Concluding a deal just ahead of the WGA strike, currently scheduled to begin at 12:01 a.m. Monday, the Weinstein Co. has bought David Andron's screenplay "Transit" and attached Andrew Lau to direct.
Lorenzo di Bonaventura, who produced the Weinstein Co.'s "Derailed" and "1408", will produce the action thriller through his Di Bonaventura Pictures, with Adam Kolbrenner attached as exec producer.
Lau's producing partner Andrew Loo is co-producing "Transit" via the duo's newly formed company Initial A Entertainment.
"Transit" will be made through the Weinstein Co.'s Asian Film Fund, Michael Cole, co-president of production at the Weinstein Co., said.
The screenplay tells the story of a man who is forced to kill three men in three different cities in 12 hours or his son will die. Andron also has penned the pilot for NBC's upcoming retooling of "Knight Rider".
Lau, best known for "Infernal Affairs", which was remade as "The Departed", is already making three films for the Weinstein Co. in Hong Kong.
Lucas Carter, director of production and development, identified the script for the Weinstein Co.
Lorenzo di Bonaventura, who produced the Weinstein Co.'s "Derailed" and "1408", will produce the action thriller through his Di Bonaventura Pictures, with Adam Kolbrenner attached as exec producer.
Lau's producing partner Andrew Loo is co-producing "Transit" via the duo's newly formed company Initial A Entertainment.
"Transit" will be made through the Weinstein Co.'s Asian Film Fund, Michael Cole, co-president of production at the Weinstein Co., said.
The screenplay tells the story of a man who is forced to kill three men in three different cities in 12 hours or his son will die. Andron also has penned the pilot for NBC's upcoming retooling of "Knight Rider".
Lau, best known for "Infernal Affairs", which was remade as "The Departed", is already making three films for the Weinstein Co. in Hong Kong.
Lucas Carter, director of production and development, identified the script for the Weinstein Co.
- 11/4/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Newly minted Oscar winner William Monahan is reteaming with The Departed players Leonardo DiCaprio and Vertigo Entertainment for another Hong Kong remake, a thriller titled Confessions of Pain for Warner Bros. Pictures, which acquired the rights to the film.
Pain follows two close friends, one a police detective and the other a private detective, who team to investigate the murder of the cop's father-in-law. As the investigation proceeds, they uncover evidence that shows that nothing is as it appears.
The original, released last year, was created by Alan Mak, Andrew Lau and Felix Chong, the team behind Infernal Affairs, the Hong Kong film on which Oscar winner Departed was based. MediaAsia produced and financed both movies.
Pain is being developed as a starring vehicle for DiCaprio, who will produce via his Appian Way banner along with Vertigo's Roy Lee and Doug Davison.
Monahan, who won the Academy Award for best adapted screenplay for writing Departed, will adapt Pain and executive produce.
Dan Lin will oversee for Warners.
Pain follows two close friends, one a police detective and the other a private detective, who team to investigate the murder of the cop's father-in-law. As the investigation proceeds, they uncover evidence that shows that nothing is as it appears.
The original, released last year, was created by Alan Mak, Andrew Lau and Felix Chong, the team behind Infernal Affairs, the Hong Kong film on which Oscar winner Departed was based. MediaAsia produced and financed both movies.
Pain is being developed as a starring vehicle for DiCaprio, who will produce via his Appian Way banner along with Vertigo's Roy Lee and Doug Davison.
Monahan, who won the Academy Award for best adapted screenplay for writing Departed, will adapt Pain and executive produce.
Dan Lin will oversee for Warners.
- 2/27/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
BEIJING -- 20th Century Fox will co-produce its first Chinese-language movie in China this June, the studio said Thursday, unveiling plans for a martial arts movie by Hong Kong director Andrew Lau (Infernal Affairs).
The announcement adds Fox to the short list of Hollywood studios to navigate moviemaking in the strictly regulated mainland Chinese film industry. Co-productions here grant China's Film Bureau final cut in exchange for a theatrical release to China's growing moviegoing audience.
With co-production partners Beijing Ciwen Digital Oriental Film & TV Production Co. and its Hong Kong-based News Corp. subsidiary Fortune Star Entertainment, Fox said that the script for the tentatively titled Gold Bandits is being written by Hong Kong writer-director Gordon Chan (Beast Cop, Fist of Legend).
"Co-financing 'Gold Bandits' is part of the studio's country-by-country strategy to align ourselves with credible third party producers ... to create distribution partnerships that begin locally, spread regionally, and ultimately reach film audiences worldwide," Fox senior vp of film acquisitions Tony Safford said in a statement.
The announcement adds Fox to the short list of Hollywood studios to navigate moviemaking in the strictly regulated mainland Chinese film industry. Co-productions here grant China's Film Bureau final cut in exchange for a theatrical release to China's growing moviegoing audience.
With co-production partners Beijing Ciwen Digital Oriental Film & TV Production Co. and its Hong Kong-based News Corp. subsidiary Fortune Star Entertainment, Fox said that the script for the tentatively titled Gold Bandits is being written by Hong Kong writer-director Gordon Chan (Beast Cop, Fist of Legend).
"Co-financing 'Gold Bandits' is part of the studio's country-by-country strategy to align ourselves with credible third party producers ... to create distribution partnerships that begin locally, spread regionally, and ultimately reach film audiences worldwide," Fox senior vp of film acquisitions Tony Safford said in a statement.
- 12/14/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Thank God we have Martin Scorsese back. After a couple of films where one of the best directors ever seemed more intent on pleasing Academy voters than millions of admirers, Scorsese returns to contemporary crime fiction with a hugely satisfying bang.
"The Departed" is a robust piece of storytelling and his best film since "Casino" in 1995. Everything is rock solid: Top actors with meaty roles that let them go to the edge without toppling over that edge, a story that keeps upping the tension and emotional ante every few minutes, Michael Ballhaus' gliding camera and shadowy lighting, Kristi Zea's atmospheric sets and Thelma Schoonmaker's tight, rhythmic editing all conspire to take us into a heart of urban darkness.
Best of all, Scorsese's relaxed energy infuses the film with excitement in every frame, thus elevating a gangster story to the level of tragedy. With Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson and Mark Wahlberg top-billed, "The Departed" should attract a sizable audience, though men certainly will outnumber women.
The film, written by William Monahan ("Kingdom of Heaven"), derives from "Infernal Affairs", a hugely popular 2002 Hong Kong crime thriller co-directed by Alan Mak and Andrew Lau Wai Keung and written by Mak and Felix Chong. That too was a doozy of tight construction and breathtaking suspense. The story remains remarkably intact despite its transfer from cops and criminals in Hong Kong to a war between state police and a tough Irish mob in south Boston.
The genius of both films is to focus on two moles on opposite sides of the law. Each has risen to a position of authority and responsibility, making him a lethally effective spy. Only by this time, each has wearied of the constant deceptions and lies, of the loneliness and terror of being stranded in a no-man's-land between good and evil. Indeed the Chinese title, "Mo-gaan-do", refers to the lowest level of hell in Buddhism.
