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Source: http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/feed/

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<title>聚言莊﹕The House Where Words Gather</title>
<link>http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong</link>
<description>... On this day, I see clearly, everything has come to life.</description>
<pubDate>Fri, 12 Apr 2013 03:57:00 +0000</pubDate>
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<title>32nd Hong Kong Film Awards Preview</title>
<link>http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/2013/04/11/32nd-hong-kong-film-awards-preview/</link>
<comments>http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/2013/04/11/32nd-hong-kong-film-awards-preview/#comments</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 12 Apr 2013 03:57:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Sanney Leung</dc:creator>
<category><![CDATA[Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Hong Kong Film Awards]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/2013/04/11/32nd-hong-kong-film-awards-preview/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The Hong Kong Movie Gods are kind this year. Unlike last year when A SIMPLE LIFE wasn’t available to poor sods overseas until after the Hong Kong Film Awards were presented, I have been able to see all five of this year’s Best Film nominees. As a result, I can speak with unfounded [...]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<a href="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/cartman.jpg" title="Respect My Authoritah!"></a><img src="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/cartman.jpg" alt="Eric Cartman - Respect My Authoritah!" style="width: 144px; height: 100px" align="right" height="100" width="144" />The Hong Kong Movie Gods are kind this year. Unlike last year when A SIMPLE LIFE wasn’t available to poor sods overseas until after the Hong Kong Film Awards were presented, I have been able to see all five of this year’s Best Film nominees. As a result, I can speak with unfounded yet irrationally-confident authority on who should win and who will win this year’s awards.
Without further ado, let’s start with the night’s top prize: Best Film. The nominees are: THE BULLET VANISHES, COLD WAR, MOTORWAY, THE VIRAL FACTOR and VULGARIA. If I had a vote, here is how I would rank the films:
5. THE VIRAL FACTOR
While it boasts some well-done action scenes, THE VIRAL FACTOR is saddled with an overwrought “separated brothers on opposite sides of the law” subplot loaded with both ham and cheese. This nomination speaks more to the lack of depth in this year’s field than the quality of the movie. THE VIRAL FACTOR was released in January 2012 for the Lunar New Year holiday season. It’s a bit sad that, in the ensuing 11 months of 2012, the HK film industry couldn’t come up with one film, just one film, to knock THE VIRAL FACTOR off this list.
Evaluated solely as an action movie, THE VIRAL FACTOR more than fits the bill. As a nominee for one of the best films of the year, not so much.
4. THE BULLET VANISHES
Terrific production design and dynamic performances from both the leads and the supporting cast make THE BULLET VANISHES a worthy nominee for Best Film. What will keep it from being a worthy winner, however, is a plot twist that comes across as unearned. Without spoiling things for those who have yet to see the movie, to pull off a twist successfully, a viewer should be able to re-watch the film and see the internal logic behind it. Take, for example, M. Night Shyamalan’s THE SIXTH SENSE. Re-watching THE BULLET VANISHES with the plot twist in mind, events don’t quite match the outcome and the logical consistency of the film suffers. Close, Lo Chi-Leung and company, but no cigar.
3. MOTORWAY
THE VIRAL FACTOR and THE BULLET VANISHES would be unlikely Best Film winners on Saturday night. MOTORWAY, on the other hand, has a legitimate shot to walk away with the top prize. A solid cops-and-robbers movie, the film talks the talk and drives the drive with noteworthy skill and efficiency. The problem with MOTORWAY is that it is coldly efficient and, ultimately, bland. There is no spark, no edge to film. It’s highly-watchable and highly-enjoyable, but once the credits roll, it’s also highly-forgettable.
Nevertheless, the remaining films in this category are very polarizing so there is an outside chance that MOTORWAY could emerge victorious as a compromise candidate.
2. COLD WAR
Telling a tale of how the upper echelons of the Hong Kong Police Force mobilize their resources to deal with a terrorist threat, COLD WAR has an intense premise and some interesting things to say about stability and security in a civil society. However, with wings made from pretentious Winston Churchill quotes and a few histrionic performances, COLD WAR, like Icarus, flies too close to the sun and comes crashing down in a disappointingly sloppy third act.
That said, there are many aspects of COLD WAR that commend it as a Best Film winner. With a box-office take of HK$42.68 million, COLD WAR was the highest-grossing Hong Kong film of 2012. Moreover, with the East Palace/West Palace checks and balances dynamic of the Operations branch/Administration branch and the exaltation of the role of the ICAC (Independent Commission Against Corruption) in the government system, COLD WAR fires some not so subtle shots at the Mainland. This is epitomized when Secretary of Security Philip Luk (Andy Lau Tak-Wah) addresses a horde of free press about an hour into the film. Luk:
<img src="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/coldwar_andy.jpg" alt="Andy Lau (left) and Charlie Yeung (right) in COLD WAR." align="middle" height="187" width="450" />
<blockquote>“Hong Kong is an advanced city under common-law jurisdiction. The ICAC doesn’t need to report to me before taking action. I understand that even though you are free to ask any questions, please familiarize yourself with Hong Kong law and the spirit of the rule of law before you ask because this is the core value that made Hong Kong an international finance centre and Asia’s safest city.”</blockquote>
Further, COLD WAR’s ad campaign touted it as a quality film full of “Hong Kong flavour” worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as INFERNAL AFFAIRS. In an age where “if you say something enough times, it effectively becomes true” is an actual media strategy, the branding may swing a few votes its way and be the difference between winning and losing.
Another factor tilting in COLD WAR’s favour, the controversial nature of my pick for Best Film …
1. VULGARIA
VULGARIA, much like MOTORWAY, is very good at what it does. It’s an exceptionally-crafted comedy filled with biting social commentary and ribald but not obscene jokes. Unlike MOTORWAY, VULGARIA is not bland and, with recurring bits involving popping candy and donkeys, definitely not forgettable. Unblemished by neither a questionable plot twist nor an ill-conceived third act, VULGARIA is the best Hong Kong film of 2012. Unfortunately, its mature subject matter means that it faces an uphill battle to get recognized as such in Hong Kong’s socially conservative society.
<img src="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/vulgaria_to_lui.jpg" alt="Chapman To and Simon Lui in VULGARIA" style="width: 450px; height: 187px" align="middle" height="187" width="450" />
Shunned completely by the Hong Kong Film Critics Society in its awards, VULGARIA didn’t get any love either from the Hong Kong Directors’ Guild as COLD WAR, MOTORWAY and Pang Ho-Cheung’s other 2012 effort LOVE IN THE BUFF were selected for its Most Recommended Films of the year. The Hong Kong Arts Development Council gave its HK$50,000 Critics’ Prize to an essay titled “Gazing at the Anxiety of Hong Kong Film Through VULGARIA” by Mainland writer Jia Xuanning. In the piece, Jia argued that VULGARIA is an “irresponsible cultural product” that showed Hong Kong people still cannot accept the realities of the Mainland’s improved social and economic status. With the Hong Kong film industry increasingly reliant on the Mainland for funding, it may be reluctant to bite the hand that feeds it by lauding VULGARIA as its Best Film of 2012.
