8.3.2011 - News

Variety: Ocean Heaven review
Starring Jet Li in an uncharacteristic non-action role, "Ocean Heaven," about a dying man's attempt to assure the future for his autistic son, reps a modest success for Chinese femme scripter Xue Xiaolu in her helming debut.

ScreenDaily: Tony Leung to star in Mei Ah's spy thriller Windseeker
Another film also to start shooting in October is Da Wu Dang (literally translated as Big Wu Tang Clan). The film is set in the 1910s about a major martial arts contest taking place on the Wu Tang Mountain. Hong Kong’s Patrick Leung will direct with Corey Yuen action directing. The film will star Louis Fan, Chiu Man-Cheuk and Yang Mi.
Tsui Hark's Next Film: Popular War Tale in 3D (CRI)

CRI: 'Saving General Yang' Kicks off Filming
CF: "Saving General Yang" Kicks off in Henan
At the news conference Yu said that "this movie will be my next 'Fearless'. I'm very confident about making it the coolest film based on the story of the Yang family". Members of the cast visited Yang's Shrine following the news conference to worship the ancestors of the family.

FBA: Yu's Yang epic cranks up

FBA: 1965 edges towards its Beginning
The $5 million budget picture aims to be the first China-Singapore co-production.

A1: HK director Peter Chan to oversee production of 1965

FBA: UK sale for Seediq Bale

CF: New Poster for "The Woman Knight Of Mirror Lake" Released
Set in the turbulent period of the Republic of China, the film is about the female hero Qiu Jin's legendary life. The film emphasizes her skills as she blazed a path through the world of literature and the military.

Huang Yi

Xiong Xin Xin (Hung Yan Yan)

Dennis To (To Yue-Hong)

Deng Chao and Zheng Shuang in Gordon Chan's Mural

Opens Sept. 29 (Sina-gallery)

Overheard 2 - Huang Yi

Overheard 2- Michelle Ye

 

Louis Koo, Huang Yi

Huang Yi

Felix Chong explained why Zhang Jingchu was not brought back for the second installment of Overhead. First, Zhang Jingchu's schedule was incompatible and, second, to highlight that Overheard 2 is a new story. Coincidentally, Michelle Ye was used to dub Zhang Jingchu's Cantonese in the original film. Overheard 2 will be released Aug. 18. (Sina), 2

Lucas and movie dad Ekin Cheng (Sina-slideshow)

MSN: No family reunion for Nicholas Tse and Cecilia Cheung

Cecilia puts pen to paper

It is believed that Cecilia, who had reportedly refused to sign the divorce papers three times, had finally agreed to the split.

MSN: Carina Lau looking for a surrogate mother

MSN: Elaine Ng returns to Hong Kong with her daughter

The Hong Kong actress is said to be making a comeback in showbiz

Shao Xiaoshan - spy?

The Banquet

31 year-old Chinese actress Shao Xiaoshan posted on her microblog that she was forced to act as a "honey trap" for military intelligence since she was 17 years old. She seduced Western embassy officials, including the son of the French ambassador to China in 2007, to gather information. Shao claimed that she no longer wanted to do evil things, authorities no longer paid the cost of living and would not let her emigrate. She risked her life and was not exaggerating. The post was immediately removed and her agent said that it was a result of too much drinking.

 Shao acted as Zhang Ziyi's nude body double in Feng Xiaogang's The Banquet. But, afterwards, her American boyfriend abandoned her. (ifeng), (Sina)

Actress Says Forced to Spy for Chinese Regime

Chinese Actress Says Forced to Spy on Foreign Boyfriends

Ocean Heaven (海洋天堂) (7/10)

Ocean Heaven (海洋天堂)
China
Contemporary light drama
Directed by Xue Xiaolu (薛曉路)

By Derek Elley

Sun, 13 June 2010

Jet Li's first non-action movie is an engaging, simply-told story that avoids tearjerker cliches. Potential in Asia, if audiences respond to Li's name and word-of-mouth.

Story

Qingdao, China, the present day. Following the death of his wife (Gao Yuanyuan) years ago in a swimming accident, acquarium worker Wang Xincheng (Jet Li) was left to raise his autistic son Dafu (Wen Zhang) on his own. However, Wang has terminal liver cancer and realises he must try to equip Dafu, now 21, to a life without him - which is easier said than done.


