish model played by Kachlik comes into their lives.
In addition to Little Fires Everywhere and Wu Assassins, Mann’s TV credits also include The Expanse, Arrow and Altered Carbon. On the feature side, he has appeared in Skyscraper and The Big Short. He recently wrapped...
Filmmaker Keoni Waxman will direct the romantic comedy based on a spec written by Mann. This marks a reunion between the pair who previously worked together on The Ravine.
Based on real events, Hong Kong Love Story follows Mann and Nichkhun as scions of tycoon families as they stumble their way around Hong Kong to find love. Their friendship gets tested when a Polish model played by Kachlik comes into their lives.
In addition to Little Fires Everywhere and Wu Assassins, Mann’s TV credits also include The Expanse, Arrow and Altered Carbon. On the feature side, he has appeared in Skyscraper and The Big Short. He recently wrapped...
- 10/29/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Chicago – Season Nine of Chicago’s Asian Pop-Up Cinema (Apuc) had a grand finale on its Closing Night on October 10th, 2019, by honoring one of the most prolific character actors in Hong Kong cinema with a Lifetime Achievement Award … the incomparable Kenneth Tsang. The actor, who has also appeared in Western films like “Die Another Day” and “Rush Hour 2,” began his career in 1955 and has over 250 credits in his long career.
The Lifetime Achievement Award night was special, as it also served to introduce the newest Director of the Chicago Film Office, Kwame Amoaku, who presented the award to Kenneth Tsang.
Apuc Honored Actor Kenneth Tsang (left) with Sophia Wong Bocchio and Presenter Kwame Amoaku
Photo credit: Patrick McDonald for HollywoodChicago.com
After a false start in the film industry, Kenneth Tsang studied architecture at Berkeley in San Francisco. When he settled back in Hong Kong he couldn’t...
The Lifetime Achievement Award night was special, as it also served to introduce the newest Director of the Chicago Film Office, Kwame Amoaku, who presented the award to Kenneth Tsang.
Apuc Honored Actor Kenneth Tsang (left) with Sophia Wong Bocchio and Presenter Kwame Amoaku
Photo credit: Patrick McDonald for HollywoodChicago.com
After a false start in the film industry, Kenneth Tsang studied architecture at Berkeley in San Francisco. When he settled back in Hong Kong he couldn’t...
- 10/19/2019
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – Season Nine of Chicago’s Asian Pop-Up Cinema (Apuc) is coming to its grand finale, and it closes by honoring one of the most prolific character actors in Hong Kong cinema with its Lifetime Achievement Award … the incomparable Kenneth Tsang. The actor, who has also appeared in Western films like “Die Another Day” and “Rush Hour 2,” began his career in 1955 and has over 250 credits in his long career. He also appears in the Apuc film finale and wrap up to Season Nine, “The Attorney” (Hong Kong), which will screen on October 10th, 2019, at the AMC River East 21 Theatre in Chicago. For tickets and more info, click here.
Apuc Honors Actor Kenneth Tsang Kong with Lifetime Achievement Award
Photo credit: AsianPopUpCinema.org
After a false start in the film industry (listen to the Podtalk below), Tsang studied architecture at Berkeley in San Francisco. When he settled back in Hong...
Apuc Honors Actor Kenneth Tsang Kong with Lifetime Achievement Award
Photo credit: AsianPopUpCinema.org
After a false start in the film industry (listen to the Podtalk below), Tsang studied architecture at Berkeley in San Francisco. When he settled back in Hong...
- 10/10/2019
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Well Go USA has announced January 23rd to be the release date of the film ‘Chasing the Dragon‘ starring Donnie Yen and Andy Lau. The film will be released on Digital, Blu-ray and DVD. For more information on the popular Hong Kong crime thriller see below.
Press Release Iconic action stars Donnie Yen (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,IP Man franchise) and Andy Lau (House of Flying Daggers) team up for the stylish Hong Kong crime thriller Chasing The Dragon, debuting on digital, Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD January 23 from Well Go USA Entertainment. Based on a true story, Yen plays an illegal immigrant from Mainland China who sneaks into corrupt British-colonized Hong Kong in 1963 and transforms himself into a ruthless drug lord. Lau reprises the role of the corrupt cop seeking money and power he originated in the Lee Rock franchise. As The Action Elite noted, “Donnie Yen and Andy Lau are superb,...
Press Release Iconic action stars Donnie Yen (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,IP Man franchise) and Andy Lau (House of Flying Daggers) team up for the stylish Hong Kong crime thriller Chasing The Dragon, debuting on digital, Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD January 23 from Well Go USA Entertainment. Based on a true story, Yen plays an illegal immigrant from Mainland China who sneaks into corrupt British-colonized Hong Kong in 1963 and transforms himself into a ruthless drug lord. Lau reprises the role of the corrupt cop seeking money and power he originated in the Lee Rock franchise. As The Action Elite noted, “Donnie Yen and Andy Lau are superb,...
- 12/16/2017
- by Angelina Kurganska
- AsianMoviePulse
China Lion continues its winning run of bringing hot new releases from mainland China to North American audiences this month with the release of Pan Anzi's Far East Western For A Few Bullets on 22 July. Starring Zhang Jingchu (Aftershock, Protege), Lin Gengxin (The Taking of Tiger Mountain), Liu Xiaoqing and Kenneth Tsang, For A Few Bullets appears to be following the trend of recent blockbusters like Jiang Wen's Let The Bullets Fly, repackaging China's warlord era of the early 20th century with a Wild West vibe that should appeal to audiences beyond the Chinese diaspora. There's definitely a strong comedy element too, and a feisty female protagonist to boot, as well as plenty of classic gunslinging and railroad action thrown in for good measure. ...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 7/6/2016
- Screen Anarchy
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Police Story might just be the greatest action franchise of all time. But which movies are the best in the series?