All this points to a COLD WAR victory on Saturday night. Just how much of a favourite is the Longman Leung-Sunny Luk film? Over at a sportsbook taking bets on the Hong Kong Film Awards, the odds of COLD WAR winning are pegged at 1-5. Its closest competitor, THE VIRAL FACTOR, is given 4-1 odds while VULGARIA has odds of 15-1. For those of you who aren’t degenerate gamblers, this means that if you bet $1 on COLD WAR to win, your return will be a mere 20 cents. If you bet $1 on THE VIRAL FACTOR to win, your return will be $4. A significant disparity that suggests the people who put the money where their mouths are believe COLD WAR is an overwhelming favourite.
<img src="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/hkfa32_betting_slip.jpg" alt="32nd Hong Kong Film Awards Betting Form" style="width: 515px; height: 423px" height="423" width="515" />
 
QUICK HITS ON THE OTHER MAJOR AWARDS:
Best Director:
If I had a vote, I’d give it to Soi Cheang for MOTORWAY. Cheang also won the Hong Kong Film Critics Society Best Director award and tied for the Hong Kong Film Directors’ Guild directing prize so he’s a strong candidate to win. Longman Leung and Sunny Luk may hold the prize in their hands if there’s a COLD WAR sweep. Dante Lam (THE VIRAL FACTOR) is the dark horse candidate.
Best Actor:
My other cousin Tony, Tony Leung Ka-Fai, is the consensus “hot door” for his work in COLD WAR and the actor I would have voted for in this category. If there is to be an upset, look for Nick Cheung Ka-Fai to win for NIGHTFALL as he walked away with the Hong Kong Performing Artistes Guild award for Outstanding Film Performance in 2012.
Best Actress:
Despite some buzz for Sammi Cheng Sau-Man (ROMANCING IN THIN AIR) double nominee Zhou Xun (THE GREAT MAGICIAN, THE SILENT WAR) is expected to emerge as the winner on Saturday night. The dark horse and my sentimental favourite: Miriam Yeung Chin-Wah (LOVE IN THE BUFF).
Best Supporting Actor:
A total toss up between Ronald Cheng Chung-Gei (VULGARIA) and Chapman To Man-Chat (DIVA) as they are being touted as the “hot doors”. Powered by nostalgia, Alex Man Chi-Leung (THE BOUNTY) circles with an outside chance.
Best Supporting Actress:
The “hot door” designation in this category has been given to veteran Taiwanese actress Elaine Jin (THE VIRAL FACTOR) — seven-time HKFA Best Supporting Actress nominee, two-time winner. Mavis Fan (SILENT WAR) is the dark horse. Personally, I would have voted for Jiang Yiyan (THE BULLET VANISHES).
<img src="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/bullet_vanishes_jiangyiyan.jpg" alt="Jiang Yiyan in THE BULLET VANISHES" style="width: 450px; height: 189px" height="189" width="450" />
 
Photo credits: Eric Cartman (Comedy Central), Andy Lau/Charlie Yeung from COLD WAR (Edko Films), Chapman To/Simon Lui from VULGARIA (Making Film Productions), 32nd Hong Kong Film Awards Betting Form (188Bet), Jiang Yiyan from THE BULLET VANISHES (China Lion Entertainment).
]]></content:encoded>
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</item>
<item>
<title>Thoughts On LoveHKFilm’s The Best Hong Kong Movies Ever Reader Vote</title>
<link>http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/2012/11/26/thoughts-on-lovehkfilm%e2%80%99s-the-best-hong-kong-movies-ever-reader-vote/</link>
<comments>http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/2012/11/26/thoughts-on-lovehkfilm%e2%80%99s-the-best-hong-kong-movies-ever-reader-vote/#comments</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 27 Nov 2012 05:43:13 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Sanney Leung</dc:creator>
<category><![CDATA[Stephen Chow Sing-Chi]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Johnnie To Kei-Fung]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Ann Hui On-Wah]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/2012/11/26/thoughts-on-lovehkfilm%e2%80%99s-the-best-hong-kong-movies-ever-reader-vote/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[With just days left to go in voting for LoveHKFilm’s Best Hong Kong Movies Ever Reader Vote, it’s time to awake from my slumber and arise from my sleep to get back out on the hustings and campaign for two films that I strongly believe deserve consideration for your votes. Also, on the off chance [...]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[With just days left to go in voting for LoveHKFilm’s Best Hong Kong Movies Ever Reader Vote, it’s time to awake from my slumber and arise from my sleep to get back out on the hustings and campaign for two films that I strongly believe deserve consideration for your votes. Also, on the off chance that any of you may care, I’ll share my vote for the “Best Hong Kong Movie Ever”.
The Best Hong Kong Movie Ever
As I am a raging megalomaniac, I’m going to start by revealing my pick for “Best Hong Kong Movie” ever. I don’t know about you but I found the prospect of picking the Best! Hong Kong! Movie! Ever! a daunting prospect. Sure, I’ve seen hundreds of Hong Kong films but thousands have been made so I feel sheepish about being an Arbiter of Best Moviedom.
To help me get a hold of such an unwieldy topic, I decided to fall back onto a situation that I’ve found myself in many times over the years: If you had to recommend just one Hong Kong movie to a complete neophyte, which one would you pick? It’s an important decision because the stakes are high. If the neophyte likes your pick, then you may be opening the door to a lifetime of an enjoyment of the wonder of Hong Kong film. If the neophyte hates your pick, then you have squandered an opportunity to recruit one more fan to the ailing art. For me, then, the vote boils down to if I only had one shot, one opportunity to capture the imagination of a Hong Kong movie neophyte, which movie would I recommend?
After much deliberation, I settled on three movies for final consideration. In alphabetical order they are: A BETTER TOMORROW, KUNG FU HUSTLE and POLICE STORY. It’s a daunting decision so my palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy, there’s vomit on my sweater already, Mom’s spaghetti … My choice for the Best Hong Kong Movie Ever is … {drum roll} … KUNG FU HUSTLE.
<img src="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/kung_fu_hustle_best.jpg" alt="Stephen Chow in KUNG FU HUSTLE" />
The choice came down to KUNG FU HUSTLE and A BETTER TOMORROW. POLICE STORY was a strong candidate but it is more of a Jackie Chan showcase than a Hong Kong Cinema showcase. As I have written before, A BETTER TOMORROW is a cinematic masterpiece but KUNG FU HUSTLE edges it out narrowly because it features the signature staple of Hong Kong cinema, kung fu, and because it is a more comprehensive movie. Like A BETTER TOMORROW, KUNG FU HUSTLE has brilliant action sequences and themes of heroism and sacrifice but what makes KUNG FU HUSTLE just that little bit better is that it has a sense of whimsy that is found in many a Hong Kong film from the good (CHUNGKING EXPRESS) to the bad (ON FIRE) to the ugly (THE ETERNAL EVIL OF ASIA). The way KUNG FU HUSTLE manages to tell a classic “good versus bad” story set in the milieu of Pigsty Alley yet include elements like mystical kung fu, a dance number and Bugs Bunny-type animation represents the best of Hong Kong cinema and that is why it’s my choice for the title of Best Hong Kong Movie Ever.
For your consideration …
To those of you who are still compiling your lists for the Reader vote, I ask, nay, beseech you to consider putting two relatively unheralded but patently deserving films on your list: Ann Hui On-Wah’s THE WAY WE ARE and Johnnie To Kei-Fung’s EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED.