Mob boss Frank Costello (Nicholson) hand-picks young Colin Sullivan (Damon) at an early age to mentor then slip into the ranks of the state police. Colin swiftly rises through the ranks to a spot in the Special Investigation Unit, whose main focus is to take down Frank Costello.
Meanwhile, another police rookie, Billy Costigan (DiCaprio), is asked by two powerful men in that unit -- the caustic Sgt. Dignam (Wahlberg) and his level-headed superior Capt. Queenan (Martin Sheen) -- to live down to his reputation of a street hothead. For credibility's sake, he is very publicly busted out of the state police, does a stint in prison and gets tossed onto the streets, where he can infiltrate the Costello gang. After a recruitment by Frank's right-hand man, Mr. French (Ray Winstone), and a brutal interrogation by Frank himself, he's in.
It's only a matter of time before these parallel careers crisscross at a dangerous intersection. In a sequence that fans of the original film will quickly recognize, during an illicit transaction between Frank's gang and Chinese government agents over the sale of military parts, both cops and criminals recognize that a mole exists within their respective camps. Pressure mounts excruciatingly as each mole must find ways to communicate via cell phone during the operation. Then, afterward, each races against time to discover the identity of the other man to save himself.
One other intersection in their lives that stretches coincidence pretty thinly is psychologist Madolyn (Vera Farmiga), who specializes in both cops and criminals. Colin strikes up a flirtation with her, and before long she moves in with him. Billy, as part of his parole, is forced to see Madolyn professionally. At first he does so reluctantly, then discovers she is his sole lifeline to the normal life he desperately craves. That this highly charged relationship would also turn sexual is more than far-fetched. But Madolyn's dual relationship with these men lets each reveal vulnerabilities he is unable to show elsewhere.
Costello is a familiar piece of acting from Nicholson -- part demented caricature, part tongue-in-cheek flamboyance. But the actors surrounding Nicholson rise to the occasion so that he neither dominates the movie nor wastes away in buffoonery.
DiCaprio brings a level of emotional intensity and maturity missing so far in his adult roles. His Billy has a tough soul, but the inner core is about to crack and the fissures are becoming too evident. Damon is a walking contradiction: He looks and acts more like a cop than anyone else in the movie, yet he's a phony. Damon doesn't let us inside his character the way DiCaprio does; instead his Colin buries emotions in a place he discovered so many years ago in Frank's service.
Wahlberg is nasty and coarse as Dignam, knowing full well his partner, Sheen's Queenan, offsets his corrosiveness. Theirs is a good cop/bad cop routine -- only directed not at criminals but fellow cops.
Winstone as the emotionless killer and Alec Baldwin as the crime unit's captain are loyalists to the system who work opposite sides of the street. Farmiga -- a fine actress coming into her own in this role and in Anthony Minghella's "Breaking and Entering" -- not only provides a welcome breath of femininity but as the only character not a cop or a crook, she becomes the moral center of the film.
"The Departed" is a ferociously entertaining film.
"The Departed" is a robust piece of storytelling and his best film since "Casino" in 1995. Everything is rock solid: Top actors with meaty roles that let them go to the edge without toppling over that edge, a story that keeps upping the tension and emotional ante every few minutes, Michael Ballhaus' gliding camera and shadowy lighting, Kristi Zea's atmospheric sets and Thelma Schoonmaker's tight, rhythmic editing all conspire to take us into a heart of urban darkness.
Best of all, Scorsese's relaxed energy infuses the film with excitement in every frame, thus elevating a gangster story to the level of tragedy. With Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson and Mark Wahlberg top-billed, "The Departed" should attract a sizable audience, though men certainly will outnumber women.
The film, written by William Monahan ("Kingdom of Heaven"), derives from "Infernal Affairs", a hugely popular 2002 Hong Kong crime thriller co-directed by Alan Mak and Andrew Lau Wai Keung and written by Mak and Felix Chong. That too was a doozy of tight construction and breathtaking suspense. The story remains remarkably intact despite its transfer from cops and criminals in Hong Kong to a war between state police and a tough Irish mob in south Boston.
The genius of both films is to focus on two moles on opposite sides of the law. Each has risen to a position of authority and responsibility, making him a lethally effective spy. Only by this time, each has wearied of the constant deceptions and lies, of the loneliness and terror of being stranded in a no-man's-land between good and evil. Indeed the Chinese title, "Mo-gaan-do", refers to the lowest level of hell in Buddhism.
Mob boss Frank Costello (Nicholson) hand-picks young Colin Sullivan (Damon) at an early age to mentor then slip into the ranks of the state police. Colin swiftly rises through the ranks to a spot in the Special Investigation Unit, whose main focus is to take down Frank Costello.
Meanwhile, another police rookie, Billy Costigan (DiCaprio), is asked by two powerful men in that unit -- the caustic Sgt. Dignam (Wahlberg) and his level-headed superior Capt. Queenan (Martin Sheen) -- to live down to his reputation of a street hothead. For credibility's sake, he is very publicly busted out of the state police, does a stint in prison and gets tossed onto the streets, where he can infiltrate the Costello gang. After a recruitment by Frank's right-hand man, Mr. French (Ray Winstone), and a brutal interrogation by Frank himself, he's in.
It's only a matter of time before these parallel careers crisscross at a dangerous intersection. In a sequence that fans of the original film will quickly recognize, during an illicit transaction between Frank's gang and Chinese government agents over the sale of military parts, both cops and criminals recognize that a mole exists within their respective camps. Pressure mounts excruciatingly as each mole must find ways to communicate via cell phone during the operation. Then, afterward, each races against time to discover the identity of the other man to save himself.
One other intersection in their lives that stretches coincidence pretty thinly is psychologist Madolyn (Vera Farmiga), who specializes in both cops and criminals. Colin strikes up a flirtation with her, and before long she moves in with him. Billy, as part of his parole, is forced to see Madolyn professionally. At first he does so reluctantly, then discovers she is his sole lifeline to the normal life he desperately craves. That this highly charged relationship would also turn sexual is more than far-fetched. But Madolyn's dual relationship with these men lets each reveal vulnerabilities he is unable to show elsewhere.
Costello is a familiar piece of acting from Nicholson -- part demented caricature, part tongue-in-cheek flamboyance. But the actors surrounding Nicholson rise to the occasion so that he neither dominates the movie nor wastes away in buffoonery.
DiCaprio brings a level of emotional intensity and maturity missing so far in his adult roles. His Billy has a tough soul, but the inner core is about to crack and the fissures are becoming too evident. Damon is a walking contradiction: He looks and acts more like a cop than anyone else in the movie, yet he's a phony. Damon doesn't let us inside his character the way DiCaprio does; instead his Colin buries emotions in a place he discovered so many years ago in Frank's service.
Wahlberg is nasty and coarse as Dignam, knowing full well his partner, Sheen's Queenan, offsets his corrosiveness. Theirs is a good cop/bad cop routine -- only directed not at criminals but fellow cops.