After his disappointing experience in America filming The Protector, Jackie Chan returned to Hong Kong determined to make his own cop film his own way. The result - Police Story - kickstarted perhaps the greatest action franchise of all time; a series of films that still deliver thrills of a near-religious magnitude for genre fans.
Aside from the two reboots, the Police Stories revolve around Jackie's maverick Hong Kong cop Ka-Kui Chan (or Kevin Chan, in the English dubs) with frequent appearances from his lovably inept superior 'Uncle Bill' (Bill Tung) and his long-suffering girlfriend May (Maggie Cheung). The story continuity is a little ropey but instead each instalment offers a new, and usually more improbable, case for Ka-Kui to crack.
There's a blend of comedy,...
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Police Story might just be the greatest action franchise of all time. But which movies are the best in the series?
After his disappointing experience in America filming The Protector, Jackie Chan returned to Hong Kong determined to make his own cop film his own way. The result - Police Story - kickstarted perhaps the greatest action franchise of all time; a series of films that still deliver thrills of a near-religious magnitude for genre fans.
Aside from the two reboots, the Police Stories revolve around Jackie's maverick Hong Kong cop Ka-Kui Chan (or Kevin Chan, in the English dubs) with frequent appearances from his lovably inept superior 'Uncle Bill' (Bill Tung) and his long-suffering girlfriend May (Maggie Cheung). The story continuity is a little ropey but instead each instalment offers a new, and usually more improbable, case for Ka-Kui to crack.
There's a blend of comedy,...
- 1/5/2016
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
By Fred Blosser
Life moves at warp speed these days. Almost overnight, cutting-edge in arts and technology becomes old-school.
It seems like only yesterday that the Hong Kong movies of Jackie Chan and John Woo were the big new flavor in action cinema, and laser disc was the medium of choice for upscale home theater. In reality, it’s more like yesteryear, and at that, nearly two decades of yesteryears.
How many of today’s kids under 20 would you have to ask before you found one who’s seen a Jackie Chan film? How many have even heard of laser disc, let alone loaded one of those unwieldy LP-sized platters into an equally clunky player?
These nostalgic if chilling thoughts occurred to me when, recently, I browsed through an old issue of “Mystery Scene” magazine and came across a review I’d written back in the day. The topic was Jackie Chan,...
Life moves at warp speed these days. Almost overnight, cutting-edge in arts and technology becomes old-school.
It seems like only yesterday that the Hong Kong movies of Jackie Chan and John Woo were the big new flavor in action cinema, and laser disc was the medium of choice for upscale home theater. In reality, it’s more like yesteryear, and at that, nearly two decades of yesteryears.
How many of today’s kids under 20 would you have to ask before you found one who’s seen a Jackie Chan film? How many have even heard of laser disc, let alone loaded one of those unwieldy LP-sized platters into an equally clunky player?
These nostalgic if chilling thoughts occurred to me when, recently, I browsed through an old issue of “Mystery Scene” magazine and came across a review I’d written back in the day. The topic was Jackie Chan,...
- 11/16/2015
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
It's the invisible car one! We look back at Pierce Brosnan's final outing as James Bond - it's Die Another Day...
Practically a curse for some this one, and now a contender for Worst Bond Ever. This is a bit harsh: Die Another Day doesn’t deserve the opprobrium heaped upon it. Not to say it’s good; just not utterly irredeemable. Perhaps its greatest problem is tonal. For a while it seems we might get the hard-hitting Bond that Pierce Brosnan so deserved; then suddenly we’re in an ice palace and Bond’s borrowed a car from Harry Potter. The second half of the film is utterly ludicrous but fun if you go along for the (invisible) ride; alas, the first half promised something far more intriguing. It wouldn’t be completely accurate to say it begins as Licence To Kill and ends as Moonraker; but nor is it totally unfair.
Practically a curse for some this one, and now a contender for Worst Bond Ever. This is a bit harsh: Die Another Day doesn’t deserve the opprobrium heaped upon it. Not to say it’s good; just not utterly irredeemable. Perhaps its greatest problem is tonal. For a while it seems we might get the hard-hitting Bond that Pierce Brosnan so deserved; then suddenly we’re in an ice palace and Bond’s borrowed a car from Harry Potter. The second half of the film is utterly ludicrous but fun if you go along for the (invisible) ride; alas, the first half promised something far more intriguing. It wouldn’t be completely accurate to say it begins as Licence To Kill and ends as Moonraker; but nor is it totally unfair.
- 10/3/2015
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
Ann Hui’s The Golden Era continued its awards sweep at the Hong Kong Film Awards on Sunday night, winning five prizes including best film and best director.
The biopic of writer Xiao Hong also won best cinematography, best art direction and best costume and make-up. It recently won best director and best supporting actor at the Asian Film Awards in Macau.
Overheard 3 was also a multiple winner at the Hong Kong Film Awards, clinching best actor for Lau Ching-wan, best supporting actor for Kenneth Tsang and best screenplay for Alan Mak and Felix Chong’s script.
Best actress went to Vicky Zhao Wei for Peter Ho-sun Chan’s child abduction drama Dearest, while Ivana Wong picked up both best supporting actress and best new performer for her role in comedy Golden Chickensss.