Though works like SUMMER SNOW and A SIMPLE LIFE have received more acclaim, the low-key THE WAY WE ARE is Ann Hui’s best film. It’s easy to cull drama from situations like the travails of a caregiver to an Alzheimer’s patent or the way the ravages of time takes a toll on the body and the soul. It’s not as easy to cull drama from mundane every day situations like grocery shopping and cooking supper yet Hui manages to do just that, with great affect, in THE WAY WE ARE.
<img src="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/chanlaiwun_way_we_are.jpg" alt="Chan Lai-Wun in THE WAY WE ARE" />
The opening sequence of the film which shows an old lady (played by HKFA Supporting Actress winner Chan Lai-Wan) shopping for groceries then cooking and eating dinner alone gives more insight into old age than any individual sequence found in A SIMPLE LIFE. Similarly, there’s a scene set in, of all places, a Wellcome supermarket that says more about down-to-earth, working-class decency than you can find in any news report, documentary, essay or newspaper/magazine article.
Earlier this year, I saw the documentary, JIRO DREAMS OF SUSHI, about an 85 year-old man who has spent a lifetime mastering the art of making sushi. In the end, the key to his success was the relentless pursuit of simplicity in the complex matrix of variables that go into making a piece of sushi. With THE WAY WE ARE, Ann Hui shows that she has mastered the art of complex simplicity, a feat worthy of your consideration for a place on your list of the Best Hong Kong Films Ever.
Like Ann Hui, Johnnie To Kei-Fung is known more for films like ELECTION and LIFE WITHOUT PRINCIPLE but I believe one of his best movies is the early Milkyway Image production EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED. On the surface, EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED is a routine police procedural filled with the usual tropes: the by-the-book squad leader, the laid-back, loose-cannon cop and the cop just looking to get by until he retires. For good measure, To throws in a love triangle and a tale of unrequited love. The familiar elements, however, are all just part of a brilliant plan to lull viewers into a false sense of security that serves to emphasize and heighten the message of the film: Life is fragile because violence can erupt unexpectedly from the ordinary.
<img src="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/simon_yam_unexpected.jpg" alt="Simon Yam in EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED" />
Since the film was released in 1998, there have been two real-life examples of how unspeakable tragedy lies just below the surface of the routine rhythms of life: a sunny Tuesday in New York City in September of 2001 and a peaceful Boxing Day 2004 down in the area of the Indian Ocean. EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED has an unforgettable ending and, if you saw you it, you should not forget about it when you are putting together your ballot.
NOTE: I am aware that Patrick Yau Tat-Chi is listed as the director of EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED but it is widely-accepted that Johnnie To did the heavy lifting. To has said as much himself. Also, as Bill Parcells famously noted: “you are what your record says you are.” Since EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED, Johnnie To has continued to build a prolific filmography. Patrick Yau, not so much.
Image credits: Sony Pictures Classics (Stephen Chow), Class Limited (Chan Lai-Wun), Milkyway Image (Simon Yam)
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</item>
<item>
<title>Thoughts on A BETTER TOMORROW 2010</title>
<link>http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/2011/04/16/thoughts-on-a-better-tomorrow-2010/</link>
<comments>http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/2011/04/16/thoughts-on-a-better-tomorrow-2010/#comments</comments>
<pubDate>Sun, 17 Apr 2011 00:58:09 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Sanney Leung</dc:creator>
<category><![CDATA[Hong Kong Film Awards]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Movie Reviews]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/2011/04/16/thoughts-on-a-better-tomorrow-2010/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[After some time away, I’ve decided to take the remaining shards of my talents back to the Kozo Entertainment Group. Where have I been these past few months? Well, let’s just say I was, like Sung Chi-Ho in A BETTER TOMORROW, “in Taiwan … on business”.
With hopes for a better tomorrow in mind, let’s start [...]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[After some time away, I’ve decided to take the remaining shards of my talents back to the Kozo Entertainment Group. Where have I been these past few months? Well, let’s just say I was, like Sung Chi-Ho in <a target="_blank" href="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/reviews_2/better_tomorrow.htm">A BETTER TOMORROW</a>, “in Taiwan … on business”.
<img src="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/abt2010_01.jpg" alt="abt2010_01.jpg" />
With hopes for a better tomorrow in mind, let’s start this iteration of the House Where Words Gather on a propitious note by talking about “a better tomorrow”. Namely, A BETTER TOMORROW (2010) aka MUJEOGJA (trans. INVINCIBLE) - the South Korean remake of John Woo’s Hong Kong classic.
Directed by Song Hae-Seong (who some may remember as the director of the 2001 film <a target="_blank" href="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/panasia/failan.htm">FAILAN</a> starring Cecilia Cheung Pak-Chi and OLDBOY lead Choi Min-Sik), A BETTER TOMORROW 2010 is a serviceable action melodrama whose greatest service is to remind movie fans of the brilliance of John Woo. For the remake, Song changes the setting from Hong Kong to Busan and the criminal enterprise of the main characters from counterfeiting to gun running. In addition, the rift between brothers doesn’t stem from one being a cop and the other a thief. Instead, it’s because one abandoned the other while escaping North Korea for the South.
While there are changes in setting and characters, the remake keeps the narrative structure of the original largely intact. Like the original, the film begins with a nightmare sequence and ends with a shootout on a pier. Because the storytelling adheres so closely to that of the original, sequence after sequence is the same and one can’t help but notice how flat and watered-down the remake is compared to the original. All the counterparts to the iconic scenes in the 1986 film — from the Mark character losing his leg while getting revenge to him dying in a hail of bullets — pale in comparison as Song does not have the skill nor the flair of John Woo.
<img src="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/abt2010_02.jpg" alt="abt2010_02.jpg" />
There is, perhaps, no better demonstration of Woo’s mastery of craft than the Wong Tai Sin Childrens’ Choir scene in A BETTER TOMORROW. With the choir singing 明天會更好 (trans. Tomorrow Will Be Better) in the background, Sung Chi-Ho (Ti Lung) bids farewell to Jackie (Emily Chu Bo-Yee) while handing her some evidence. He then glances at the children singing before turning into a dark hallway to head for the decisive showdown with Shing (Waise Lee Chi-Hung). The scene takes less than a minute but in that short period of time, Woo moves the plot along while showing, with great artistry, Sung wistfully abandoning his desire for a life of sweetness and light because he is being forced back into a dark life of bullets and blood. No scene in the remake comes anywhere close to matching that level of exquisite depth and complexity. As a result, A BETTER TOMORROW 2010 suffers by comparison.
Taken on its own, A BETTER TOMORROW 2010 remains a thoroughly average film that’s competent but uninspiring. It’s mildly entertaining though some may be turned off near the end when events take a melodramatic turn and tough guys become crybabies. The film is worth a watch if you are a fan of cross-cultural remakes. Otherwise, don’t bother turning the jet boat around.
<img src="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/abt2010_03.jpg" alt="abt2010_03.jpg" />
MISCELLANEA:
 <img src="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/abt2010_04.jpg" alt="abt2010_04.jpg" />
- Song Seung-Heon is given the thankless task of playing the Mark 哥 role. Much like his director in relation to John Woo, Song suffers from the comparison to Chow Yun-Fat because he cannot match Chow in charisma and intensity. He puts forth a solid effort but, in the end, falls short.