Winstone as the emotionless killer and Alec Baldwin as the crime unit's captain are loyalists to the system who work opposite sides of the street. Farmiga -- a fine actress coming into her own in this role and in Anthony Minghella's "Breaking and Entering" -- not only provides a welcome breath of femininity but as the only character not a cop or a crook, she becomes the moral center of the film.
"The Departed" is a ferociously entertaining film.
- 10/3/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Thank God we have Martin Scorsese back. After a couple of films where one of the best directors ever seemed more intent on pleasing Academy voters than millions of admirers, Scorsese returns to contemporary crime fiction with a hugely satisfying bang.
"The Departed" is a robust piece of storytelling and his best film since "Casino" in 1995. Everything is rock solid: Top actors with meaty roles that let them go to the edge without toppling over that edge, a story that keeps upping the tension and emotional ante every few minutes, Michael Ballhaus' gliding camera and shadowy lighting, Kristi Zea's atmospheric sets and Thelma Schoonmaker's tight, rhythmic editing all conspire to take us into a heart of urban darkness.
Best of all, Scorsese's relaxed energy infuses the film with excitement in every frame, thus elevating a gangster story to the level of tragedy. With Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson and Mark Wahlberg top-billed, "The Departed" should attract a sizable audience, though men certainly will outnumber women.
The film, written by William Monahan ("Kingdom of Heaven"), derives from "Infernal Affairs", a hugely popular 2002 Hong Kong crime thriller co-directed by Alan Mak and Andrew Lau Wai Keung and written by Mak and Felix Chong. That too was a doozy of tight construction and breathtaking suspense. The story remains remarkably intact despite its transfer from cops and criminals in Hong Kong to a war between state police and a tough Irish mob in south Boston.
The genius of both films is to focus on two moles on opposite sides of the law. Each has risen to a position of authority and responsibility, making him a lethally effective spy. Only by this time, each has wearied of the constant deceptions and lies, of the loneliness and terror of being stranded in a no-man's-land between good and evil. Indeed the Chinese title, "Mo-gaan-do", refers to the lowest level of hell in Buddhism.
Mob boss Frank Costello (Nicholson) hand-picks young Colin Sullivan (Damon) at an early age to mentor then slip into the ranks of the state police. Colin swiftly rises through the ranks to a spot in the Special Investigation Unit, whose main focus is to take down Frank Costello.
Meanwhile, another police rookie, Billy Costigan (DiCaprio), is asked by two powerful men in that unit -- the caustic Sgt. Dignam (Wahlberg) and his level-headed superior Capt. Queenan (Martin Sheen) -- to live down to his reputation of a street hothead. For credibility's sake, he is very publicly busted out of the state police, does a stint in prison and gets tossed onto the streets, where he can infiltrate the Costello gang. After a recruitment by Frank's right-hand man, Mr. French (Ray Winstone), and a brutal interrogation by Frank himself, he's in.
It's only a matter of time before these parallel careers crisscross at a dangerous intersection. In a sequence that fans of the original film will quickly recognize, during an illicit transaction between Frank's gang and Chinese government agents over the sale of military parts, both cops and criminals recognize that a mole exists within their respective camps. Pressure mounts excruciatingly as each mole must find ways to communicate via cell phone during the operation. Then, afterward, each races against time to discover the identity of the other man to save himself.
One other intersection in their lives that stretches coincidence pretty thinly is psychologist Madolyn (Vera Farmiga), who specializes in both cops and criminals. Colin strikes up a flirtation with her, and before long she moves in with him. Billy, as part of his parole, is forced to see Madolyn professionally. At first he does so reluctantly, then discovers she is his sole lifeline to the normal life he desperately craves. That this highly charged relationship would also turn sexual is more than far-fetched. But Madolyn's dual relationship with these men lets each reveal vulnerabilities he is unable to show elsewhere.
Costello is a familiar piece of acting from Nicholson -- part demented caricature, part tongue-in-cheek flamboyance. But the actors surrounding Nicholson rise to the occasion so that he neither dominates the movie nor wastes away in buffoonery.
DiCaprio brings a level of emotional intensity and maturity missing so far in his adult roles. His Billy has a tough soul, but the inner core is about to crack and the fissures are becoming too evident. Damon is a walking contradiction: He looks and acts more like a cop than anyone else in the movie, yet he's a phony. Damon doesn't let us inside his character the way DiCaprio does; instead his Colin buries emotions in a place he discovered so many years ago in Frank's service.
Wahlberg is nasty and coarse as Dignam, knowing full well his partner, Sheen's Queenan, offsets his corrosiveness. Theirs is a good cop/bad cop routine -- only directed not at criminals but fellow cops.
Winstone as the emotionless killer and Alec Baldwin as the crime unit's captain are loyalists to the system who work opposite sides of the street. Farmiga -- a fine actress coming into her own in this role and in Anthony Minghella's "Breaking and Entering" -- not only provides a welcome breath of femininity but as the only character not a cop or a crook, she becomes the moral center of the film.
"The Departed" is a ferociously entertaining film.
THE DEPARTED
Warner Bros. Pictures
A Plan B/Initial Entertainment Group/Vertigo Entertainment production in association with Media Asia Films
Credits:
Director: Martin Scorsese
Screenwriter: William Monahan
Based on the film "Infernal Affairs" directed by: Alan Mak and Andrew Lau Wai Keung
Producers: Brad Pitt, Brad Grey, Graham King
Executive producers: Roy Lee, Doug Davison, G. Mac Brown, Kristen Hahn, Gianni Nunnari
Director of photography: Michael Ballhaus
Production designer: Kristi Zea
Music: Howard Shore
Co-producers: Joseph Reidy, Michael Aguilar, Rick Schwartz
Costume designer: Sandy Powell
Editor: Thelma Schoonmaker
Cast:
Billy: Leonardo DiCaprio
Colin: Matt Damon
Costello: Jack Nicholson
Dignam: Mark Wahlberg
Mr. French: Ray Winstone
Madolyn: Vera Farmiga
Brown: Anthony Anderson
Ellerby: Alec Baldwin
Running time -- 152 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
"The Departed" is a robust piece of storytelling and his best film since "Casino" in 1995. Everything is rock solid: Top actors with meaty roles that let them go to the edge without toppling over that edge, a story that keeps upping the tension and emotional ante every few minutes, Michael Ballhaus' gliding camera and shadowy lighting, Kristi Zea's atmospheric sets and Thelma Schoonmaker's tight, rhythmic editing all conspire to take us into a heart of urban darkness.
Best of all, Scorsese's relaxed energy infuses the film with excitement in every frame, thus elevating a gangster story to the level of tragedy. With Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson and Mark Wahlberg top-billed, "The Departed" should attract a sizable audience, though men certainly will outnumber women.
The film, written by William Monahan ("Kingdom of Heaven"), derives from "Infernal Affairs", a hugely popular 2002 Hong Kong crime thriller co-directed by Alan Mak and Andrew Lau Wai Keung and written by Mak and Felix Chong. That too was a doozy of tight construction and breathtaking suspense. The story remains remarkably intact despite its transfer from cops and criminals in Hong Kong to a war between state police and a tough Irish mob in south Boston.
