Tang & Takeshi Together? Excitement Meter Off the Charts

Behold this paparazzi shot of Tang Wei and Takeshi Kaneshiro together. [Thanks Tony!] Be still my heart. It appears they may be co-stars in Peter Chan's (The Warlords) next project which is titled, simply, Wuxia.

Tang, Donnie Yen (in sunglasses) and Takeshi.

... isn't that like calling a film Horror or Period Epic or Musical or Action or some such? Though supposedly Wuxia is a remake of The One Armed Swordsman (or maybe a reboot of that 70s franchise in general?)

Anywei... since that sexist ban on the Lust Caution hussy* lifted, she's been busy. (As well she should be given how tremendous that performance was, truly one of the most confident and complex movie acting debuts ever.) Tang Wei has had one new film released in Hong Kong (Crossing Hennessy). Her new film Late Autumn will be at TIFF (pictured left) and now, there's this. No word yet on her connection to Takeshi in the movie but she'll be married to Yen onscreen.

Peter Chan had apparently been hush hush about the female leads of Wuxia -- even denying Tang Wei was involved at all -- but this photo may say otherwise. Last I heard was an offer going out to Gong Li. This report, though, is semi-confusing about which movie is actually shooting, calling this movie Wu Xia or Jincheng Wu and then later implying that The Swordsmen is a different and second film project for 2010. Though it could be a case of the writing just not being totally clear else why do the earlier reports list the same cast members for the remake of the One Armed Swordsman? Here's a couple more pics of Tang & Takeshi at a nearby restaurant.

*sarcasm. be not offended
Wei Tang

Takeshi Kaneshiro Lost in Thought

Perhaps he's contemplating his beauty?


This could take all night.

In fact, he should probably lie down. Carrying around all that Beauty can be exhausting.


Speaking of Takeshi...

Whatever happened to that Emporio Armani campaign he was supposed to be in these past couple of months? It was a big deal that he was joining David Beckham as advertising's latest [insert celebratory trumpets] Underwear Man -- first Asian and all that.

But here's the pressing question that has me lost in thought. Why, despite his international profile, do none of his movies open in America? The last time he graced US screens was five whole years ago when the international hit The House of Flying Daggers opened. Since then Takeshi has appeared in one strange Oscar submission from Hong Kong Perhaps Love (2005) and a crime drama Confessions of Pain (2006) with an even higher profile co-star Tony Leung Chiu-Wai. He followed that up with a Brad Pitt/Meet Joe Black-like star turn in Accuracy of Death (2007) and another crime drama K-2 (2008).

Finally he was part of the orgy of Asian film stars fighting it out in not one, not two, but three action blockbuster spectacles: The Warlords (2007) and the John Woo directed double Red Cliff (2008) and Red Cliff II (2009). None of these films ever saw the inside of US theaters (outside of your festivals or errant one offs) !?!?! Me no understand.

Asian action flicks like Crouching Tiger ($128) and Hero ($53) once made considerable bank in the US. I'm assuming that distributors got gun swordshy with the comparatively low takes for Curse of the Golden Flower ($6) and Flying Daggers ($11). Or maybe it was the non success of the Oscar submission The Promise (which did not crack a million at the US box office) that did it. Though if it was the latter that's a rather unfair comparison point since The Promise had no stars as famous as Kaneshiro, Leung, Li, Cheung or Ziyi to advertise and not many high profile critical champions either.

If you're a Takeshi fan you basically have to settle for DVDs, pirated or otherwise. No big screens for you! Somebody splash some cold water on US distributors and wake them back up.

Or just throw it on Takeshi.


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Hong Kong Film Awards

Just when you thought red carpets and film trophies were in hibernation mode...

Remember this truth: There's always statues being handed out somewhere. The Hong Kong Film Awards were held this weekend past. Swiftly Writing has commentary on the various wins and losses. It seems that the superstar-studded war epic The Warlords with Best Actor winner Jet Li and House of Flying Daggers' reunited co-stars Takeshi Kaneshiro and Andy Lau won big. Really big. Lau is pictured to your left winning Best Supporting Actor (albeit for a separate film). You'll remember he played the Matt Damon role in the before-it-was-remade version of The Departed back when it was called Infernal Affairs. It's worth seeing (IA I mean -- compare and contrast, compare and contrast). You can read reviews of The Warlords at Gone Elsewhere or Love HK Film if you're interested. Apparently it's not getting a US release after all. The DVD is out.

Here's a video report of Hong Kong's big movie night. Red carpet dresses and all. You'll spot a few familiar faces.

Girls Just Wanna Have Links

4 leftover Oscar bits
Burbanked the Once stars get a record deal. Nice
Popnography thinks that Tilda Swinton's da man. And goes on to prove it.
Flickgrrl on the ratio of men : women in Oscar nominated films
Blue Jersey has an interview with the Oscar winner from the short film Freeheld


miscellania
Scanners Glen Hansard hates the DVD cover of Once
Ephemerist 'Hopefully never coming to Broadway' -80s movies that shouldn't be adapted
House of Mirth and Movies an ode to classic cinema shirtlessness, Robert Mitchum in particular
European Films a review of Madonna's Filth & Wisdom
Voucher Ankles has a post about a bizarre homemade bumper sticker. Anti-Clinton and... confused. It's so weird
Getty Noni Ryder is engaged. If you guessed "musician" you are correct. How did you guess?
And the new Iron Man trailer. RDJ was such an inspired choice for Tony Stark...