- Song did, however, show some flashes of Stephen Chow Sing-Chi. Maybe it was the hair or maybe it was the sunglasses but some mannerisms felt familiar. Any South Korean re-make of SHAOLIN SOCCER or KUNG FU HUSTLE in the offing?|
- The music/soundtrack for A BETTER TOMORROW 2010 is also underwhelming when compared to the original. Many musical cues from the 1986 film - especially the ones for Kit at the shooting range, the shootout at the restaurant and Mark’s death - are embedded in memory. The music from the remake is entirely forgettable.
<img src="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/abt2010_05.jpg" alt="abt2010_05.jpg" />
- A BETTER TOMORROW 2010 is superior to the original in one aspect: A great performance by Jo Han-Seon as the turncoat villain helps flesh out a comparatively thin plot thread from the original. Unlike the 1986 movie, we actually get to see the how and why of the heel turn in the remake.
- Also better: The Emily Chu flower vase/comic relief girlfriend character is replaced by a gruff yet caring auntie. No goofy scenes involving cellos, flowers or headphones in the 2010 version.
- Egads! A BETTER TOMORROW was released in Hong Kong on February 8th, 1986. It’s now a little over 25 years old! Twenty-five years! Egads! Eeeeeegads!
BLOG POST EXTRA:
The 30th Hong Kong Film Awards are being presented tomorrow evening. Putting my finger to the wind, I’m feeling a favourable breeze for <a target="_blank" href="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/reviews_2/ip_man_2.html">IP MAN 2</a> walking away with the Best Film prize. If I had a vote, I would have marked <a target="_blank" href="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/reviews_2/gallants.html">GALLANTS</a> on my ballot as it was the most “Hong Kong” of this year’s nominees. That said, if I was the General Secretary / Paramount Leader of HK films, I would appoint the title of Best Film to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/reviews_2/love_in_a_puff.html">LOVE IN A PUFF</a>. There was no better film about Hong Kong than LOVE IN A PUFF in 2010.
Image credits: Cinema City (A BETTER TOMORROW); Formula Entertainment (A BETTER TOMORROW 2010)
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</item>
<item>
<title>A Morning At The Movies</title>
<link>http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/2010/06/17/a-morning-at-the-movies/</link>
<comments>http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/2010/06/17/a-morning-at-the-movies/#comments</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 17 Jun 2010 15:42:38 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Sanney Leung</dc:creator>
<category><![CDATA[Movie Reviews]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[The Life and Opinion of the Webmaster Sanney]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/2010/06/17/a-morning-at-the-movies/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[
It was a gorgeous morning last Sunday here in the capital of Canada. Under glorious sunshine, it was a pleasant 18°C. So, naturally, I spent it inside, in the dark, at the South Keys Cinemas taking in THE KARATE KID (2010) with my new Mainland pal Jerry and his 8 year-old kid Alex.
Regular readers will [...]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/south_keys_mornkk.jpg" alt="South Keys Cinemas" />
It was a gorgeous morning last Sunday here in the capital of Canada. Under glorious sunshine, it was a pleasant 18°C. So, naturally, I spent it inside, in the dark, at the South Keys Cinemas taking in <a target="_blank" href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1155076/">THE KARATE KID (2010)</a> with my new Mainland pal Jerry and his 8 year-old kid Alex.
<img hspace="6" vspace="4" src="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/james_mornkk.jpg" alt="James The Red Engine Stink Face" style="margin: 4px 6px; width: 100px; height: 100px" align="left" height="100" width="100" />Regular readers will know that the <a target="_blank" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_the_Red_Engine">James The Red Engine</a> stink face pretty much sums up <a target="_blank" href="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/2010/06/04/karate-kid-konundrum/">my attitude going into the movie</a>. To combat my prejudices, I brought along Jerry, who brings a fresh set of eyes because he has not seen the original, and Alex, who is in one of the film’s target demographics. Alex was the reason we were at the theatre at 10:45 in the morning. He had a soccer game at 3 pm and, with the movie clocking in at two hours and twenty minutes, the 8:10 evening show would have encroached on his bedtime.
After the show we went to lunch at Harvey’s where, thanks to my lavish Kozo Entertainment Group expense account, <img hspace="6" vspace="4" src="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/harveys_chick_mornbb.jpg" alt="Grilled chicken sandwich with onion rings" style="margin: 4px 6px; width: 150px; height: 178px" align="right" height="178" width="150" />we all had fries with our burgers. Actually, KEG bean counters be damned, I passed on the fries and went straight for the added extravagance of onion rings along with the most expensive item on the menu: the grilled chicken sandwich.
In between bites, I asked Jerry and Alex for their opinions of the movie. Alex gave it a “thumbs up” but he complained that it was boring at times. Indeed, Alex was noticeably restless during the Qixi Festival sequence and the Jackie Chan “Look At Me, I’m Doing Serious Acting” sequence. He also flinched during the two scenes where Dre (Jaden Smith) got beat up by the bully and his henchmen. For a movie that is somewhat geared towards kids, it’s hard to fathom why director Harald Zwart opted to show such surprisingly brutal fight scenes.
Unlike his son, Jerry gave THE KARATE KID (2010) a “thumbs down”. Based on my description of the original, he said that he expected the movie to be “like ROCKY” - moving and inspirational. Instead, he thought the film was flat and superficial. A resident of Beijing for four years while he studied chemistry — or was it chemical engineering — at one of the city’s universities, he was bothered by the local inconsistencies that he noticed throughout the film. Referring to the sequence where Dre and his young lady friend Meiying (the delightful Han Wenwen) have a day out in Beijing, Jerry said: “I don’t think the general public is allowed in some of those places”.
The Wudang Mountain sequence also bothered him. Jerry: “You can’t get there and back (to Beijing) in one day!”
In addition, he was irked by the fact that the Qixi Festival usually takes place in August yet, later in the film, Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) marks a significant anniversary on June 8th.
While I’m confident that the incongruities Jerry noticed will not be an issue for most viewers, I do agree that THE KARATE KID (2010) does not pack the same emotional wallop as the original. I’ll admit that I got a little <a target="_blank" href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=verklempt">verklempt</a> during some of the Dre-Meiying scenes (What can I say? I’m a sap.), but other “emotional crescendo” moments left me cold. The problem is that there isn’t enough setup for the payoffs so when the big moments happen (like Dre winning the tournament or Mr. Han reconciling himself with the past) they fall flat because they haven’t been earned.
Imagine a comedian who just reels off punch lines without any set up. “<a target="_blank" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Soup_Nazi">No soup for you</a>“, “<a target="_blank" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Outing">not that there’s anything wrong with that</a>” or “<a target="_blank" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Contest">master of your domain</a>” are meaningless bereft of context. Without revealing any spoilers, there are many moments in the remake that are supposed to stir the emotions of the audience but end up leaving them bewildered because they haven’t been established properly. I suspect that the powers-that-be were relying on people having seen the original because many of the “big moments” are call backs. I think viewers were supposed to think “ah, this is like when Daniel-san found out about Miyagi’s wife and son” or “ah, this is like when Mr. Miyagi helped Daniel-san woo Ali”. As a result, for people like Jerry who haven’t seen the original, the scenes do not resonate as much and the emotions seem shallow.
<img src="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/smith_han_mornkk.jpg" alt="Han Wenwen and Jaden Smith" />
Having said that, I’ll cast my lot with 8 year-old Alex and give THE KARATE KID (2010) a “thumbs up”. It’s a good time at the movies. Two hours and twenty minutes breezes by as Jaden Smith and Han Wenwen deliver very likeable performances. Also, the Wudang Mountain sequence yields some spectacular shots. I still firmly believe that the remake was unnecessary but like the Russian Premier in that other 1980s classic, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089927/">ROCKY IV</a>, I stand up and applaud because I can appreciate the effort.