The genius of both films is to focus on two moles on opposite sides of the law. Each has risen to a position of authority and responsibility, making him a lethally effective spy. Only by this time, each has wearied of the constant deceptions and lies, of the loneliness and terror of being stranded in a no-man's-land between good and evil. Indeed the Chinese title, "Mo-gaan-do", refers to the lowest level of hell in Buddhism.
Mob boss Frank Costello (Nicholson) hand-picks young Colin Sullivan (Damon) at an early age to mentor then slip into the ranks of the state police. Colin swiftly rises through the ranks to a spot in the Special Investigation Unit, whose main focus is to take down Frank Costello.
Meanwhile, another police rookie, Billy Costigan (DiCaprio), is asked by two powerful men in that unit -- the caustic Sgt. Dignam (Wahlberg) and his level-headed superior Capt. Queenan (Martin Sheen) -- to live down to his reputation of a street hothead. For credibility's sake, he is very publicly busted out of the state police, does a stint in prison and gets tossed onto the streets, where he can infiltrate the Costello gang. After a recruitment by Frank's right-hand man, Mr. French (Ray Winstone), and a brutal interrogation by Frank himself, he's in.
It's only a matter of time before these parallel careers crisscross at a dangerous intersection. In a sequence that fans of the original film will quickly recognize, during an illicit transaction between Frank's gang and Chinese government agents over the sale of military parts, both cops and criminals recognize that a mole exists within their respective camps. Pressure mounts excruciatingly as each mole must find ways to communicate via cell phone during the operation. Then, afterward, each races against time to discover the identity of the other man to save himself.
One other intersection in their lives that stretches coincidence pretty thinly is psychologist Madolyn (Vera Farmiga), who specializes in both cops and criminals. Colin strikes up a flirtation with her, and before long she moves in with him. Billy, as part of his parole, is forced to see Madolyn professionally. At first he does so reluctantly, then discovers she is his sole lifeline to the normal life he desperately craves. That this highly charged relationship would also turn sexual is more than far-fetched. But Madolyn's dual relationship with these men lets each reveal vulnerabilities he is unable to show elsewhere.
Costello is a familiar piece of acting from Nicholson -- part demented caricature, part tongue-in-cheek flamboyance. But the actors surrounding Nicholson rise to the occasion so that he neither dominates the movie nor wastes away in buffoonery.
DiCaprio brings a level of emotional intensity and maturity missing so far in his adult roles. His Billy has a tough soul, but the inner core is about to crack and the fissures are becoming too evident. Damon is a walking contradiction: He looks and acts more like a cop than anyone else in the movie, yet he's a phony. Damon doesn't let us inside his character the way DiCaprio does; instead his Colin buries emotions in a place he discovered so many years ago in Frank's service.
Wahlberg is nasty and coarse as Dignam, knowing full well his partner, Sheen's Queenan, offsets his corrosiveness. Theirs is a good cop/bad cop routine -- only directed not at criminals but fellow cops.
Winstone as the emotionless killer and Alec Baldwin as the crime unit's captain are loyalists to the system who work opposite sides of the street. Farmiga -- a fine actress coming into her own in this role and in Anthony Minghella's "Breaking and Entering" -- not only provides a welcome breath of femininity but as the only character not a cop or a crook, she becomes the moral center of the film.
"The Departed" is a ferociously entertaining film.
THE DEPARTED
Warner Bros. Pictures
A Plan B/Initial Entertainment Group/Vertigo Entertainment production in association with Media Asia Films
Credits:
Director: Martin Scorsese
Screenwriter: William Monahan
Based on the film "Infernal Affairs" directed by: Alan Mak and Andrew Lau Wai Keung
Producers: Brad Pitt, Brad Grey, Graham King
Executive producers: Roy Lee, Doug Davison, G. Mac Brown, Kristen Hahn, Gianni Nunnari
Director of photography: Michael Ballhaus
Production designer: Kristi Zea
Music: Howard Shore
Co-producers: Joseph Reidy, Michael Aguilar, Rick Schwartz
Costume designer: Sandy Powell
Editor: Thelma Schoonmaker
Cast:
Billy: Leonardo DiCaprio
Colin: Matt Damon
Costello: Jack Nicholson
Dignam: Mark Wahlberg
Mr. French: Ray Winstone
Madolyn: Vera Farmiga
Brown: Anthony Anderson
Ellerby: Alec Baldwin
Running time -- 152 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 10/2/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
CANNES -- Fortune Star has confirmed the completion of four films produced by Infernal Affairs director Andrew Lau, under its five-picture deal with Lau, and two films to be produced by The Big Hit director Kirk Wong. First out of the gate is The Third Eye, a thriller by Carol Lai (A Floating Landscape) that premiered at the Hong Kong International Film Festival in April. Also completed is The Haunted School, helmed by Chin Man-kei (Sex and Zen 2), A Mob Story by Herman Yau (Give Them a Chance) and Undercover by Billy Chung (Color of Loyalty). Budgets average $1 million, and Fortune Star is working for September or October for the release of the movies as a series, according to Fortune Star general manager Peter Poon.
- 5/21/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
France's MK2 has picked up the French rights to the Directors' Fortnight title Anche Libero va Bene (Even Free is Fine) (Even Free is Fine), the first feature directed by Kim Rossi Stuart, from Adriana Chiesa Enterprises. A child's eye view of family problems, the film unspools Saturday in Cannes. MK2 also snagged rights in French-speaking European territories for the crime thriller Confession of Pain from Media Asia. The film, budgeted at $8 million-$10 million, reunites Infernal Affairs helmers Andrew Lau and Alan Mak with star Tony Leung. "We're very happy with the deal, especially since we only have the script at this stage. MK2 read it and really liked it," Media Asia distribution head Jeffrey Chan said. In other sales activity, Germany's Tobis Film picked up Mike Newell's Love in the Time of Cholera from Summit Entertainment in an all-rights deal for the German market.
- 5/19/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
HONG KONG -- Five of Hong Kong's top action choreographers were feted Monday night at a fund-raising dinner that served as the kickoff for the Hong Kong International Film Festival opening today. Lau Kar-leung, Yuen Woo-ping, Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung and Tony Ching were recognized by a group of their peers that included directors Tsui Hark, Andrew Lau, Peter Chan, Ann Hui and Mabel Cheung as well as such guests as "Kill Bill" star Chiaki Kuriyama and Japanese action legend Yasuaki Kurata. "We've never actually had something like this to pay tribute to this group of people who contributed so much to Hong Kong films, and we thought this was a really good opportunity to do it," said HKIFF director Peter Tsi.
Claire Danes is in final negotiations to star alongside Richard Gere in The Flock, Bauer Martinez's thriller being directed by Andrew Lau. Flock follows a hypervigilant federal agent (Gere) who is training his young female replacement (Danes). The two must track down a missing girl who might be connected to a paroled sex offender under investigation. Hans Bauer and Craig Mitchell wrote the script. Bauer Martinez's Philippe Martinez will serve as producer on the film along with Elie Samaha, Jenette Kahn, Adam Richman and Lau. The budget is pegged in the $35 million range.
