Curse of the Golden Flower Opening Week Round Up
December 20th, 2006 by dd
Curse? What Curse! Huge Opening Box Office:
Zhang Yimou’s $45 million Oscar contender Curse of the Golden Flower is shaping up to be China’s biggest pic ever after it scored a record-breaking opening weekend box office of $12.5 million.
At this rate, Curse is expected to contend with James Cameron’s Titanic which is still the most popular film ever shown in China with receipts totaling $44 million in 1998.
Of course, it helps when China film authorities cleared the schedule of foreign and domestic openers to make sure nothing would get in the way.
Jay Chou Loses Staring Contest with Gong Li:
Taiwanese pop star and acting novice Jay Chou, 27, says he couldn’t look Chinese actress Gong Li in the eye when they started shooting scenes for Curse of the Golden Flower.
“Initially I was nervous, so my line of sight wasn’t directed at her eyes. After doing a few scenes with her, she helped me relax slowly. She made me feel like she’s my big sister. It was much more relaxed.'’
Chou acknowledged limitations as actor, saying he is not very good at handling roles that don’t bear some resemblance to his actual personality, “It’s hard for me to grasp a character that isn’t like me. I can’t portray him at all.”
Gong Li Relishes the Hollywood Challenge:
Gong Li says the biggest challenge she faces in Hollywood isn’t the language barrier, but rather tackling non-Chinese characters.
Gong, best known for her collaboration with Chinese director Zhang Yimou in films like Red Sorghum, Raise the Red Lantern and To Live, has shot a series of English-language movies lately, including a Japanese escort in Memoirs of a Geisha; an ethnic Chinese money launderer for a south American drug kingpin in Miami Vice; and a Japanese woman married to the uncle of serial killer Hannibal Lecter in the upcoming Young Hannibal, a prequel to the thriller The Silence of the Lambs.
“I very rarely portray a real Chinese character, like a native Beijing resident, in Hollywood.” Referring to her character in Miami Vice, Gong said, “even though she looks Asian, her character, her thoughts, her thinking aren’t Asian at all. That’s hard to master.”
“Hollywood films are more challenging. I like the challenge,” she added.
Posted in Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, Film, Gong Li, Zhang Yimou, Chow Yun Fat, Jay Chou | 
December 31st, 2006 at 10:25 am
Happy Aniversary, congratulations to You Gong Li!!!!!!!
Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!Happy,happy,happy aniversary!
I Love you, I love you, i love you…
http://flog.gazzag.com/kinha_mello