I’ll be back next week with some spoiler-filled thoughts on the film. In the meantime, I have to file an expense report with the KEG bean counters. I can picture the conversation now: “You have just the one rear end and the one set of eyes, why did you need THREE tickets?”
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<title>Karate Kid “Konundrum”</title>
<link>http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/2010/06/04/karate-kid-konundrum/</link>
<comments>http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/2010/06/04/karate-kid-konundrum/#comments</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 04 Jun 2010 23:47:53 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Sanney Leung</dc:creator>
<category><![CDATA[News Links]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Jackie Chan]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Links of Interest]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[The Life and Opinion of the Webmaster Sanney]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/2010/06/04/karate-kid-konundrum/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[With THE KARATE KID (2010) set to hit North American movie theatres in a week, the publicity machine for the film is starting to hit top gear. Since it has yet to be screened for critics, the early press has been mostly positive because it’s just been the people behind the movie who have been [...]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[With THE KARATE KID (2010) set to hit North American movie theatres in a week, the publicity machine for the film is starting to hit top gear. Since it has yet to be screened for critics, the early press has been mostly positive because it’s just been the people behind the movie who have been talking. Will Smith and his family appeared on Oprah last month and, earlier this week, <a target="_blank" href="http://articles.latimes.com/2010/may/30/entertainment/la-ca-karatekid-20100530">producer James Lassiter spoke to The Los Angeles Times</a>.
Last Friday, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.aintitcool.com/node/45283">a review appeared on Ain’t It Cool News declaring THE KARATE KID (2010)</a> to be a “worthy successor to the previous incarnation”. On Monday, <a target="_blank" href="http://twitchfilm.net/news/2010/05/its-time-to-stop-griping-about-the-quality-of-jackie-chans-us-roles.php">Todd Brown at Twitch</a> said the movie was “better than good”. Also on Monday, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.hitfix.com/articles/2010-5-31-june-s-breakout-hit-the-karate-kid">Gregory Ellwood at HitFix.com </a>speculated on why it might be “June’s breakout hit”.
All of this positive buzz has created a bit of a conundrum for me. Going back to February 1996 and the North American release of RUMBLE IN THE BRONX, the only Jackie Chan movie I haven’t seen during its opening weekend was THE SPY NEXT DOOR - and that was mostly because I wasn’t a 7 year-old kid. However, I was going to skip THE KARATE KID (2010) next week in favour of <a target="_blank" href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0429493/">THE A-TEAM</a>. Based on the trailer that I saw before IRON MAN 2, THE A-TEAM looks like it’ll be a whole lot of fun while my pre-conceived notions for THE KARATE KID (2010) are not compelling me to rush out and see it. My pre-conceived notions:
<img hspace="6" vspace="4" src="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/tortilla_soup_kond.jpg" alt="TORTILLA SOUP poster" style="margin: 4px 6px; width: 100px; height: 160px" align="right" height="160" width="100" />1. There are only really two legitimate reasons to remake a movie. The first is technology now exists to update it. It’s like putting a new coat of paint on an old house. There’s nothing wrong with the house but it just may look better with a new coat of paint. See KING KONG (2005) and CLASH OF THE TITANS (2010). The second is a remake set in a different culture than the original. Keeping the premise but putting it in a completely different setting gives people the opportunity to explore the original themes and ideas from a different angle. See DEATH AT A FUNERAL (2010), THE DEPARTED (2006) and <a target="_blank" href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0255653/">TORTILLA SOUP</a> (2001) - the thoroughly enjoyable Hispanic remake of Ang Lee’s EAT DRINK MAN WOMAN.
Otherwise, remakes are usually just tepid versions of their originals because it’s hard to live up to the challenge of competing with the legacy of the originals while establishing a new identity, a new raison d’être. See: THE TAKING OF PELHAM 123 (2009), THE INVASION (2007), THE WICKER MAN (2006), PLANET OF THE APES (2001), PSYCHO (1998) and THE PINK PANTHER (2006).
THE KARATE KID (2010) faces a similar problem. From the fish-out-of-water premise of the “Joisey” kid moving to California to the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Qae_TUTeGo">“You’re The Best Around” montage</a> to the over-the-top bad guys (”Get him a body bag! Yeeaah!”), the original KARATE KID is great because it has a unique combination of cheesy chemistry. Re-creating that chemistry is a “lightning strike twice” situation, not impossible but highly unlikely.
2. Will Smith is producing the movie. On the upside, “Big Willie Style” means a big budget and excellent production values. On the downside, Smith casting his son Jaden in the lead screams “vanity project”.
3. I’m obviously not in the target demographic for this movie. I’m not a child and I’m not a parent of a child. The original had a 21 year-old <a target="_blank" href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000223/">Elisabeth Shue</a> as the “compelling hot babe”. The “love interest” for 11 year-old Jaden Smith is played by a similarly young Chinese actress named Han Wenwen. Definitely not — unless you’re under 12 years old - “compelling hot babe” material.
4. As I don’t want Skynet/the Cylons to keep track of my web surfing activities, I have my browser cache and cookies cleared before I shutdown my computer. Consequently, I lost a link to an article from earlier this week where someone wrote that the Jaden Smith-Jackie Chan relationship in the movie serves as an allegory for how America needs China and China needs America.
<a target="_blank" href="http://www.repmanblog.com/repman/2010/01/child-please.html">“Child, please”</a>, as Chad Ochocinco would say.
<img src="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/the_a-team_kon.jpg" alt="A publicity photo for THE A-TEAM movie." />
Before this week, all of these pre-conceived notions had me leaning towards going to see THE A-TEAM next weekend instead of THE KARATE KID (2010). However, after being subjected to the Sirens’ call of the publicity machine, I started thinking that I might have to check out THE KARATE KID (2010) first. Then, I read this whopper of a quote from producer James Lassiter in The L.A. Times article <a target="_blank" href="http://articles.latimes.com/2010/may/30/entertainment/la-ca-karatekid-20100530">“‘Karate Kid’ update breaks down some Chinese walls”</a>:
<blockquote>The people run the country. So if people didn’t want you shooting in their neighborhood, there’s no authority that can tell them they have to. That’s why it’s called the People’s Republic of China.</blockquote>
Like a splash of cold water to the face, that quote snapped me out of the stupor created by the publicity machine. Yes, GeekPadre and Todd Brown gave positive reviews but, like early returns on election night, that doesn’t mean anything. I’ll wait until other critics get a chance to see the movie but unless reviews are overwhelmingly positive, I’m probably waiting until a cheap night Tuesday or a second-run discount theatre or possibly even a video rental before I see THE KARATE KID (2010).
Only my brain, with its bothersome thinking and dilemmas and conundrums, is compelling me to see the remake. My heart is telling me I’ll have a much better time at THE A-TEAM. “Don’t think! Feel!”, noted 20th Century philosopher Bruce Lee said in ENTER THE DRAGON. THE A-TEAM it is.