Review

Any fears that Ocean Heaven (海洋天堂) is going to be a worthy, big-star, disease-of-the-week melodrama are immediately put to rest by its opening scene, which leads the audience in one direction and then neatly pulls the carpet from under it. From Christopher Doyle's atypically unvarnished photography of the Qingdao locations to the straightforward performances of the small but well-chosen cast, there's a simplicity to the whole movie that's much to the credit of first-time director Xue Xiaolu (薛曉路). A screenwriter who previously worked on TV dramas, she also penned Chen Kaige's (陳凱歌) rather more fulsome Together (和你在一起, 2002).

For a film that is virtually plotless, and depends much on performances and small behavioural details, there's no sense of drag across the tight, 93-minute running time. The main character is not so much the autistic son - played without exaggeration by Wen Zhang (文章) - but his average, blue-collar father, a devoted parent with an endless supply of patience for whom his son's future place in the world after his death is the one and only thing. With glasses and grey-flecked hair, the 47-year-old Jet Li (李連杰) plays the role with an upbeat simplicity that mirrors the son's own child-like universe without showboating too much. There's never any doubt that this is a character performance by a major star, but it's a genuinely likable one, and a long way from the blank-faced Li of so many action movies.

The other actors adopt a similar tone, especially Taiwan's Guey Lun-mei (桂綸鎂, All About Women 女人不壞, Blue Gate Crossing 藍色大門) as a travelling circus clown who befriends the autistic son and Zhu Yuanyuan (朱媛媛, so good as the wife in The Forest Ranger 天狗) as a neighbour who clearly has a liking for the father. Both relationships could have been unbearably cute and/or mushy, but Xue's script leaves the deeper currents largely to the audience's imagination, with just a few brief scenes sketching the characters' attraction to each other. (As the son's mother, Gao Yuanyuan 高圓圓 is only on screen for a few seconds in a flashback.)

Scoring by Japanese composer Joe Hisaishi (久石譲) is warm but not sentimental, and the strain of humour which runs right through the movie also prevents it from curdling in any well-meaning, politically correct juices. Like its lead character, Ocean Heaven is a small, unpretentious film with a big heart.
FBA

Ocean Heaven - Beijing Premiere

(June 14) Jet Li and the cast of Ocean Heaven walked the blue carpet in Beijing. Jet surprised the audience when he unexpectedly appeared with his two daughters. He said that this is a film full of warmth, we all have children, many people will become a father, I hope we can go to movie theater during Father's Day and watch it. Fans also cheered, 'Jet Li One Foundation', which moved Jet to bow and thank them.

Jet Li

Jet Li and two daughters

Director Xue Xiaolu

Gong Xinliang

Guei Lun-Mei

Guei Lun-Mei, Wen Zhang

Cao Bingkun

Sik Siu-Lung (the child actor from the Shaolin Popey films)

Li Jing

Ma Zihan

Yong Mei, Chen Rui

Yong Mei

Xue Xiaolu, Yong Mei, Chen Rui, Jet Li, Kuei Lun-Mei, Wen Zhang

(Sina), (Xinhua)

6.13.2010 - News

First domestic poster for Alan Mak and Felix Chong's The Lost Bladesman (General Guan Yu)

(Sina), 2

THR: Ocean Heaven review

Bottom Line: Drama on dying dad and autistic son is less tear-jerking than it sounds.

http://hkmdb.com/news/?p=5588

THR: 'Ocean Heaven' opens Shanghai Fest

THR: Weinstein Co. picks up 'Reign of Assassins'

Reign" is expected to be released in China later this year, and TWC is considering coinciding releases in North American and South Africa, the company said.
THR: Chinese director calls Weinstein 'a cheater'
Harvey Weinstein drew tough criticism at the Shanghai International Film Festival forum on Sunday from popular Chinese director Feng Xiaogang, who accused him of promising financial backing then backing away.
Feng didn't restrict his criticism to Weinstein. He dismissed both "Hero" and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," by Chinese American director Ang Lee as "Hollywood movies." "They're not Chinese movies," he said, again drawing scattered laughter and applause.

BBC: Gong Li on Hollywood and hunger

Wired: 9 Things Parents Should Know About Karate Kid
NYTimes: In This Remake of an ’80s Martial Arts Fable, It’s Jacket On, Jacket Off

HKMagazine: Ex
Heiward Mak is on a roll—ever since her debut feature “High Noon” two years ago, this young director has become the hope of the industry and the most sought-after filmmaker in Hong Kong today, first co-writing “Love in a Puff” then editing “Amphetamine” this year. So the biggest question with “Ex” is, can the 26-year-old maverick work her magic again, and revive the doomed career of a certain fallen celeb named Gillian Chung? Er, no, not with this piece of crap.