Opened
Oct. 1
Hong Kong
HONG KONG -- Here's the difference between Hong Kong and Hollywood in a nutshell: "The Matrix", the Hong Kong-influenced blockbuster, takes four years to produce its two sequels. In comparison, the makers of "Infernal Affairs", a hard-boiled Hong Kong cop hit last Christmas, crank out Parts 2 and 3 barely nine months later.
The speed and efficiency of the Hong Kong film industry may be admired and respected abroad, but it also has its drawbacks. The original "Infernal Affairs" was a deftly crafted thriller about cops and triads infiltrating each other's ranks. It updated John Woo's urban chivalry with less melodrama and more post-Colonial existentialism. And rightly, it was a major commercial and critical success.
With its momentum still strong, co-directors Alan Mak and Andrew Lau, along with screenwriter Felix Chong, immediately got back to work and turned their story into a trilogy. The first "Infernal Affairs" focused on the yin-yang story of two nemeses forced to stay undercover in each other's world -- an unhappy cop planted inside a criminal gang and a triad mole in the police department who wishes to free himself of his shady side.
With "Infernal Affairs 2", the filmmakers try to top themselves by going the "Godfather" route. That is, they attempt to put the story on a bigger canvas, expanding the scope of the themes and making the narrative more epic. Unfortunately, Mak and Lau aren't Coppola and Puzo. Rather than contextualize the happenings of Part 1, the movie has so many story lines, it simply loses focus.
In essence, it's a prequel to the first film. The two main protagonists are young teenagers here just entering their covert positions, so the drama shifts instead to their superiors in the prime of their career. Eric Tsang is Sam, a middle-level triad guy who has an unusual friendship with Wong (Anthony Wong), a cop on the organized crime unit. Their trust gets severely tested as the pressure of being on opposite sides of the law presses down on them and their associates.
Sam has to contend with power struggles and double-crossing rivals, while Wong fights the urge to break laws to maintain them. The credo "what goes around, comes around" haunts characters like an old score waiting to be settled.
There's great dramatic material here. But alas, the filmmakers try too hard for too much. In striving for grandeur, they drop the ball. The great duality of the two moles in the first movie is now diluted. There are now so many subplots heading in so many directions, any cohesive thematic thread gets lost and tangled.
What does remain is a great sense of fateful melancholy. The acting, for the most part, is powerful and committed. Wong and Tsang are solid Hong Kong performers whose exposure to Western audiences has been limited to minor roles in Jackie Chan (Wong in "The Medallion") and older Wayne Wang (Tsang was in "Eat a Bowl of Tea") movies. Also creating a real presence is another veteran, Francis Ng, as crime kingpin Hau.
However, if you haven't seen the first "Infernal Affairs", you're bound to be confused in the narrative mess. In short, this has the feel of an ambitious but rushed project. The finale of the trilogy comes out in December.
INFERNAL AFFAIRS 2
Media Asia Films presents in association with Raintree Pictures and Eastern Dragon Film a Basic Pictures production
Credits:
Directors: Alan Mak, Andrew Lau
Screenwriters: Alan Mak, Felix Chong
Producer: Andrew Lau
Executive producers: John Chong, Daniel Yun, Ma Baoping
Line producers: Ellen Chang, Lorraine Ho
Original music: Chan Kwong-wing
Directors of photography: Andrew Lau, Ng Man-ching
Production designer: Bill Lui
Editors: Danny Pang, Pang Ching-hei
Costume designer: Silver Cheung
Stunt coordinator: Lee Tat-chiu
Cast:
Inspector Wong: Anthony Wong
Sam: Eric Tsang
Hau: Francis Ng
JP Luk: Hu Jun
Ming: Edison Chen
Yan: Shawn Yue
Keung: Chapman To
Mary: Carina Lau
Uncle John: Liu Kai-chi
Law: Roy Cheung
Running time -- 114 minutes
No MPAA rating...
Oct. 1
Hong Kong
HONG KONG -- Here's the difference between Hong Kong and Hollywood in a nutshell: "The Matrix", the Hong Kong-influenced blockbuster, takes four years to produce its two sequels. In comparison, the makers of "Infernal Affairs", a hard-boiled Hong Kong cop hit last Christmas, crank out Parts 2 and 3 barely nine months later.
The speed and efficiency of the Hong Kong film industry may be admired and respected abroad, but it also has its drawbacks. The original "Infernal Affairs" was a deftly crafted thriller about cops and triads infiltrating each other's ranks. It updated John Woo's urban chivalry with less melodrama and more post-Colonial existentialism. And rightly, it was a major commercial and critical success.
With its momentum still strong, co-directors Alan Mak and Andrew Lau, along with screenwriter Felix Chong, immediately got back to work and turned their story into a trilogy. The first "Infernal Affairs" focused on the yin-yang story of two nemeses forced to stay undercover in each other's world -- an unhappy cop planted inside a criminal gang and a triad mole in the police department who wishes to free himself of his shady side.
With "Infernal Affairs 2", the filmmakers try to top themselves by going the "Godfather" route. That is, they attempt to put the story on a bigger canvas, expanding the scope of the themes and making the narrative more epic. Unfortunately, Mak and Lau aren't Coppola and Puzo. Rather than contextualize the happenings of Part 1, the movie has so many story lines, it simply loses focus.
In essence, it's a prequel to the first film. The two main protagonists are young teenagers here just entering their covert positions, so the drama shifts instead to their superiors in the prime of their career. Eric Tsang is Sam, a middle-level triad guy who has an unusual friendship with Wong (Anthony Wong), a cop on the organized crime unit. Their trust gets severely tested as the pressure of being on opposite sides of the law presses down on them and their associates.
Sam has to contend with power struggles and double-crossing rivals, while Wong fights the urge to break laws to maintain them. The credo "what goes around, comes around" haunts characters like an old score waiting to be settled.
There's great dramatic material here. But alas, the filmmakers try too hard for too much. In striving for grandeur, they drop the ball. The great duality of the two moles in the first movie is now diluted. There are now so many subplots heading in so many directions, any cohesive thematic thread gets lost and tangled.
What does remain is a great sense of fateful melancholy. The acting, for the most part, is powerful and committed. Wong and Tsang are solid Hong Kong performers whose exposure to Western audiences has been limited to minor roles in Jackie Chan (Wong in "The Medallion") and older Wayne Wang (Tsang was in "Eat a Bowl of Tea") movies. Also creating a real presence is another veteran, Francis Ng, as crime kingpin Hau.
However, if you haven't seen the first "Infernal Affairs", you're bound to be confused in the narrative mess. In short, this has the feel of an ambitious but rushed project. The finale of the trilogy comes out in December.