RELATED LINKS:
<ul>
<li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117942915.html?categoryId=31&cs=1">Review from Variety</a></li>
<li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/film-reviews/the-karate-kid-film-review-1004095487.story">Review from The Hollywood Reporter </a></li>
</ul>
Images credits: Samuel Goldwyn Films (TORTILLA SOUP poster); 20th Century Fox (THE A-TEAM publicity image)
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<title>Old Cake Cantopop: Mother’s Day 2010 Edition</title>
<link>http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/2010/05/09/old-cake-cantopop-mothers-day-2010-edition/</link>
<comments>http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/2010/05/09/old-cake-cantopop-mothers-day-2010-edition/#comments</comments>
<pubDate>Sun, 09 May 2010 23:24:44 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Sanney Leung</dc:creator>
<category><![CDATA[Old Cake Cantopop]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/2010/05/09/old-cake-cantopop-mothers-day-2010-edition/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[A special Mother’s Day edition of Old Cake Cantopop today as the blog joins in on the celebration of mothers and motherhood. Try to remember the sentiments of the day if you ever find yourself in a tiff with your mother. Try thinking: “This woman gave me life so … ultimately, she has no one [...]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[A special Mother’s Day edition of <a target="_blank" href="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/category/old-cake-cantopop/">Old Cake Cantopop</a> today as the blog joins in on the celebration of mothers and motherhood. Try to remember the sentiments of the day if you ever find yourself in a tiff with your mother. Try thinking: “This woman gave me life so … ultimately, she has no one to blame but herself for this predicament!” <img src='http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':-)' class='wp-smiley' />
<img hspace="6" vspace="4" src="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/siao_fong_fong_1960.jpg" alt="Josephine Siao in NOBODY’S CHILD" style="margin: 4px 6px; width: 104px; height: 104px" align="left" height="104" width="104" />Performed originally by <a target="_blank" href="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/people/siao_josephine.htm">Josephine Siao Fong-Fong</a> in the 1960 release NOBODY’S CHILD (苦兒流浪記; trans. TALES OF THE WANDERING ORPHAN), the song 《媽媽好》 (Mom Is Great) has become a lullaby/nursery rhyme in Chinese culture. It’s been covered by the likes of Teresa Teng and versions of the song have even been done in Japanese and Vietnamese. Since 1960, various incarnations of the song have appeared numerous times in many films and television projects. If you saw the 2004 film <a target="_blank" href="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/reviews/papa_loves_you.htm">PAPA LOVES YOU</a>, you may recall the song being played in the background when rambunctious schoolgirl Ellen (Charlene Choi) thinks about the sacrifices her father (Tony Leung Ka-Fai) has made for her.
What follows are my rudimentary translation of the lyrics for the song, a link to the Hong Kong Film Archive page for NOBODY’S CHILD, a YouTube clip of Josephine Siao performing the song in the film and other related links.
Happy Mother’s Day everybody!
… and, yes, I realize the song isn’t sung in Cantonese so it isn’t exactly “Cantopop”. Just get in the spirit of the holiday - OK? <img src='http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':-)' class='wp-smiley' /> 
RELATED LINKS:
<ul>
<li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrNqz9bLF9U">Clips of Josephine Siao in NOBODY’S CHILD</a> (Siao starts singing the song at the 1:58 mark)</li>
<li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIpUcV7iO4k">Full version of the song as sung by Josephine Siao</a></li>
<li><a target="_blank" href="http://ipac.hkfa.lcsd.gov.hk/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=1V375597L4049.6&profile=hkfa&uri=full=3100024@!50920@!0&menu=search&submenu=basic_search&source=192.168.110.61@!horizon">Hong Kong Film Archive page for NOBODY’S CHILD</a></li>
<li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccoAXq2WUBw">Teresa Teng covers the song </a></li>
<li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eN6w9I3hPtM">Japanese version of the song by Rimi Natsukawa</a></li>
</ul>
<img src="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/mom_is_great_lyrics.jpg" alt="Lyrics and Translation for 《媽媽好》" />
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<title>Secrets and Lies</title>
<link>http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/2010/04/15/secrets-and-lies/</link>
<comments>http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/2010/04/15/secrets-and-lies/#comments</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 16 Apr 2010 03:51:37 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Sanney Leung</dc:creator>
<category><![CDATA[Gillian Chung Yan-Tung]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Charlene Choi Cheuk-Yin]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/2010/04/15/secrets-and-lies/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[
While watching the Ronald Cheng - Charlene Choi controversy unfurl late last month, it was hard not to think of the great speech by the Hyman Roth character in THE GODFATHER, PART II. Lamenting the death of his partner in organized crime, Moe Green, Roth said:
Someone put a bullet through his eye. No one knows [...]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/hyman_roth_sec_lies.jpg" alt="Lee Strasberg as Hyman Roth in THE GODFATHER, PART II" />
While watching the Ronald Cheng - Charlene Choi controversy unfurl late last month, it was hard not to think of the great speech by the Hyman Roth character in <a target="_blank" href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071562/">THE GODFATHER, PART II</a>. Lamenting the death of his partner in organized crime, Moe Green, Roth said:
<blockquote>Someone put a bullet through his eye. No one knows who gave the order. When I heard it, I wasn’t angry. I knew Moe, I knew he was headstrong, talking loud, saying stupid things. So when he turned up dead, I let it go.
And I said to myself, this is the business we’ve chosen. I didn’t ask who gave the order.</blockquote>
The matters of a marriage, for the most part, should be dealt with privately by the couple. If some sort of abuse is taking place, then the authorities, quite rightly, should intervene. But, for the most part, what goes on between two people in a marriage should stay between the two people involved. It’s a part of common human decency to respect the privacy of a married couple. After all, some form of <a target="_blank" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Golden_Rule">the Golden Rule</a> (”do onto others as you would have done onto you”) exists in most of the World’s cultures. Among the circle of Chinese people that I know, uncharitable things are often said of people who gossip about the marriages of the butcher, the baker or the candlestick maker. We’ve all seen those types of characters in TVB dramas. They’re never played by the beautiful TVB fa daans. They’re invariably played by lower profile supporting actresses. Why, then, was the secret marriage of Ronald Cheng and Charlene Choi such a hot topic?
Simple, because of the business they’ve chosen. The business, according to multiple Chinese media reports, that made Charlene Choi millions last year in accumulated fees, royalties and endorsements, provided her with enough money to buy three properties that generate rental income and will allow her and Cheng to avoid a nasty dispute over alimony. “I can afford my own lifestyle and he can afford his,” Choi declared on March 29th at an event promoting her Twins reunion concerts.
While wealth and prosperity does certainly soften the blow of having your private life dragged through the mud, the public intrusion into the marriage of Charlene Choi and Ronald Cheng feels worse than the public intrusion on Sexy Photos Gate protagonists Gillian Chung and Edison Chen. At first blush, it seems an insane notion. After all, Ah Gil and EDC had their most private of parts laid bare. The difference, however, is that in one case a private secret was revealed while in the other a lie was exposed.
Consider it this way: Ah Bing has a drug problem. He’s still able to function but he’s addicted to drugs and it’s affecting his life. He’s trying to shed his addiction but, because he wants to keep his job, he keeps his problem a secret. Some people suspect that he’s an addict and have started to question him. He denies the speculation because he wants to keep making a living.
Ah Mou also has a drug problem. He’s still able to function but he’s addicted to drugs and it’s affecting his life. He’s trying to shed his addiction but, because he wants to keep his job, he keeps his problem a secret. Only thing is, he’s an anti-drug advocate who makes his living decrying drugs. One day, a photo of him doing a line of cocaine is published in the newspaper and his career is ruined.
