Set in Hark’s beloved Tang Dynasty, the film casts Andy Lau (“Infernal Affairs”) as the star sleuth, imprisoned for treason for daring criticize royalty. Now, the very person who ordered him behind bars, Empress Wu (Carina Lau, “2046”), requires his help. Days away from her coronation ceremony, a towering statue being erected in her honor […]
Hong Kong
Posted inArts & Culture
The Stool Pigeon
In other words, whether you’re into HK cinema or not, temper your expectations. The storyline bears all the roots of a great Michael Mann script, rife with ethically compromised cops and their questionable informants, and the danger that awaits both sides of these shaky pig-and-snitch relationships as they go undercover. Here, director Dante Lam (“Vampire […]
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The Butcher, the Chef and the Swordsman
I’m not insulting you, dear readers — those are merely the three animals that figure prominently in the opening of Hong Kong’s action-comedy “The Butcher, the Chef and the Swordsman,” as broad as its continent’s schoolgirls are sexualized. Doug Liman (director of “Go,” “Swingers” and “The Bourne Identity”) serves as executive producer, which I take […]
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True Legend
To HK aficionados, this will come as no shock, as the film bears the directorial credit of Yuen Woo Ping. Although known to American audiences as the guy behind the wire-fu choreography of “The Matrix,” “Kill Bill” and “Charlie’s Angels,” he’s responsible for the whole of some kick-ass projects in his homeland, including Chan in […]
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Dream Home
Cheng (Josie Ho, “Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li”) has her heart set on a flat appraised at more than $5 million. There’s only one problem: She can’t afford it on her salary as a bank telemarketer, even with her part-time job as a shop salesclerk. Oh, there’s a second problem, too: The apartment is […]