David Lee won the best new director award for Derek Yee-produced thriller Insanity. Zhang Yimou’s Coming Home won the award for best...
The biopic of writer Xiao Hong also won best cinematography, best art direction and best costume and make-up. It recently won best director and best supporting actor at the Asian Film Awards in Macau.
Overheard 3 was also a multiple winner at the Hong Kong Film Awards, clinching best actor for Lau Ching-wan, best supporting actor for Kenneth Tsang and best screenplay for Alan Mak and Felix Chong’s script.
Best actress went to Vicky Zhao Wei for Peter Ho-sun Chan’s child abduction drama Dearest, while Ivana Wong picked up both best supporting actress and best new performer for her role in comedy Golden Chickensss.
David Lee won the best new director award for Derek Yee-produced thriller Insanity. Zhang Yimou’s Coming Home won the award for best...
- 4/20/2015
- by lizshackleton@gmail.com (Liz Shackleton)
- ScreenDaily
The 34th Hong Kong Film Awards have named Ann Hui's epic drama The Golden Era Best Film of the year, with Hui taking the Best Director prize. The film, which stars Tang Wei as famed Chinese writer Xiao Hong, won five awards on the night, including Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction and Best Costumes & Make-Up.Tang missed out on the Best Actress prize, which went to Zhao Wei for Peter Chan's Dearest, while Lau Ching Wan was named Best Actor for his turn in Overheard 3, one of three awards for Alan Mak and Felix Chong's surveillance threequel. It also won in the Best Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor (for Kenneth Tsang) categories. Meanwhile, Ivana Wong scored an impressive double, winning both the Best Supporting Actress...
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[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 4/19/2015
- Screen Anarchy
Felix Chong and Alan Mak are getting ready to unleash the third in their Overheard series of audio surveillance thrillers, and have just released these images of their rogues gallery. The previous films did not follow the same characters, and the third installment will also feature an entirely new story, but many of the same cast will return.In the images below we see Lau Ching Wan, Alex Fong, Gordon Lam, Lam Ka Wah, Kenneth Tsang and Ng Man Tat, who are being billed as the "Hong Kong Tyrant Full Collection", and the plot of Overheard 3 this time revolves around a group of unscrupulous land owners looking to increase their fortune. Daniel Wu and Louis Koo also star in the film, but clearly appear on...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 10/8/2013
- Screen Anarchy
Stars: Daniel Wu, Kevin Spacey, Beibi Gong, Ni Yan, Peter Stormare, Kenneth Tsang, Mo Zhang | Written and Directed by Dayyan Eng
Originally filmed in 2011, Inseparable is one of those movies that defies pigeon-holing. Pegged as a “buddy-cop” superhero movie, the film actually deals with the breakdown of a marriage, mental health issues and how one man can actually make a difference.
Inseparable tells the story of Li (Wu) who, after a series of tragic life events, is burnt out. His beautiful but increasingly moody wife is never home, the unpaid bills are piling up and his work is pressuring him to lie at a public hearing. With seemingly no options left he decides to end it all. But he can’t even do that right. Enter Chuck (Spacey), Li’s wise-talking American neighbour who takes Li under his wing and encourages him to stand up for himself and the exploited people around him.
Originally filmed in 2011, Inseparable is one of those movies that defies pigeon-holing. Pegged as a “buddy-cop” superhero movie, the film actually deals with the breakdown of a marriage, mental health issues and how one man can actually make a difference.
Inseparable tells the story of Li (Wu) who, after a series of tragic life events, is burnt out. His beautiful but increasingly moody wife is never home, the unpaid bills are piling up and his work is pressuring him to lie at a public hearing. With seemingly no options left he decides to end it all. But he can’t even do that right. Enter Chuck (Spacey), Li’s wise-talking American neighbour who takes Li under his wing and encourages him to stand up for himself and the exploited people around him.
- 8/17/2013
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Cast:
Chow Yun Fat
Danny Lee
Sally Yeh
Ken Tsang
Director:
John Woo
The Killer is one of the finest Gangster movies ever made, the movie is filled with high impact action sequences only John Woo can bring, add Chow Yun Fat into the movie and its a must see for any fan.
Plot
Chow plays the assassin Ah Jong, who accidentally damages the eyes of the singer Jennie (Sally Yeh) during a shootout. He later discovers that if Jennie does not have an expensive operation she will go blind. To get the money for Jennie, Ah Jong decides to perform one last hit.
Overall
This movie didn’t really take off right away at the Hong Kong box office, but had a big audience around the world and remains till this day one of the finest Gangster movies ever made. From the opening scene to the final scene, this movie as it all,...
Chow Yun Fat
Danny Lee
Sally Yeh
Ken Tsang
Director:
John Woo
The Killer is one of the finest Gangster movies ever made, the movie is filled with high impact action sequences only John Woo can bring, add Chow Yun Fat into the movie and its a must see for any fan.
Plot
Chow plays the assassin Ah Jong, who accidentally damages the eyes of the singer Jennie (Sally Yeh) during a shootout. He later discovers that if Jennie does not have an expensive operation she will go blind. To get the money for Jennie, Ah Jong decides to perform one last hit.
Overall
This movie didn’t really take off right away at the Hong Kong box office, but had a big audience around the world and remains till this day one of the finest Gangster movies ever made. From the opening scene to the final scene, this movie as it all,...