<img src="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/twins_sec_lies.jpg" alt="Gillian Chung and Charlene Choi" />
It’s a fine distinction but it’s why it’s easier to feel sorry for Charlene Choi than it is for Gillian Chung. Ah Sa didn’t exploit her marital status for professional gain. Her denials were about keeping her private life private. She didn’t do it to sell more tickets and albums. She didn’t do it to get more endorsement deals. For at least two years, it had been an open secret that she and Ronald Cheng were together in some form. It probably wasn’t a shock to most fans when Apple Daily revealed their marriage certificate.
On the other hand, in the face of the Easy Finder scandal, Ah Gil protested too much about how the pictures of her bare shoulder shattered her fragile, virginal, clean-cut sensibilities. The peephole pictures were indeed despicable but, considering what they showed, it was not a proportional response. As a result, when the Sexy Photos Gate images surfaced, most of her fans felt betrayed because it showed that she exploited the Easy Finder scandal for professional gain.
In Charlene Choi’s case, she was trying to keep the door closed on her private life. Gillian Chung opened the door to hers by overplaying her reaction to Easy Finder. The situations that the two Twins members found themselves in were caused by gross invasions of privacy but the fine line between a secret and a lie is why Choi will likely just keep moving on with her career while Chung had to spend the last two years in exile.
Public intrusion into the private lives of celebrities is the natural byproduct of fame. Celebrities get paid because they have created an interest in themselves so they have to live with it when that interest manifests itself in distasteful ways. Vicki Zhao probably isn’t enjoying the speculation about her baby and her Baby Daddy but the interest in her and her private life is part of why she’s in projects like MULAN and 14 BLADES. The interest is why she’s able to do endorsements for clothing lines, shampoos and cell phones.
Most of the time, the attention is harmless and does not amount to more than an annoyance. Most of the time, people can tell the difference between a private secret and a lie so no real damage is done unless a celebrity is caught in a lie. People can respect secrets. <img hspace="6" vspace="4" src="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/degeneres_time_sec_lies.jpg" alt="Ellen Degeneres 1997 Time Magazine Cover" style="margin: 4px 6px; width: 100px; height: 130px" align="right" height="130" width="100" />No one held it against Leslie Cheung for not revealing his sexual orientation with a “Yep I’m Gay” cover on Ming Pao Weekly. No one held it against Anita Mui for keeping her fight against cancer private until three months before her death.
People, however, do not tolerate lies. Jackie Chan’s popularity in Hong Kong has never recovered from the Dragon Seed scandal of 1999. His “good guy, say your prayers, drink your milk, take your vitamins” image was dealt a serious blow by news of his affair with Elaine Ng. Chan has five of the top 20 highest-grossing Hong Kong films of all-time yet, since making HK$27.5 million with <a target="_blank" href="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/reviews/gorgeous.htm">GORGEOUS</a> (his last pre-Dragon Seed release), he hasn’t broken the HK$25 million mark. In fact, his latest film, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/reviews_2/little_big_soldier.html">LITTLE BIG SOLDIER</a>, made a desultory HK$1.8 million.
In the end, because Charlene Choi and Ronald Cheng were just trying to keep their marriage private, it’s hard to imagine their careers being damaged in the long-term. This is why this particular intrusion into the private lives of celebrities feels more repulsive than other instances. It feels like Choi and Cheng were forced to hold a press event announcing the dissolution of their marriage for mere weekend entertainment. Sadly, it seems most people didn’t recognize that a tragedy was playing out before their eyes. Two people who used to be in love were breaking up. Two people whose lives had to have been diminished because they felt like they had to hide that love. Tragic novels and plays could be written from these circumstances. Instead, it was consumed as fodder for the entertainment news cycle.
<img src="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/cheng_choi_sec_lies.jpg" alt="Ronald Cheng and Charlene Choi" />
It’s a sad situation and you can point the finger at multiple culprits: the over-heated HK media, the celebrity-obsessed culture, the way EEG markets its talent and the general nature of the HK entertainment star-system. Ultimately, though, Choi and Cheng have no one to blame but themselves. This is, after all, the business they’ve chosen.
Image credits: Paramount Pictures (THE GODFATHER, PART II screen grab), Time Magazine (Ellen Degeneres cover), Sina.com (Twins, Ronald Cheng & Charlene Choi) 
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<title>Kozo Entertainment Group Presents: LOVE FOR HIRE</title>
<link>http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/2010/02/14/kozo-entertainment-group-presents-love-for-hire/</link>
<comments>http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/2010/02/14/kozo-entertainment-group-presents-love-for-hire/#comments</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 15 Feb 2010 04:28:42 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Sanney Leung</dc:creator>
<category><![CDATA[Andy Lau Tak-Wah]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Nick Cheung Ka-Fai]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Stephy Tang Lai-Yan]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Vicki Zhao Wei]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Donnie Yen Chi-Tan]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Charlene Choi Cheuk-Yin]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Michelle Reis]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Miriam Yeung Chin-Wah]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[The Life and Opinion of the Webmaster Sanney]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/2010/02/14/kozo-entertainment-group-presents-love-for-hire/</guid>
<description><![CDATA[A little business to conduct before we get to the holiday festivities: My 12-year “artistes” contract with the Kozo Entertainment Group obligates me to remind you that voting is underway for the “Top Hong Kong Films of the 1990s”. Go here for details.
With Lunar New Year and Valentine’s Day falling on the same day, it’s [...]]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[A little business to conduct before we get to the holiday festivities: My 12-year “artistes” contract with the Kozo Entertainment Group obligates me to remind you that voting is underway for the “Top Hong Kong Films of the 1990s”. Go <a href="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/damnyoukozo/2010/02/12/top-50-hong-kong-movies-of-the-nineties-voting-now-open/">here</a> for details.
With Lunar New Year and Valentine’s Day falling on the same day, it’s the perfect time to release the Kozo Entertainment Group’s first feature film. It’s a holiday release called LOVE FOR HIRE. I got the idea for the movie after reading news articles about demographically-challenged Mainland males “renting” girlfriends to bring back home for Lunar New Year gatherings. Being a fan of <a target="_blank" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Law_&_Order">LAW & ORDER</a> for close to twenty years, ripping a story from the headlines came naturally. After running it up the flagpole to my superiors at the KEG, we got some funding from The Feinstein Company and the China Pajama-Producers Co-operative. Consider this our “red packet”/valentine to you …
* * * * *
LOVE FOR HIRE: 
A romantic comedy/drama about the lives and loves of people who work at an agency that provides fake girlfriends to guys who need someone on their arm for a social occasion. The movie has two main plots:
<img src="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/chrissie_chau_lfh.jpg" alt="Chrissie Chau" />
MAIN PLOT A: Normal but shy guy hires a girl to practice social situations with (asking her out, going on dates, etc.) because he’s in love with a hot girl in his office.
Normal/shy Guy: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/people/fong_jaycee.htm">Jaycee Chan</a> (Fong Cho-Ming) 
Girl For Hire: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/people/choi_charlene.html">Charlene Choi Cheuk-Yin</a> 
Hot Office Girl: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/people/chau_chrissie.html">Chrissie Chau Sau-Na</a>
Due to his shyness, Jaycee has never dated a girl before so he wants to work out all the kinks of dating with Charlene before asking Chrissie out. Naturally, over the course of a few practice dates, Jaycee falls in love with Charlene but, because she’s only doing this to make a few dollars for a plane ticket to see her boyfriend who’s studying in Australia, he doesn’t want to admit his love — even though it’s clear she loves him back. He ends up going through with asking Chrissie out.