Random Lauper Loving
Oh No They Didn't Turns out Jimmy Kimmel wanted Cyndi Lauper in that "I'm F***ing Ben Affleck" video but couldn't get her
Boy Culture pointed to this car commercial which sneaks Cyndi Lauper's new song so I quickly watched it since I love me some Cyndi. What he didn't warn his readers about was that Takeshi Kaneshiro is the star of the commercial. I went in expecting one great thing and got two. Takeshi... sigh Too bad it wasn't like The Hire so I could look at him for the length of a short film rather than a commercial.

Day of Rest

Shhhhhh Takeshi had a rough night


It's probably wrong how happy it makes me to see Takeshi Kaneshiro sleeping with a huge stuffed Hello Kitty* ...but if this is wrong I don't wanna be right.

Next week: I know I sometimes over promise but really: this feature is now my strict boss o' deadlines. (Otherwise I'll never get caught up) Anyway... next week: All That Jazz --it's half written, I swear. Watch it again quick!, Francophilia, "Actress of the Aughts" mini checkup, and the completion of the Oscar prediction overhaul.

*for the record the Kitty and the bed and everything else belongs to Shu Qi and Takeshi is about to haul his embarassed ass out of her apartment. He thinks she might be a prostitute so he gives her money (which confuses her). That's about all I get from the scene from Confessions of Pain because the DVD I managed to get me hands on doesn't have English subtitles so I'm rather at a loss.... previous related post
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House of Flying Co-Stars

Remember a few days ago when I enthused about Takeshi Kaneshiro & Tony Leung making a movie together for the first time in ages? Well... Takeshi is suddenly keeping busy. He's also reuniting with his House of Flying Daggers co-star Andy Lau in The Warlords. Lau, you'll recall, was Tony Leung's rival in Infernal Affairs the film which led to The Departed (Lau originating the Damon role, Leung the DiCaprio) The movies are so oroborus like, aren't they?



Lau is looking a little thick in this trailer. Jet Li also stars but since he's got third billing I'll assume it's a minor role (I thought he wasn't going to do action films any more?) This teaser seems to be cut from one single battle scene. Is it that narrow in narrative scope?

Leung & Kaneshiro. At the Same Time (Gasp)

Excuse me but how is it that no one told me about this movie?


Tony Leung AND Takeshi Kaneshiro are in the same movie (for the first time since Chungking Express and they weren't really together in that movie so it's the first time ever, sort of). It's called Confessions of Pain. Please deliver this movie to me now. Or within the hour. Hurry. Qi Shu who you'll remember from Three Times is the female lead.

Val, Matthieu, Takeshi, Richard, and John Michael

[link fixed]
The "100 Actors of the Aughts" Countdown continues. Agree? Disagree? Never heard of them? Discuss if the spirit moves you...

Pan Asian Splendor

If you like your foreign language pictures ripe with visual opulence, you're probably fond of the Asian film industries. The Oscar submissions for Foreign Language Film keep on pouring in and Asia's entries look particularly delectable. Hong Kong's entry stars Takeshi Kaneshiro (there's all the visual beauty you need right there) . The film is called Perhaps Love. China's choice, the latest from a former nominee in this category Chen Kaige (He had an Oscar success with Farewell My Concubine in 1993), is called The Promise. And what do you know? It's another epic featuring a concubine. Only this time there's martial arts, too. Here's a heavily costumed photo gallery for your hungry eyes. Both films, naturally, are shot by Crouching Tiger's Oscar-winning cinematographer Peter Pau. So expect the usual beauty to be doubled.

Hump Day Hottie: Takeshi Kaneshiro

Last week the delectable offerings on display (Rachel Weisz & Ralph Fiennes) were pulled from the current multiplex scene. This time I'm reaching a little further back. In honor of the currently popping Toronto International Film Festival I take you back to last year's event. Last September when I had the pleasure of attending I was gobsmacked watching The House of Flying Daggers. Who would've guessed that there would be a cast member prettier than Zhang Ziyi in any movie? Nevertheless there was Takeshi Kaneshiro's smiling gorgeousness. A sight to behold. I had gone into blissful trances before when confronted with the Takeshiliciousness in ChungKing Express(1994) and Too Tired to Die(1998) but I have to admit that I had kind of forgotten about him (my hearty apologies are offered).

Takeshi is 1/2 Taiwanese / 1/2 Japanese and he also speaks three additional languages to those including English. He should be easy to cast. He deserves to be a bigger international film star. In fact, while watching 2046 recently, I couldn't reasonably figure why a film bursting with that many Asian movie-stars couldn't find room for him. To add insult to injury he's starred for its director Wong Kar Wai before (in the aforementioned Express). I mean if you can squeeze Maggie Cheung into a blink-and-you'll miss her cameo you also ought to find room for Takeshi. Just a note for next time Kar-Wai. OK?

That is all. Just had to get that off my chest.

MORE TAKESHI?

Acknowledgements: The large photo above comes from this eyepopping site. And Hump Day Hotties is inspired by Gabriel's Friday Hot Guy Blogging feature... though here at Nathaniel R it will feature movie morsels of both flavors. And this particular edition is dedicated to this Takeshi-loving blog.