- 9/30/2012
- by kingofkungfu
- AsianMoviePulse
Title: Supercapitalist Director: Simon Yin Screenwriter: Derek Ting Cast: Linus Roache, Kenneth Tsang, Derek Ting, Richard Ng, Michael Park, Kathy Uyen, Darren E. Scott Screened at: Review 1, NYC, 7/18/12 Opens: August 10, 2012 When the British left their Hong Kong colony in 1997, they got a promise from the People’s Republic of China that Hong Kong’s capitalist system would be untouched for at least fifty years. While Hong Kong residents were right to be fearful that China would break the promise, something interesting happened. Instead of China’s communizing Hong Kong, Hong Kong capitalized (if you will) the mainland. Today cities like Shanghai and Beijing could actually be mistaken for [ Read More ]...
- 8/6/2012
- by Harvey Karten
- ShockYa
Starry Starry Night Trailer, Poster, Photo. Tom Lin‘s Starry Starry Night (2011) movie trailer, movie poster, movie photo stars Rene Liu, Harlem Yu, Kenneth Tsang, Kenneth Tsang, Hui Ming Lin, and Janel Tsai. Starry Starry Night‘s plot synopsis: “Starry Starry Night is the slightly fantastical tale of Mei, a 13-years old girl trying to deal with growing [...]
Continue reading: Starry Starry Night (2011) Movie Trailer, Poster, Photo: Tom Lin...
Continue reading: Starry Starry Night (2011) Movie Trailer, Poster, Photo: Tom Lin...
- 5/22/2012
- by Rollo Tomasi
- Film-Book
Inseparable Trailer. Dayyan Eng‘s Inseparable (2011) teaser trailer stars Kevin Spacey, Daniel Wu, Beibi Gong, Peter Stormare, and Kenneth Tsang. Inseparable‘s plot synopsis: “A young man with problems at home and work befriends his odd neighbor, a mysterious American expatriate.” Kevin Spacey is supposedly “the first Western star to feature in an all China financed [...]
Continue reading: Inseparable (2011) Teaser Trailer: Kevin Spacey, Daniel Wu, Beibi Gong...
Continue reading: Inseparable (2011) Teaser Trailer: Kevin Spacey, Daniel Wu, Beibi Gong...
- 5/4/2012
- by Rollo Tomasi
- Film-Book
Ang Lee's 1994 classic film Eat Drink Man Woman is a wonderful drama that perfectly combines the themes of food, love and family. The film's producer Hsu Li-Kong (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon) has now collaborated with director Tsao Jui-Yuan to bring us the sequel, Joyful Reunion. The strong cast includes Kuei Ya-lei (the original Eat Drink Man Woman and another Ang Lee classic The Wedding Banquet), Huo Siyan (who starred in My Name Is Fame that gave actor Lau Ching Wan his first ever Best Actor Award at the Hong Kong Film Awards), Lan Zheng-Long (Night Market Hero) and Kenneth Tsang (recently seen to steal the show in Overheard 2). Synopsis: People once said, love is like flavour; once you have a taste of it, you will...
- 2/18/2012
- Screen Anarchy
Overview:
The original movie was well-received by critics and the viewing public alike. The thrilling sequences and the conflicts faced by the main characters between ethics and compassion; add that to a refreshing premise, everything about Overheard was begging for a sequel- except one minor issue- two thirds of the main cast had met their demise in the show, so had the main villain, the love interests and even the team leader of the other squad played by a typically over-the-top Alex Fong.
So what do the producers do to keep us hungry fan-boys at bay? Run another movie based on largely the same premise (phone tapping) featuring the same main cast members but otherwise an entirely different film. Sufficient elements are retained to justify categorizing it as part of the same series, in order to ride on the fame of the original movie.
To cut to the chase, Overheard...
The original movie was well-received by critics and the viewing public alike. The thrilling sequences and the conflicts faced by the main characters between ethics and compassion; add that to a refreshing premise, everything about Overheard was begging for a sequel- except one minor issue- two thirds of the main cast had met their demise in the show, so had the main villain, the love interests and even the team leader of the other squad played by a typically over-the-top Alex Fong.
So what do the producers do to keep us hungry fan-boys at bay? Run another movie based on largely the same premise (phone tapping) featuring the same main cast members but otherwise an entirely different film. Sufficient elements are retained to justify categorizing it as part of the same series, in order to ride on the fame of the original movie.
To cut to the chase, Overheard...
- 1/23/2012
- by dchew78
- AsianMoviePulse
Back in December, we got our first look at Forum Expanded, a program of exhibitions, performances and other works that don't necessarily entail lowering the lights and peering straight ahead at the big white screen. So we already know that we'll be seeing new work by Luke Fowler, Harun Farocki and many others. The first of today's announcements from the Berlinale (February 9 through 19) fills in the details.
The addition, for example, of whiteonwhite:algorithmicnoir (image above) by Eve Sussman/Rufus Corporation, "a film edited live in real time which shows a man under surveillance in a fictional East European city," solidifies the impression that Forum Expanded is a rough equivalent of Toronto's Future Projections program and Sundance's New Frontier since, by the time it rolls into Berlin, it'll already have been presented by both.
Other notable additions since December's announcement: Luc Moullet's "uncompleted project about two thieves (mother and daughter...
The addition, for example, of whiteonwhite:algorithmicnoir (image above) by Eve Sussman/Rufus Corporation, "a film edited live in real time which shows a man under surveillance in a fictional East European city," solidifies the impression that Forum Expanded is a rough equivalent of Toronto's Future Projections program and Sundance's New Frontier since, by the time it rolls into Berlin, it'll already have been presented by both.