On his date with Chrissie, Jaycee realizes that he has to profess his love for Charlene so he races to the airport to stop her from getting on the plane to see her boyfriend for the Lunar New Year holiday. (Thus satisfying the romantic movie commandment of always having a scene where one of the main characters is racing somewhere to declare their love for someone.)
MAIN PLOT B: Widower needs to hire a fake girlfriend because his parents are flying in from Canada to visit him and his cute kid for the Lunar New Year holiday.
Widower: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/people/lau_andy.htm">Andy Lau Tak-Wah</a> 
Agency Owner: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/people/reis_michelle.htm">Michelle Reis</a>
As Andy’s wife has been dead for four years, his parents have been on his back to get a new woman in his life and the life of their grandchild. He wants to get them off of his back so he goes to the agency to hire a woman for a Lunar New Year “performance”. He has a specific type of woman in mind so he asks to meet directly with the agency owner to pick out the right girl to play the part.
Andy and the agency owner end up meeting several times because they can’t agree on the right girl for the job. During these meetings, Andy begins to admire Michelle for her work ethic and professionalism while Michelle begins to admire Andy for his dedication to his kid, his parents and, most touchingly, his late wife (ie. I’m still in love with her, I’m not ready to find another woman).
Since Michelle knows exactly what Andy is looking for, she decides to take the job herself and, during their “show” for Andy’s parents, Andy and Michelle end up falling in love.
Besides the two main plots, the film also has three mini-plots that fill out the movie:
MINI-PLOT A: The Assistants
Agency Owner’s Assistant: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/people/tang_stephy.htm">Stephy Tang Lai-Yan</a> 
Tycoon’s Assistant: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/people/cheng_ronald.htm">Ronald Cheng Chung-Gei</a> 
Obnoxious Tycoon: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/people/chim_sui_man.htm">Jim Chim Sui-Man</a>
Stephy has been working with Ronald because Ronald’s boss (Jim Chim) is an obnoxious jerk of a tycoon who has been hiring arm candy to get photographed with in the tabloids. As the tycoon has been doing this for months, Stephy and Ronald have been talking to each other over the phone for a while. Through casual bits of conversation between making arrangements for the tycoon, Ronald starts to wonder what it’d be like to date Stephy while Stephy begins to imagine what it would be like to have Ronald as a boyfriend. Obviously, there’s mutual interest but, since they just have a professional phone relationship, neither has acted on it. One day, they happen to be in the same Starbucks and when they hear each other order, they realize who the other is and it’s the beginning of a beautiful relationship.
<img src="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/donnie_yen_lfh.jpg" alt="Donnie Yen" />
MINI-PLOT B: Husbands and Wives
Husband: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/people/kot_eric.htm">Eric Kot Man-Fai</a> 
Wife: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/people/yeung_miriam.htm">Miriam Yeung Chin-Wah</a> 
Businessman: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/people/yen_donnie.htm">Donnie Yen</a> (looking to show his skillz in a non-action role) 
Businessman’s wife: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/people/xiong_lynn.html">Lynn Xiong</a> (because she’s Mrs. Ip Man)
A businessman (Donnie Yen) needs to hire a companion to sit in with him for business meetings. He wants to avoid all-night negotiation sessions that are actually just excuses for the other business guys to do heavy drinking. So, he hires a “wife” (Miriam Yeung) as an excuse to get business done quickly or to bail out of booze-soaked all-nighters. Sometimes Miriam goes with Donnie to the meetings, sometimes she calls on the phone to interrupt, sometimes she shows up to interrupt.
Donnie has been working with Miriam for months and everything is strictly platonic. However, Miriam’s husband (Eric Kot) is jealous that she’s spending all this time with Donnie. Things come to a head when Donnie invites Miriam over to his flat for Lunar New Year dinner. Eric is blind with jealousy and goes to the dinner with a chip on his shoulder. When they arrive at Donnie’s place, both Miriam and Eric are surprised to find that Donnie has a wife and two young daughters. When Donnie’s wife (Lynn Xiong), thanks Miriam for helping Donnie come home at night to be with his kids, Eric realizes the foolishness of his jealousy.
MINI-PLOT C: The Ex-Con
The Ex-Con: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/people/cheung_nick.htm">Nick Cheung Ka-Fai</a> 
The “Mainland” Girl: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/people/zhao_wei.htm">Vicki Zhao Wei</a>
A guy (Nick Cheung) hires a “Mainland” girlfriend to bring home to his parents for Lunar New Year. He’s been telling his parents that he’s been away “on business” in the Mainland for the past three years but, in actually, he’s been rotting in jail after being framed by a former friend for a crime he did not commit.
Vicki Zhao misses her own family back in China so she feels kind of sad to see this sham of a Lunar New Year gathering. Nick Cheung feels the emptiness as well. After the dinner, Vicki Zhao tells Nick Cheung to be straight with his parents, she points out that they may be more understanding than Nick Cheung thinks. This story ends with Nick Cheung coming clean and truly reconciling with his family.
* * * * *
I think that’s enough plot for a 90 to 120 minute movie. What do you think? Even with stiff competition from 72 TENANTS OF PROSPERITY and ALL’S WELL THAT END’S WELL 2010, this makes HK$10 million - no?
Now, as the late-Michael Jackson said repeatedly in <a target="_blank" href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1477715/">THIS IS IT</a>, I wrote this story out of “love” for the readers who have been reading my nonsense over the years. As I said earlier, it was my “red packet”/valentine to the readers. It’ll be upsetting if some knock off, possibly called LOVE FOR RENT, pops up in the Lunar New Year 2011 movie slate. It’ll be especially upsetting if the knock off includes stories about a shy guy, a widower, a jealous husband, an obnoxious tycoon, assistants and an ex-con. Not only will it upset me, it’ll upset the mighty KEG, the Feinstein Company and the China Pajama-Producers Co-operative. Most people know better than to upset the CPC - especially in China. <img src='http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif' alt=';-)' class='wp-smiley' />
To avoid all the nastiness, get in touch with me. My demands may be as simple as a cameo role as one of the business guys at a Donnie Yen business meeting or the barista who hands Stephy Tang her latte at Starbucks.
All right … time for the traditional House Where Words Gather Lunar New Year greeting. As you can tell from years past (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/2009/01/25/happy-year-of-the-ox/">Ox</a>, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/2008/02/06/happy-year-of-the-rat/">Rat</a>), my wishes for all of you are less grandiose than unimaginable wealth. Sticking with that tradition, I’m going to channel <a target="_blank" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Rather#.22Courage.22">Dan Rather</a> and <a target="_blank" href="http://essaysfromexodus.scripting.com/stories/storyReader$1492">Al Pacino</a> by wishing you:
<img src="http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/juiyinjong/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/tiger-greeting.jpg" alt="Greeting for the Year of the Tiger" />
I’m hoping that the Year of the Tiger gives you courage to make improvements in your life. May you find the courage to inch your way towards greater happiness be it finding the guts to ask that cute girl out, the courage to find a better job or the cojones to change an unhappy circumstance in your life.
And, as always, 身體健康! Happy Year of the Tiger!
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