INFERNAL AFFAIRS 2
Media Asia Films presents in association with Raintree Pictures and Eastern Dragon Film a Basic Pictures production
Credits:
Directors: Alan Mak, Andrew Lau
Screenwriters: Alan Mak, Felix Chong
Producer: Andrew Lau
Executive producers: John Chong, Daniel Yun, Ma Baoping
Line producers: Ellen Chang, Lorraine Ho
Original music: Chan Kwong-wing
Directors of photography: Andrew Lau, Ng Man-ching
Production designer: Bill Lui
Editors: Danny Pang, Pang Ching-hei
Costume designer: Silver Cheung
Stunt coordinator: Lee Tat-chiu
Cast:
Inspector Wong: Anthony Wong
Sam: Eric Tsang
Hau: Francis Ng
JP Luk: Hu Jun
Ming: Edison Chen
Yan: Shawn Yue
Keung: Chapman To
Mary: Carina Lau
Uncle John: Liu Kai-chi
Law: Roy Cheung
Running time -- 114 minutes
No MPAA rating...
Opened
Oct. 1
Hong Kong
HONG KONG -- Here's the difference between Hong Kong and Hollywood in a nutshell: "The Matrix", the Hong Kong-influenced blockbuster, takes four years to produce its two sequels. In comparison, the makers of "Infernal Affairs", a hard-boiled Hong Kong cop hit last Christmas, crank out Parts 2 and 3 barely nine months later.
The speed and efficiency of the Hong Kong film industry may be admired and respected abroad, but it also has its drawbacks. The original "Infernal Affairs" was a deftly crafted thriller about cops and triads infiltrating each other's ranks. It updated John Woo's urban chivalry with less melodrama and more post-Colonial existentialism. And rightly, it was a major commercial and critical success.
With its momentum still strong, co-directors Alan Mak and Andrew Lau, along with screenwriter Felix Chong, immediately got back to work and turned their story into a trilogy. The first "Infernal Affairs" focused on the yin-yang story of two nemeses forced to stay undercover in each other's world -- an unhappy cop planted inside a criminal gang and a triad mole in the police department who wishes to free himself of his shady side.
With "Infernal Affairs 2", the filmmakers try to top themselves by going the "Godfather" route. That is, they attempt to put the story on a bigger canvas, expanding the scope of the themes and making the narrative more epic. Unfortunately, Mak and Lau aren't Coppola and Puzo. Rather than contextualize the happenings of Part 1, the movie has so many story lines, it simply loses focus.
In essence, it's a prequel to the first film. The two main protagonists are young teenagers here just entering their covert positions, so the drama shifts instead to their superiors in the prime of their career. Eric Tsang is Sam, a middle-level triad guy who has an unusual friendship with Wong (Anthony Wong), a cop on the organized crime unit. Their trust gets severely tested as the pressure of being on opposite sides of the law presses down on them and their associates.
Sam has to contend with power struggles and double-crossing rivals, while Wong fights the urge to break laws to maintain them. The credo "what goes around, comes around" haunts characters like an old score waiting to be settled.
There's great dramatic material here. But alas, the filmmakers try too hard for too much. In striving for grandeur, they drop the ball. The great duality of the two moles in the first movie is now diluted. There are now so many subplots heading in so many directions, any cohesive thematic thread gets lost and tangled.
What does remain is a great sense of fateful melancholy. The acting, for the most part, is powerful and committed. Wong and Tsang are solid Hong Kong performers whose exposure to Western audiences has been limited to minor roles in Jackie Chan (Wong in "The Medallion") and older Wayne Wang (Tsang was in "Eat a Bowl of Tea") movies. Also creating a real presence is another veteran, Francis Ng, as crime kingpin Hau.
However, if you haven't seen the first "Infernal Affairs", you're bound to be confused in the narrative mess. In short, this has the feel of an ambitious but rushed project. The finale of the trilogy comes out in December.
INFERNAL AFFAIRS 2
Media Asia Films presents in association with Raintree Pictures and Eastern Dragon Film a Basic Pictures production
Credits:
Directors: Alan Mak, Andrew Lau
Screenwriters: Alan Mak, Felix Chong
Producer: Andrew Lau
Executive producers: John Chong, Daniel Yun, Ma Baoping
Line producers: Ellen Chang, Lorraine Ho
Original music: Chan Kwong-wing
Directors of photography: Andrew Lau, Ng Man-ching
Production designer: Bill Lui
Editors: Danny Pang, Pang Ching-hei
Costume designer: Silver Cheung
Stunt coordinator: Lee Tat-chiu
Cast:
Inspector Wong: Anthony Wong
Sam: Eric Tsang
Hau: Francis Ng
JP Luk: Hu Jun
Ming: Edison Chen
Yan: Shawn Yue
Keung: Chapman To
Mary: Carina Lau
Uncle John: Liu Kai-chi
Law: Roy Cheung
Running time -- 114 minutes
No MPAA rating...
Oct. 1
Hong Kong
HONG KONG -- Here's the difference between Hong Kong and Hollywood in a nutshell: "The Matrix", the Hong Kong-influenced blockbuster, takes four years to produce its two sequels. In comparison, the makers of "Infernal Affairs", a hard-boiled Hong Kong cop hit last Christmas, crank out Parts 2 and 3 barely nine months later.
The speed and efficiency of the Hong Kong film industry may be admired and respected abroad, but it also has its drawbacks. The original "Infernal Affairs" was a deftly crafted thriller about cops and triads infiltrating each other's ranks. It updated John Woo's urban chivalry with less melodrama and more post-Colonial existentialism. And rightly, it was a major commercial and critical success.
With its momentum still strong, co-directors Alan Mak and Andrew Lau, along with screenwriter Felix Chong, immediately got back to work and turned their story into a trilogy. The first "Infernal Affairs" focused on the yin-yang story of two nemeses forced to stay undercover in each other's world -- an unhappy cop planted inside a criminal gang and a triad mole in the police department who wishes to free himself of his shady side.
With "Infernal Affairs 2", the filmmakers try to top themselves by going the "Godfather" route. That is, they attempt to put the story on a bigger canvas, expanding the scope of the themes and making the narrative more epic. Unfortunately, Mak and Lau aren't Coppola and Puzo. Rather than contextualize the happenings of Part 1, the movie has so many story lines, it simply loses focus.
In essence, it's a prequel to the first film. The two main protagonists are young teenagers here just entering their covert positions, so the drama shifts instead to their superiors in the prime of their career. Eric Tsang is Sam, a middle-level triad guy who has an unusual friendship with Wong (Anthony Wong), a cop on the organized crime unit. Their trust gets severely tested as the pressure of being on opposite sides of the law presses down on them and their associates.
Sam has to contend with power struggles and double-crossing rivals, while Wong fights the urge to break laws to maintain them. The credo "what goes around, comes around" haunts characters like an old score waiting to be settled.
There's great dramatic material here. But alas, the filmmakers try too hard for too much. In striving for grandeur, they drop the ball. The great duality of the two moles in the first movie is now diluted. There are now so many subplots heading in so many directions, any cohesive thematic thread gets lost and tangled.
What does remain is a great sense of fateful melancholy. The acting, for the most part, is powerful and committed. Wong and Tsang are solid Hong Kong performers whose exposure to Western audiences has been limited to minor roles in Jackie Chan (Wong in "The Medallion") and older Wayne Wang (Tsang was in "Eat a Bowl of Tea") movies. Also creating a real presence is another veteran, Francis Ng, as crime kingpin Hau.
