News Links - 7/28/06

[dleedlee]

Dragon Tiger Gate

Super Girl Li Yuchun to Play Mulan
http://en.chinabroadcast.cn/3086/2006/0 ... 120086.htm

Chinese Films Shine at the Venice Film Festival
http://en.chinabroadcast.cn/3086/2006/0 ... 120085.htm
Malaysian movie picked for fest - Rain Dogs
http://www.star-ecentral.com/news/story ... sec=movies
"Lichun" Missed the Venice Film Festival - from director of Peacock
http://en.chinabroadcast.cn/3086/2006/0 ... 119838.htm

Dragon Tiger Gate
Enter the kung fu heroes - From comics to the silver screen
http://www.mmail.com.my/Current_News/mm ... index_html
Box office battle
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/art/2006/0 ... battle.htm

Check in to 'Motel' for an hour or two
http://www.dailynews.com/entertainment/ci_4103270


Miami Vice: " Gong Li, who seems to be speaking no known language most of the way."
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercuryn ... 143203.htm

North Korea: Postcards from the axis of evil
http://arts.guardian.co.uk/filmandmusic ... 73,00.html

Singapore: Capturing the ugly Singaporean on film
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/ ... 16/1/.html

Hoa Phu-Cu Chi film studio calls for investment -
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/lifestyle/2006/07/595975/

The awful price paid for our jeans
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,374 ... 70,00.html

Gong Li on her way to Hollywood
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006- ... 888376.htm

Zhang Ziyi tops most outstanding young actress list
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006- ... 889276.htm


Hong Kong pop singer Karen Mok poses during a news conference to promote her concert 'I do-2006 Taipei concert' in Taipei July 26, 2006. REUTERS/Richard Chung (TAIWAN)

[bkasten]

Miami Vice: " Gong Li, who seems to be speaking no known language most of the way."
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercuryn ... 143203.htm

To quote the review:

Her (Gong) companion in this is Crockett, who is not someone to let a little thing like the threat of imminent assassination stand in the way of a ride in his giant, vibrating "go-fast boat'' with Isabella, followed by an invigorating shower. Their whole romantic subplot plays like a commercial intended to make us want all the things in life we aren't meant to have. It is an exercise in pure style, and not much else."

Indeed.

(Confirming my worst fears).

Brian, please pass the puke emoticon...

[Gaijin84]

Surprisingly the New York Times's A.O. Scott, who usually brutalizes movies, gave it quite a positive review, save for the acting talents (or lack thereof) of Colin Farrell.



http://movies2.nytimes.com/2006/07/28/movies/28vice.html?ref=movies

[bkasten]

Nice review.

[ewaffle]

From the NYT:

Ms. Gong, a goddess of global cinema whose every word you hang on even when you can’t understand a single one.

A different take on how she sounds from "The Mercury News" whose movie critic may be from another planet.

[Brian Thibodeau]

Also from the NYTimes:

It is in some ways an entirely gratuitous movie: the influence of the original series can be seen in any number of big car-chase-and-fireball crime thrillers, from “Bad Boys” to “Bad Boys II.” There isn’t much to add.

I have to admit, sometimes this is all I'm in the mood for...sometimes...

[Fan]

Miami Vice: " Gong Li, who seems to be speaking no known language most of the way."

Which means...just like Mr. Bean?

BTW, anyone has seen the movie?

[Gaijin84]

I finally saw this last night. Colin Farrell is certainly the weak link in the cast, but Jamie Foxx and supporting cast does a good job. Of course, Gong Li is the focus here, and I thought she was great. I did not have the problem that some reviews pointed out, namely understanding what Gong was saying. I thought she was perfectly fine in her accented english. She looks fantastic too, and has an incredible way of displaying emotions without saying anything. In one of the final scenes you can see her entire progression of thoughts just by her eyes and lips without almost any dialouge. She definitely steals the scenes she is in, and although I am biased, I think non-Sinophiles would agree.

And, as expected, the action scenes are extremely well done. Michael Mann has that distinct, raw, realistic way of filming speed that sends produces shivers. There were a couple scenes in which the entire theater could be heard saying "whoa" at how scenes were presented. There is also a gun battle scene that was exhilarating. I don't think I can compare it to the one in Heat just yet, but mostly because the volume in the theater was at a level far below what you normally experience. I guess I'll have to wait to rent it and jack up the surround sound at home to see if it compares. In addition, it takes place at night and you lose some of the sheer destruction of surrounding objects that you see in Heat.

Overall I'd give the movie a 7.5 out of 10. It was certainly worth the money.