Other notable additions since December's announcement: Luc Moullet's "uncompleted project about two thieves (mother and daughter...
- 1/23/2012
- MUBI
Writer-director Tom Lin conjures up a visual feast in his sophomore effort, Starry Starry Night, a big screen adaptation of Jimmy Liao's popular children's book. Young Josie Xu (familiar to many from Stephen Chow's CJ7) is maturing incredibly well as an acting talent of note and here pretty much carries the entire film with unflappable poise and a disarming charm that steers clear of being cutsy for the cameras. Xu plays Mei, an only-child, trapped in a financially stable, middle class family that is fracturing around her as her parents careen towards divorce. Luckily she has a doting grandfather (Kenneth Tsang, last seen in Overheard 2), who fuels her already unwieldy imagination by carving her a menagerie of wooden animals that adorn her bedroom and populate...
- 10/24/2011
- Screen Anarchy
Singapore has of late been turning out a number of effective supernatural outings, such as Kelvin Tong’s “The Maid” and “Rule no.1”, and now the 2009 “Blood Ties”, which marked the feature length debut of upcoming director Chai Yeewei. The film is an interesting blend of crime drama, revenge thriller and ghost chiller, making good use of Chinese folklore in a modern urban setting and exploring themes of police corruption and life after death. Chai managed to pull together an impressive cast, headed by David Leong (“Painted Skin”), Cheng Pei Pei (the Shaw Brothers sword maiden, more recently in Ang Lee’s “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”) and gangster veteran Kenneth Tsang (“A Better Tomorrow”, “The Killer”), with child actress Joey Leong carrying the film in the central role. The film revolves around the brutal murder of David Leong’s honest officer Shun, who before his death is forced to watch...
- 9/6/2011
- by James Mudge
- Beyond Hollywood
Raffi Tang (Francoise Yip) is living a quiet life in Mexico far from the mother who disowned her. The two fought years prior when Raffi declared her love for another woman, and they haven’t spoken since. Her mother has recently taken to writing her daughter, but the letters remain unopened. Raffi gets a call from a friend late one night that her mom’s house back in San Francisco was just on the news, and when she calls the local authorities she discovers why. Her mother has been killed in what appears to be a botched robbery. Raffi heads back home for the first time in years, but while she plans to only stay through her mom’s funeral she discovers there may be more to the case than previously thought. Why is the police investigation being run by amateurs committing multiple mistakes? Could her mother’s expensive and long-running lawsuit against her father (Kenneth Tsang) be...
- 8/28/2011
- by Rob Hunter
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Mo’ money mo’ problems. This seems to be the moral of the story in Doris Yeung’s directorial debut, Motherland, a tale of an immigrant family’s destruction from chasing the American Dream.
Inspired by the real life murder of Yeung’s mother, the film opens with Raffi Tang (Francoise Yip) returning home to San Francisco after her mother was killed in an apparent robbery. Estranged from her mother due to her mother’s disapproval of her same-sex relationship, Raffi had been living in self-imposed exile in Mexico.
Upon arriving home, Raffi becomes entangled in a web of deceit woven by her stepfather (Kenneth Tsang), a person of interest in the murder, and a mysterious family friend (Byron Mann). Raffi’s wealthy mother and stepfather had been embroiled in a contentious and expensive five year long battle over marital assets. Over time, Raffi suspects that the murder was a professional hit ordered by her stepfather.
Inspired by the real life murder of Yeung’s mother, the film opens with Raffi Tang (Francoise Yip) returning home to San Francisco after her mother was killed in an apparent robbery. Estranged from her mother due to her mother’s disapproval of her same-sex relationship, Raffi had been living in self-imposed exile in Mexico.
Upon arriving home, Raffi becomes entangled in a web of deceit woven by her stepfather (Kenneth Tsang), a person of interest in the murder, and a mysterious family friend (Byron Mann). Raffi’s wealthy mother and stepfather had been embroiled in a contentious and expensive five year long battle over marital assets. Over time, Raffi suspects that the murder was a professional hit ordered by her stepfather.
- 3/23/2011
- by Grace Chu
- AfterEllen.com
Are you bored of the same old TV shows? Tired of the mainstream? Then check out this round-up of alternative movies and series showing on UK television tonight…
8.00pm Quantum Apocalypse (Syfy)
Scientists race against time to save mankind when a comet makes an unexpected turn in space and threatens to destroy all life on Earth.
9.00pm They Wait (Horror Channel)
Chilling mystery starring Michael Biehn and Jamie King. A family returns to the Us from China only for their son to be possessed by a living corpse with links to the Chinese festival of Ghost Month.
10.00pm The Replacement Killers (Bravo)
John Lee (Chow Yun-Fat) is an assassin with a very troubled conscience. He owes a debt to Terence Wei (Kenneth Tsang), L.A.’s Chinatown drug-lord. In order to ensure the continued safety of his mother and sister back in Beijing, he must do the bidding of Mr.
8.00pm Quantum Apocalypse (Syfy)
Scientists race against time to save mankind when a comet makes an unexpected turn in space and threatens to destroy all life on Earth.
9.00pm They Wait (Horror Channel)
Chilling mystery starring Michael Biehn and Jamie King. A family returns to the Us from China only for their son to be possessed by a living corpse with links to the Chinese festival of Ghost Month.