However, if you haven't seen the first "Infernal Affairs", you're bound to be confused in the narrative mess. In short, this has the feel of an ambitious but rushed project. The finale of the trilogy comes out in December.
INFERNAL AFFAIRS 2
Media Asia Films presents in association with Raintree Pictures and Eastern Dragon Film a Basic Pictures production
Credits:
Directors: Alan Mak, Andrew Lau
Screenwriters: Alan Mak, Felix Chong
Producer: Andrew Lau
Executive producers: John Chong, Daniel Yun, Ma Baoping
Line producers: Ellen Chang, Lorraine Ho
Original music: Chan Kwong-wing
Directors of photography: Andrew Lau, Ng Man-ching
Production designer: Bill Lui
Editors: Danny Pang, Pang Ching-hei
Costume designer: Silver Cheung
Stunt coordinator: Lee Tat-chiu
Cast:
Inspector Wong: Anthony Wong
Sam: Eric Tsang
Hau: Francis Ng
JP Luk: Hu Jun
Ming: Edison Chen
Yan: Shawn Yue
Keung: Chapman To
Mary: Carina Lau
Uncle John: Liu Kai-chi
Law: Roy Cheung
Running time -- 114 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 10/29/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
HONG KONG -- What made Hong Kong crime dramas so exciting in the '80s were their urban romanticism and hard-boiled melodrama. The existential Triad gangster elevated to tragic-hero and chivalrous avenger was a common story line that wowed audiences and critics around the world. In "Infernal Affairs", some of that turf has been re-staked by rising writer-director Alan Mak, co-directing with director Andrew Lau ("Storm Riders", "Young and Dangerous").
This gritty police thriller is a gargantuan hit in Hong Kong, having broken numerous boxoffice records during the competitive Christmas season. Although the territory's cinema may not be what it once was, this taut and entertaining picture should have enough macho magnetism to generate international interest.
Leading a high-powered cast is Tony Leung (Cannes best actor for "In the Mood for Love"). He plays Yan, a veteran cop who has spent a decade undercover, infiltrating crime syndicates. Meanwhile, a Triad member lives a parallel but counter life on the opposite side of the law. Perennial Hong Kong fave Andy Lau is Ming, a young Triad planted into the police force in his teens by crime boss Sam (Eric Tsang). The mole has now been promoted to the rank of sergeant.
Both men have grown weary with their personal hells -- living secretive and lonely existences in the gray area between good and bad. (The film's Chinese title, "Mo-Gaan-Do," refers to the lowest level of hell in Buddhism.) Yan is tired of pretending to be an amoral gangster and wants his normal life back. Meanwhile, Ming yearns to become a cop for real and shed his forced role as a Triad spy.
The pathos between the two men come to a head during a failed drug bust when the cops and criminals realize a mole exists within their respective camps. At that point, it becomes a cat-and-mouse game for each man to track down his undercover counterpart before his own identity is exposed.
Driven by two great performances surrounded by solid supporting acts, "Infernal Affairs" is the rare testosterone movie that is also mature and thoughtful. Imagine Michael Mann's "Heat" set in Hong Kong. It doesn't have John Woo-style fireworks, but with character drama this tense and suspenseful, such bullet ballets are not missed.
Brilliantly shot by co-director Lau and cinematographer Lai Yiu Fai -- not to mention the "visual consultancy" of Chris Doyle, which essentially means he dropped by the set periodically to help calibrate the lighting and color between his other projects -- the sheen of the skyline contrasts spectacularly against the scum of its mildewy concrete. Few cities can match Hong Kong for its extreme paradox of urban decay and powerful material lure, and "Infernal Affairs" takes full advantage of the city's look to mirror the corroding ethics of its leads. The only drawbacks are its unfocused female characters played by Chinese pop princesses Sammi Cheng, Kelly Chen and Elva Hsiao, all of whom are here serving as brief feminine respite from the musky showdown.
Otherwise, this is a gripping, well-paced genre piece with an ending that isn't corrupted by a need to please audiences. Without a doubt, "Internal Affairs" is the best commercial movie from Hong Kong in a long while.
INFERNAL AFFAIRS
Media Asia Films
Basic Pictures
Credits:
Directors: Alan Mak Andrew Lau
Writers: Alan Mak, Felix Chong
Producer: Andrew Lau
Executive producer: Nansun Shi, John Chong
Directors of photography: Andrew Lau, Lai Yiu Fai
Visual consultant: Christopher Doyle
Production designers: Choo Sung Pong, Sung Pong, Wong Ching Ching
Costume designer: Lee Pik Kwan
Music: Chan Kwong Wing
Editors: Danny Pang, Pang Ching Hei
Stunt Co-ordinator: Dion Lam
Cast:
Ming: Andy Lau
Yan: Tony Leung
Wong: Anthony Wong
Sam: Eric Tsang
Young Ming: Edison Chen
Young Yan: Shawn Yue
B: Lam Ka Tung
Keung: Chapman To
Mary: Sammi Cheng
Dr. Lee: Kelly Chen
May: Elva Hsiao
Running time -- 100 minutes
No MPAA rating...
This gritty police thriller is a gargantuan hit in Hong Kong, having broken numerous boxoffice records during the competitive Christmas season. Although the territory's cinema may not be what it once was, this taut and entertaining picture should have enough macho magnetism to generate international interest.
Leading a high-powered cast is Tony Leung (Cannes best actor for "In the Mood for Love"). He plays Yan, a veteran cop who has spent a decade undercover, infiltrating crime syndicates. Meanwhile, a Triad member lives a parallel but counter life on the opposite side of the law. Perennial Hong Kong fave Andy Lau is Ming, a young Triad planted into the police force in his teens by crime boss Sam (Eric Tsang). The mole has now been promoted to the rank of sergeant.
Both men have grown weary with their personal hells -- living secretive and lonely existences in the gray area between good and bad. (The film's Chinese title, "Mo-Gaan-Do," refers to the lowest level of hell in Buddhism.) Yan is tired of pretending to be an amoral gangster and wants his normal life back. Meanwhile, Ming yearns to become a cop for real and shed his forced role as a Triad spy.
The pathos between the two men come to a head during a failed drug bust when the cops and criminals realize a mole exists within their respective camps. At that point, it becomes a cat-and-mouse game for each man to track down his undercover counterpart before his own identity is exposed.
Driven by two great performances surrounded by solid supporting acts, "Infernal Affairs" is the rare testosterone movie that is also mature and thoughtful. Imagine Michael Mann's "Heat" set in Hong Kong. It doesn't have John Woo-style fireworks, but with character drama this tense and suspenseful, such bullet ballets are not missed.