HKMagazine: Cheng Dan-Shui, co-producer of Break Up Club

THR: Indie filmmaker gambles with 'Close Encounter of Mahjong'
On the sidelines of the 13th Shanghai International Film Festival, a darkly comic story of a foreigner caught up in a Chinese love-triangle and a vicious game of mahjong highlights the grit it takes to get an independent film made these days, even in cash-rich China.

ESWN: Everybody Wants To Be In On The Action Of This Assault
Global Times: One director, two knife wounds, three actresses and four gangsters
Who's behind director Yan Po's attack?

Ocean Heaven (SIFF)

This posting is just an excuse to show the third picture. I'm not going to record every red carpet event in Shanghai, though it might seem like it after awhile. Here at the Rusty Cleaver we're running on reduced resources what with the economy and half the staff attending the World Cup in South Africa or volunteering to clean up Gulf oil spill. Ocean Heaven held it's Shanghai screening this afternoon after the red carpet, press conference, interviews, somewhere in between they took a break. (Sina), (cri)

Guei Lun-Mei (2l), Wen Zhang, Jet Li, Xue Xiaolu (director)

Wen Zhang, Jet Li

Wen Zhang, Jet Li relaxing in their own corner of Paradise

Jet Li press conference

Guei Lun-Mei doesn't want to be stereotyped into 'art' roles 

Wen Zhang

Jet Li

(netease), 2

6.11.2010 - News

New poster for Videocassete of 31 Degrees North Latitude

The film takes place in a mysterious jungle where a legendary Wild Man is said to exist. The videocassette documents the exploration team members effort to find the creature with a local resident acting as their guide.

(HunanTV)

Taiwan pulls movies from Shanghai festival
The eight films are "Monga," "Au Revoir Taipei," "Hear Me," "More Than Close," "Orz Boys," "Yang Yang," "Three Times" and "Tonight Nobody Goes Home."

Jet Li, Wen Zhang (HunanTV)

Li hopes autism film alternative to blockbusters

Jet Li says he hopes that his new movie about autism offers a refreshing alternative to the historical and kung fu epics that dominate the Chinese industry.
A noticeably thinner Li said he lost 18 pounds (8 kilograms) from a thyroid condition.

Film director heavily injured in knife attack, Director is badly cut by gang hired by a jilted lover, [6.10.2010]

Three suspects have been arrested (Sina)

(June 10) Love in Cosmo (Swing de Marriage) press conference. Annie Wu and Zhu Yuchen were shocked at the news of director Yan Po's attack.

Annie Wu

 

Zhu Yuchen

(Sina)

Wilson Yip searching for Tree Demon

In a recent interview, Wilson Yip revealed that he is struggling to find the right actor to cast as the Tree Demon. The role has no dialogue but must express the anguish and inner sense of loneliness. (HunanTV)

Michelle Yeoh, Jung Woo-Sung

Reign of Assassins has been invited to open the Venice Film Festival in September. (HunanTV)

Lin Huiyin to be played by Zhang Ziyi

Lin Huiyin and Liang Sicheng will be played by Zhang Ziyi and Chang Chen

Xu Zhimo to be played by Ethan Ruan

(Xinhua)

Chang Chen

Chang Chen, appearing at a watch brand event in Beijing, said he did not know anything about appearing in Lin Huiying. He confirmed he will be costarring with rumored girlfriend Shu Qi in Hou Hsiao-Hsien's martial arts film Assassin in 8 or 9 months. (Xinhua)

Chen Kun, Zhao Wei

Gordon Chan is trying to reteam Chen Kun and Zhao Wei together (Mulan) for his Painted Skin 2 due to their excellent screen chemistry, depending on her recovery from having a baby. Chan hopes Zhou Xun will also return to complete the cast. Chen Kun turned down an invitation to join the cast of Tsui Hark's 3D remake of New Dragon Inn. (HunanTV)

Wang Luodan - Most Popular TV Actress Award

Wang Luodan was awarded at the 16th Shanghai TV Festival. She's appeared in the TV version of Go Lala Go! (Du Lala's Promotion) and will be seen in the upcoming film Driverless/Unmanned. (Xinhua)

(June 11) Slide show of Zhao Wei arriving at Shanghai Pudong Airport for the upcoming film festival. (Xinhua), (Sina)