10.00pm The Replacement Killers (Bravo)
John Lee (Chow Yun-Fat) is an assassin with a very troubled conscience. He owes a debt to Terence Wei (Kenneth Tsang), L.A.’s Chinatown drug-lord. In order to ensure the continued safety of his mother and sister back in Beijing, he must do the bidding of Mr.
- 7/15/2010
- by Phil
- Nerdly
The sound of drums can penetrate the soul and resonate deeper than any musical instrument if performed by a true master, which I think is why it is an art and a discipline older than any other musical pursuit. This concept lies at the core of The Drummer, a powerful new film from writer and director Kenneth Bi (Rice Rhapsody). This is a story of one young man named Sid whose love of the drums developed at an early age out of anger and frustration. Sid plays drums for a rock band, but his life mimics his music as he is drawn to mischief and chasing women. One night, Sid is caught fooling around with the youthful girlfriend of Stephen Ma (Kenneth Tsang), a powerful suited gangster. With his life in danger, Sid’s father (Tony Leung Ka Fai) also a small-time gangster, sends him away with his best man...
- 11/13/2009
- by Travis
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Screen Media Films has acquired worldwide rights to Adam Kane's political thriller "Formosa Betrayed," starring James Van Der Beek.
Van Der Beek plays an FBI agent, investigating the murder of an Asian professor, who pursues the man's killers to Taiwan. Wendy Crewson, John Heard, Tzi Ma, Will Tiao, Leslie Hope and Kenneth Tsang round out the cast.
The film, which picked up awards at the San Diego Film Festival and the Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival, is the first project from newly formed production/finance company Formosa Films, founded by Will Tiao.
"Betrayed," which debuted at the Montreal World Film Festival, will be released in 15-20 North American cities in February.
Screen Media will rep worldwide rights and begin selling territories at the European Film Market in February. The deal was brokered by the Paradigm Motion Picture Finance Group, attorney Kevin Mills and Screen Media president Robert Baruc and vp international Michael Dwyer.
Van Der Beek plays an FBI agent, investigating the murder of an Asian professor, who pursues the man's killers to Taiwan. Wendy Crewson, John Heard, Tzi Ma, Will Tiao, Leslie Hope and Kenneth Tsang round out the cast.
The film, which picked up awards at the San Diego Film Festival and the Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival, is the first project from newly formed production/finance company Formosa Films, founded by Will Tiao.
"Betrayed," which debuted at the Montreal World Film Festival, will be released in 15-20 North American cities in February.
Screen Media will rep worldwide rights and begin selling territories at the European Film Market in February. The deal was brokered by the Paradigm Motion Picture Finance Group, attorney Kevin Mills and Screen Media president Robert Baruc and vp international Michael Dwyer.
- 10/29/2009
- by By Gregg Kilday
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
It’s been somewhat quiet on the Singapore front, but here’s something that should interest you Twitch folks!
Some years ago a group of friends and I dabbled with short film making, plunging ourselves headlong into an insane 48 hour competition. That same competition had yielded Nicholas Chee and Randy Ang’s short film which clinched top honours, and they had gone on to make the feature film Becoming Royston. Chai Yee-wei was one of the participants in that very same contest, and a few award winning shorts later, look where he is today as well, with a feature film under his belt too, waiting for a 3rd quarter release this year. As for my friends and I, well, erm, that’s another story for another day…
I’ve followed Yee-wei’s shorts film in recent years, having seen them either online at competition websites, or at local film festivals.
Some years ago a group of friends and I dabbled with short film making, plunging ourselves headlong into an insane 48 hour competition. That same competition had yielded Nicholas Chee and Randy Ang’s short film which clinched top honours, and they had gone on to make the feature film Becoming Royston. Chai Yee-wei was one of the participants in that very same contest, and a few award winning shorts later, look where he is today as well, with a feature film under his belt too, waiting for a 3rd quarter release this year. As for my friends and I, well, erm, that’s another story for another day…
I’ve followed Yee-wei’s shorts film in recent years, having seen them either online at competition websites, or at local film festivals.
- 6/24/2009
- by Stefan
- Screen Anarchy
Sundance Film Festival
PARK CITY -- Jaycee Chan, the son of Jackie Chan, might turn out to be a chip off the old block. In The Drummer, he doesn't try to imitate his father's martial arts moves but demonstrates plenty of movie star charisma in his own right.
It's fitting that the film is in part a story about a rebellious young man trying to carve out his own identity in the shadow of an overbearing father. This Sundance premiere, competing in the world cinema dramatic section, might not have the art film cachet of other movies in the category, but it's a most entertaining ride with audience appeal well beyond the festival circuit.
Sid (Chan) is the hedonistic playboy son of Kwan (veteran actor Tony Leung Ka Fai), a Hong Kong crime boss. With cheeky insolence, Sid seduces the mistress of his father's gangland rival, Stephen Ma (Kenneth Tsang). Stephen is furious and demands that the boy be punished. To get him out of harm's way, Kwan ships Sid to a remote mountainous region of Taiwan. There, Sid encounters a group of Zen drummers and decides to join their troupe. He undergoes a spiritual and romantic awakening (courtesy of a fellow drummer, played by the fetching Lee Sinje), though of course he eventually will have to return to Hong Kong and settle scores with the criminals.
The film is an odd hybrid of violent action picture and earnest spiritual odyssey, but somehow it all works. This is partly because of the skill of writer-director Kenneth Bi, who brings ferocious energy to the action scenes and sensitivity to the interactions of the drummers, played by U Theatre, a well-known group of Taiwan artists. Scenes in which the Zen masters discipline the headstrong Sid have considerable charm. The script has enough twists and turns to keep us engaged, and the casting is superb.