Brilliantly shot by co-director Lau and cinematographer Lai Yiu Fai -- not to mention the "visual consultancy" of Chris Doyle, which essentially means he dropped by the set periodically to help calibrate the lighting and color between his other projects -- the sheen of the skyline contrasts spectacularly against the scum of its mildewy concrete. Few cities can match Hong Kong for its extreme paradox of urban decay and powerful material lure, and "Infernal Affairs" takes full advantage of the city's look to mirror the corroding ethics of its leads. The only drawbacks are its unfocused female characters played by Chinese pop princesses Sammi Cheng, Kelly Chen and Elva Hsiao, all of whom are here serving as brief feminine respite from the musky showdown.
Otherwise, this is a gripping, well-paced genre piece with an ending that isn't corrupted by a need to please audiences. Without a doubt, "Internal Affairs" is the best commercial movie from Hong Kong in a long while.
INFERNAL AFFAIRS
Media Asia Films
Basic Pictures
Credits:
Directors: Alan Mak Andrew Lau
Writers: Alan Mak, Felix Chong
Producer: Andrew Lau
Executive producer: Nansun Shi, John Chong
Directors of photography: Andrew Lau, Lai Yiu Fai
Visual consultant: Christopher Doyle
Production designers: Choo Sung Pong, Sung Pong, Wong Ching Ching
Costume designer: Lee Pik Kwan
Music: Chan Kwong Wing
Editors: Danny Pang, Pang Ching Hei
Stunt Co-ordinator: Dion Lam
Cast:
Ming: Andy Lau
Yan: Tony Leung
Wong: Anthony Wong
Sam: Eric Tsang
Young Ming: Edison Chen
Young Yan: Shawn Yue
B: Lam Ka Tung
Keung: Chapman To
Mary: Sammi Cheng
Dr. Lee: Kelly Chen
May: Elva Hsiao
Running time -- 100 minutes
No MPAA rating...
HONG KONG -- "Sausalito" is a cheery Hong Kong romance set on the fringe of the San Francisco Internet industry. The chief attraction for foreign audiences is the return pairing of "Comrades: Almost a Love Story" co-stars Maggie Cheung and Leon Lai. Although the movie lacks the appealing hick from the sticks-meets-city girl drama of "Comrades", it still rattles along with an easygoing charm.
"Sausalito" did fair business here and in Singapore, and even dented Taiwan's U.S.-dominated top 10 for a week. The "Comrades" connection will generate some interest from Hong Kong film fans n the West.
"Sausalito" is light and slight and none the worse for it. A slimline plot sees Web content whiz Mike Lai) end up in a relationship with gorgeous cabby Ellen (Cheung) after a feisty one-night stand. Ellen, a single mother with an 8-year-old in tow, wants Mike to settle down and take on some responsibility. But the Net nerd has a bad attitude toward women and a surplus of arrogance to boot. With his business going down the chute, Mike is easily seduced by voracious CEO Virginia (Valerie Chow). Ellen is prepared to forgive and forget, but is Mike mature enough to put the romance back on its feet?
Directed by Andrew Lau, best known for the teen gangster series "Young and Dangerous" and the blockbuster actioner "Stormriders", "Sausalito" shoots along at a cracking pace for a romance. Some tasty jump-cuts kick the sections of domestic bliss and strife along.
Unfortunately, the downside is that the story unfolds so quickly that it's difficult for the characters to resonate with any great depth. The leads are attractive, but they are never given time to develop their characters. The best performance comes from mid-1990s star Chow, who is cast in a smaller role.
This is most definitely a Hong Kong post-AIDS scare romance, as a lot of casual sex takes place. The leading characters are perfectly happy to jump into bed with strangers at the drop of a hat -- and they're all nice people, too. While this is nothing new in real life, it is unusual in the conservative Hong Kong romance genre, and the whole movie has a more modern attitude than the sentimental "Comrades".
Refreshingly, even homosexuality is given a contemporary, politically correct treatment. Whereas gays have traditionally been stereotyped as camp queens in commercial Hong Kong movies, "Sausalito" treats its gay character with a cheeky respect and even allows him to make a pass at the leading man. It's surprising, because Wong Jing, the king of lowbrow humor, exec produced the movie.
One problem is a wall-to-wall pop-lite soundtrack. While this may pass muster in Asia, Western audiences may find it a little overbearing and cheesy, even though the bouncy tunes suit the jolly mood of the film.
SAUSALITO
B.O.B. and Partners presents
Producer: Jessinta Liu
Director-cinematographer: Andrew Lau
Executive producer: Wong Jing
Writer: Thirteen Chan
Art director: Patrick Ludden
Music: Chan Kwong-wing
Editor: Danny Pang
Color/stereo
Cast:
Mike: Leon Lai
Ellen: Maggie Cheung
Virginia: Valerie Chow
Running time - 90 minutes
No MPAA rating...
"Sausalito" did fair business here and in Singapore, and even dented Taiwan's U.S.-dominated top 10 for a week. The "Comrades" connection will generate some interest from Hong Kong film fans n the West.
"Sausalito" is light and slight and none the worse for it. A slimline plot sees Web content whiz Mike Lai) end up in a relationship with gorgeous cabby Ellen (Cheung) after a feisty one-night stand. Ellen, a single mother with an 8-year-old in tow, wants Mike to settle down and take on some responsibility. But the Net nerd has a bad attitude toward women and a surplus of arrogance to boot. With his business going down the chute, Mike is easily seduced by voracious CEO Virginia (Valerie Chow). Ellen is prepared to forgive and forget, but is Mike mature enough to put the romance back on its feet?
Directed by Andrew Lau, best known for the teen gangster series "Young and Dangerous" and the blockbuster actioner "Stormriders", "Sausalito" shoots along at a cracking pace for a romance. Some tasty jump-cuts kick the sections of domestic bliss and strife along.
Unfortunately, the downside is that the story unfolds so quickly that it's difficult for the characters to resonate with any great depth. The leads are attractive, but they are never given time to develop their characters. The best performance comes from mid-1990s star Chow, who is cast in a smaller role.
This is most definitely a Hong Kong post-AIDS scare romance, as a lot of casual sex takes place. The leading characters are perfectly happy to jump into bed with strangers at the drop of a hat -- and they're all nice people, too. While this is nothing new in real life, it is unusual in the conservative Hong Kong romance genre, and the whole movie has a more modern attitude than the sentimental "Comrades".
Refreshingly, even homosexuality is given a contemporary, politically correct treatment. Whereas gays have traditionally been stereotyped as camp queens in commercial Hong Kong movies, "Sausalito" treats its gay character with a cheeky respect and even allows him to make a pass at the leading man. It's surprising, because Wong Jing, the king of lowbrow humor, exec produced the movie.
One problem is a wall-to-wall pop-lite soundtrack. While this may pass muster in Asia, Western audiences may find it a little overbearing and cheesy, even though the bouncy tunes suit the jolly mood of the film.
SAUSALITO
B.O.B. and Partners presents
Producer: Jessinta Liu
Director-cinematographer: Andrew Lau
Executive producer: Wong Jing
Writer: Thirteen Chan
Art director: Patrick Ludden
Music: Chan Kwong-wing
Editor: Danny Pang
Color/stereo
Cast:
Mike: Leon Lai
Ellen: Maggie Cheung
Virginia: Valerie Chow
Running time - 90 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 8/24/2000
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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