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NEWS ITEMS August 2007 August 29: A few pics from a photo shoot done a couple of years ago:
August 28: Gong Li's "Miami Vice" co-star, Jamie Foxx, was asked about working with her during a press conference to promote his new film. He responded that "she is a natural born actor" with very rich body language. He noted that she can act with her facial muscles alone without the use of any dialogue, and feels that her expressions are "fantastic". August 27: Joel Martinsen of Danwei.org comments on the September issue of Psychologies magazine: "Last year, Danwei noted that Psychologies tries to 'communicate with readers through the cover model's eyes.' Those eyes have belonged almost exclusively to Hollywood actresses. Gong Li, September's cover model, is the first Chinese national to be featured. By putting Gong alongside previous cover models like Sharon Stone, Joan Chen, and Meg Ryan, Psychologies acknowledges her international stature. Inside, there's an interview with Gong in which the magazine tries to suss out the roots of her independent spirit." August 26: "east2west" in Guangzhou posted this message on a forum this morning: "Believe it or not, I've landed a gig next Sunday here in China where I will be on a Chinese TV ad with Gong Li… The commercial is about a hair care product." August 24: An interview with Gong Li that was done during the Cannes Film Festival was published yesterday on a Norwegian entertainment site. She said that she has been taking time off from work because she had filmed several movies in a row. She has been renovating a home and spending a good amount of time with her elderly mother. When asked about her future plans, she replied that she has an American agent working for her, mentioned a film "in the USA in the autumn, but I can't disclose anything". She also said she has spoken with Tim Burton about working with him on a project. She said that the roles in US films offer her more variety and that good scripts and censorship are problems in China. She was asked about continuing to use an interpreter during interviews, and responded that while her English skills have improved a lot, she can be much more expressive during interviews when speaking Mandarin. She was also asked about being chased by photographers and written about in tabloids. Is that getting better now? She said that things have gotten worse and noted "all the lies" about her that are spread over the internet. She tries to distance herself from all of that. August 23: While I dislike the tactics of many paparazzi, many fans are interested in candid photos. Gong Li was followed during a shopping excursion earlier this month, and photos are included in the August 22 issue of Southern Metropolis Weekly. ->Photos August 22: From a DVD Times review of the Region 2 "Curse of the Golden Flower" disc: "Much has been written on DVD Times about Gong Li's brilliance and I'm not going to demur... Li's finest hour in the film comes when she delivers the coup-de-grace to the family, revealing the terrible central family secret with absolutely calm assurance. Her stillness here is inspired and even more impressive than her histrionics elsewhere... The film is wonderful and one which withstands multiple viewings - a couple are needed just to take in the stunning visual design." Many fans have been hoping for a good quality R1 DVD of "Raise The Red Lantern", as previous releases have been disappointing in terms of video quality. DVD Talk has a review of the recent MGM World Films release: It "looks fine, with an unblemished, richly colored image. The enhanced transfer is listed as 2:35 on the box, but it looks more like 1:85 to these eyes. The language is Mandarin Chinese, with removable subtitles in English, Spanish and French. There are no extras… Movie: Excellent; Video: Excellent; Sound: Excellent; Supplements: none; Packaging: Keep case." August 21: Gong Li graces the cover of the September issue of Psychologies magazine (China). ->Article August 20: Sony Pictures will release "Memoirs of a Geisha" on Blu-ray DVD September 25. ->Info August 17: I discovered on the Variety website a video clip (3:47) from the Variety Screening Series presentation of "Curse of the Golden Flower" that was held last November. Variety's Patrick Frater interviewed Gong Li, Zhang Yimou and Chow Yun-Fat. ->Watch August 16: The nominations for the Golden Bauhinia Film Awards (Hong Kong) were announced today. "Curse of the Golden Flower" received six noms, including one for Gong Li in the Best Actress category. Nominations in other categories: Supporting Actor (Liu Ye), Art Direction, Action Choreography, Sound Design, and Song. The awards ceremony will be held September 1 at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. August 12: Thanks to "Himalayan People" for these scans from the June 2001 issue of East magazine:
August 8: Thanks to a fan on the Baidu forum for the link to videos of commercial ads Gong Li made for Dayang Motorcycles. ->Watch August 7: From a review of the "Miami Vice" DVD on DesiCritics.org: "Gong Li is a fine actress and a strikingly beautiful woman. But none of her previous performances prepared me for her work here as a Cuban Chinese drug dealer's business manager called Isabella. She slides seamlessly into the challenging format of the movie and makes it her own. She is able to put emotional distance between herself and the other characters in the film, but fill that distance up with a range of feelings. Her face remains a mask with sparing expressions - consistent with a character that has to deal with dangerous criminals on a daily basis and outthink most of them. But her body language around different characters conveys a different story - and acts as a guide to what she experiences internally. Her turn anchors the movie and ultimately makes it more than an ordinary sleek thriller."
The product website includes video from the commercial ad shoot as well as the photos. ->GO! August 4: "Raise the Red Lantern" was re-released on DVD recently, and Hermon Joyner rates it five stars in his review for Audiophile Audition: "Every once in a while, there are films and directors that change our perceptions of the world around us. 'Raise the Red Lantern' is one of those movies… Gong Li's performance is simply astounding. I think it rates as one of the shining moments in the history of cinema, displaying great depth and virtuosic restraint… 'Raise the Red Lantern' is a classic film and it deserves a spot in every cinema enthusiasts' collection."
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