It's hard to imagine the film without Chan in the lead. A bundle of energy and youthful impudence, he has a face that the camera loves, and he manages to be equally convincing in his gangster and tranquil Zen modes. Leung brings the right sense of danger to his role, and there are strong supporting turns by Sinje, Josie Ho as Sid's feisty sister and Roy Cheung as a solicitous bodyguard who is not quite what he appears to be.
Besides the great cast, the film boasts first-rate technical credits. Sam Koa's photography of the Taiwanese countryside is spectacular, and the urban scenes are sharply edited by Bi and Isabel Meier. The musical interludes also register effectively. You don't have to take the movie's spiritual message seriously to enjoy Drummer. This is a true guilty pleasure that will tickle audiences all over the world.
THE DRUMMER
Emperor Motion Pictures (Hong Kong)
Kenbiroli Films, Twenty Twenty Vision Filmproduktion
Credits:
Director-screenwriter: Kenneth Bi
Producers: Rosa Li, Peggy Chiao, Thanassis Karathanos
Executive producers: Albert Yeung, William Fu
Director of photography: Sam Koa
Production designer: Alex Mok Siu Chung
Music: Andre Matthias
Co-producer: Albert Lee
Costume designer: Cindy Cheung
Editors: Isabel Meier, Kenneth Bi
Cast:
Sid: Jaycee Chan
Kwan: Tony Leung Ka Fai
Hong Dou: Lee Sinje
Ah Chiu: Roy Cheung
Sina: Josie Ho
Stephen Ma: Kenneth Tsang
Lan Jie: Liu Ruo-Yu
Running time -- 116 minutes
No MPAA rating...
PARK CITY -- Jaycee Chan, the son of Jackie Chan, might turn out to be a chip off the old block. In The Drummer, he doesn't try to imitate his father's martial arts moves but demonstrates plenty of movie star charisma in his own right.
It's fitting that the film is in part a story about a rebellious young man trying to carve out his own identity in the shadow of an overbearing father. This Sundance premiere, competing in the world cinema dramatic section, might not have the art film cachet of other movies in the category, but it's a most entertaining ride with audience appeal well beyond the festival circuit.
Sid (Chan) is the hedonistic playboy son of Kwan (veteran actor Tony Leung Ka Fai), a Hong Kong crime boss. With cheeky insolence, Sid seduces the mistress of his father's gangland rival, Stephen Ma (Kenneth Tsang). Stephen is furious and demands that the boy be punished. To get him out of harm's way, Kwan ships Sid to a remote mountainous region of Taiwan. There, Sid encounters a group of Zen drummers and decides to join their troupe. He undergoes a spiritual and romantic awakening (courtesy of a fellow drummer, played by the fetching Lee Sinje), though of course he eventually will have to return to Hong Kong and settle scores with the criminals.
The film is an odd hybrid of violent action picture and earnest spiritual odyssey, but somehow it all works. This is partly because of the skill of writer-director Kenneth Bi, who brings ferocious energy to the action scenes and sensitivity to the interactions of the drummers, played by U Theatre, a well-known group of Taiwan artists. Scenes in which the Zen masters discipline the headstrong Sid have considerable charm. The script has enough twists and turns to keep us engaged, and the casting is superb.
It's hard to imagine the film without Chan in the lead. A bundle of energy and youthful impudence, he has a face that the camera loves, and he manages to be equally convincing in his gangster and tranquil Zen modes. Leung brings the right sense of danger to his role, and there are strong supporting turns by Sinje, Josie Ho as Sid's feisty sister and Roy Cheung as a solicitous bodyguard who is not quite what he appears to be.
Besides the great cast, the film boasts first-rate technical credits. Sam Koa's photography of the Taiwanese countryside is spectacular, and the urban scenes are sharply edited by Bi and Isabel Meier. The musical interludes also register effectively. You don't have to take the movie's spiritual message seriously to enjoy Drummer. This is a true guilty pleasure that will tickle audiences all over the world.
THE DRUMMER
Emperor Motion Pictures (Hong Kong)
Kenbiroli Films, Twenty Twenty Vision Filmproduktion
Credits:
Director-screenwriter: Kenneth Bi
Producers: Rosa Li, Peggy Chiao, Thanassis Karathanos
Executive producers: Albert Yeung, William Fu
Director of photography: Sam Koa
Production designer: Alex Mok Siu Chung
Music: Andre Matthias
Co-producer: Albert Lee
Costume designer: Cindy Cheung
Editors: Isabel Meier, Kenneth Bi
Cast:
Sid: Jaycee Chan
Kwan: Tony Leung Ka Fai
Hong Dou: Lee Sinje
Ah Chiu: Roy Cheung
Sina: Josie Ho
Stephen Ma: Kenneth Tsang
Lan Jie: Liu Ruo-Yu
Running time -- 116 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 1/22/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In 88 slam-bang minutes, one already proven talent (Chow Yun-Fat), a newcomer to watch (director Antoine Fuqua) and a starlet-on-the-rise (Mira Sorvino) go on a cinematic rampage with many moods and muzzle-to-muzzle showdowns.
The unambiguous title "The Replacement Killers" and imaginative casting should get the attention of genre followers, but this strong Columbia release will probably find many more fans on home-viewing formats and cable.
A tailor-made debut in a major American production for international star Chow ("A Better Tomorrow", "Hard Boiled"), "Replacement Killers" is a visual treat in glossy widescreen, reminiscent of Hong Kong films but with classy production values, seductive music choices, crackerjack sound work and a small but excellent group of gunslinging performers who take their jobs seriously.
Consider Chow, who fires countless rounds with an array of weapons. His character is a Chinese hit man forced to work for a ruthless crime boss (Kenneth Tsang) in a nameless metropolis with many recognizable Los Angeles locations.
Although one is amused from time to time by such Hollywood touches as downtown's Union Station being used as an airport terminal, "Replacement Killers" is serious, bloody entertainment. Fuqua does not use as much slow motion as executive producer John Woo does in his explosively violent films, but the first-time director unleashes a full agenda of pursuits, close calls and messy shootouts.
The screenplay by Ken Sanzel is short on dialogue and long on elaborate firefights between rogue gunman John Lee Chow) and the henchmen of Tsang's character. In a beautifully understated scene, Lee is unable to pull the trigger on his final job when his conscience makes him pause. His target is the family of a tough cop (Michael Rooker) who killed the son of Lee's boss.
A target himself for not completing his task and fearing for the safety of his own family, Lee seeks out a forger to help expedite his leaving the country. Enter tough gal Meg Coburn (Sorvino), a fast-thinking, fast-shooting loner with a fierce demeanor and take-charge attitude.
They've barely stared each other down and started doing business when the bad guys burst in and the chase is on. In a car wash and old movie theater and Buddhist temple the fast-moving tale unfolds, with simple motivations for the mostly untalkative characters.
In the action scenes as well as the quieter moments, Chow and Sorvino are well-matched, with the latter proving to be a real tigress with big-time sex appeal. Learning English for the film, Chow is commanding and effortlessly charismatic. There's no romance between the two, but the film doesn't need it.
THE REPLACEMENT KILLERS
Sony Pictures Releasing
Columbia Pictures
A Bernie Brillstein/Brad Grey production
A WCG Entertainment production
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Producers: Brad Grey, Bernie Brillstein
Screenwriter: Ken Sanzel
Executive producers: John Woo,
Terence Chang, Christopher Godsick,
Matthew Baer
Director of photography: Peter Lyons Collister
Production designer: Naomi Shohan
Editor: Jay Cassidy
Music: Harry Gregson-Williams
Costume designer: Arianne Phillips
Casting: Wendy Kurtzman
Color/stereo
Cast:
John Lee: Chow Yun-Fat
Meg Coburn: Mira Sorvino
Stan "Zeedo" Zedkov: Michael Rooker
Terence Wei: Kenneth Tsang
Michael Kogan: Jurgen Prochnow
Running time -- 88 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
The unambiguous title "The Replacement Killers" and imaginative casting should get the attention of genre followers, but this strong Columbia release will probably find many more fans on home-viewing formats and cable.
A tailor-made debut in a major American production for international star Chow ("A Better Tomorrow", "Hard Boiled"), "Replacement Killers" is a visual treat in glossy widescreen, reminiscent of Hong Kong films but with classy production values, seductive music choices, crackerjack sound work and a small but excellent group of gunslinging performers who take their jobs seriously.
Consider Chow, who fires countless rounds with an array of weapons. His character is a Chinese hit man forced to work for a ruthless crime boss (Kenneth Tsang) in a nameless metropolis with many recognizable Los Angeles locations.
Although one is amused from time to time by such Hollywood touches as downtown's Union Station being used as an airport terminal, "Replacement Killers" is serious, bloody entertainment. Fuqua does not use as much slow motion as executive producer John Woo does in his explosively violent films, but the first-time director unleashes a full agenda of pursuits, close calls and messy shootouts.
The screenplay by Ken Sanzel is short on dialogue and long on elaborate firefights between rogue gunman John Lee Chow) and the henchmen of Tsang's character. In a beautifully understated scene, Lee is unable to pull the trigger on his final job when his conscience makes him pause. His target is the family of a tough cop (Michael Rooker) who killed the son of Lee's boss.
A target himself for not completing his task and fearing for the safety of his own family, Lee seeks out a forger to help expedite his leaving the country. Enter tough gal Meg Coburn (Sorvino), a fast-thinking, fast-shooting loner with a fierce demeanor and take-charge attitude.
They've barely stared each other down and started doing business when the bad guys burst in and the chase is on. In a car wash and old movie theater and Buddhist temple the fast-moving tale unfolds, with simple motivations for the mostly untalkative characters.
In the action scenes as well as the quieter moments, Chow and Sorvino are well-matched, with the latter proving to be a real tigress with big-time sex appeal. Learning English for the film, Chow is commanding and effortlessly charismatic. There's no romance between the two, but the film doesn't need it.
THE REPLACEMENT KILLERS
Sony Pictures Releasing
Columbia Pictures
A Bernie Brillstein/Brad Grey production
A WCG Entertainment production
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Producers: Brad Grey, Bernie Brillstein
Screenwriter: Ken Sanzel
Executive producers: John Woo,
Terence Chang, Christopher Godsick,
Matthew Baer
Director of photography: Peter Lyons Collister
Production designer: Naomi Shohan
Editor: Jay Cassidy
Music: Harry Gregson-Williams
Costume designer: Arianne Phillips
Casting: Wendy Kurtzman
Color/stereo
Cast:
John Lee: Chow Yun-Fat
Meg Coburn: Mira Sorvino
Stan "Zeedo" Zedkov: Michael Rooker
Terence Wei: Kenneth Tsang
Michael Kogan: Jurgen Prochnow
Running time -- 88 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
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