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NEWS ITEMS June 2007 June 30: "Curse of the Golden Flower" is screening in India and has generated praise in this review by Manasi Paresh Kumar that is published today in the Deccan Herald: "Breathtaking... One absolutely runs out of adjectives to describe the visual masterpiece that this movie is… Many of us have waited for a decade for the gorgeously gorgeous Gong Li and Zhang Yimou to come together again and it has been worth the wait. Her portrayal of the scheming empress and a frustrated housewife is only second to her performance in Farewell My Concubine." June 29: Sina.com has video of the interview Gong Li gave last Sunday, prior to the closing ceremony of the Shanghai International Film Festival. -> Watch Pauline Pang in Singapore wrote on her blog: "One of my girl friends is in the retail sector, selling luxury goods (branded stuff)... working in the airport. Yesterday she told me she met Gong Li. Oh wow. International star! She said Gong Li was very nice and friendly, obligingly posing for pics and taking off her sunglasses when taking pics. I wonder how I can keep my cool if I bump into these people." A woman who worked on the latest L'Oreal commercial earlier this month in Singapore wrote on her blog: "It was produced by Gravity Studio. The clients were from France, director Korea, vice director Hong Kong, director of photography Taiwan, and of course Gong Li and I China. And the commercial was shot in Singapore, how ironic. Inside the studio all kinds of language can be heard: English, French, Korean, Mandarin, Cantonese and Hokkien. The interesting thing is, with the aid of body language no matter what language people speak, you can roughly understand what they mean." June 28: The folks at the Internet Movie Database have listed Michel Gondry ("Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind") as the new director of "Believe it or Not". (Thanks, Cocoa) The news that Gondry may have replaced Tim Burton has not yet been officially announced, however. The 2007 "Avenue of Stars" hand imprint ceremony was held yesterday in Hong Kong. Gong Li was one of the eight celebrities invited to contribute her hand imprint, but she was unable to attend the event. June 27: The Alliance of Women Film Journalists issued a list of 100 Greatest Movies in rebuttal to the latest American Film Institute list. Two films starring Gong Li are included on the AWFJ list: "'Farewell My Concubine' (1993): A friendship forged in the fires of the famed Peking Opera School is tested by betrayal, lust, heartbreak and 50 tumultuous years of Chinese history in Chen Kaige's lavish melodrama. It's the perfect balance of epic sweep and emotional intimacy, dedicated to the proposition that the heart knows what it wants but doesn't always get it. 'Raise The Red Lantern' (1991): Zhang Yimou's haunting, rapturously beautiful dissection of four destinies defined and deformed by a subtle, devastating struggle for power, prestige and control resonates far beyond its specific time and place: The suffocating polygamous household of a wealthy, aged landowner in 1920s China. The exquisite, steely Gong Li – the educated, reluctant, youngest bride whose hopes are dashed on the reef of tradition – was never lovelier or more heartbreaking." June 26: The man who wrote briefly on his blog about meeting Gong Li at the Cannes Film Festival has written more about the encounter. On May 18, he was waiting for a movie to start late at night when he happened to look into a shop window and see Gong Li. He entered the shop and observed her and friends looking at souvenir items. Gong Li was wearing black shorts, a white T-shirt and very little make-up. He feels that she could easily pass for someone between 25 to 30, and she doesn't look like someone in her 40s at all. He had seen Gong Li twice before, but felt that at this year's Cannes festival she was even more enchanting. He noted her kind smile, hearty laughter, and eyes glowing with intelligence when speaking about Chinese movies. The French sales girl noticed him getting an autograph from Gong Li on a postcard and asked him who she is. He quietly told her that Gong Li is the star of two Cannes award-winning films, "Farewell, My Concubine" and "To Live". The sales girl commented that Gong Li is "so beautiful and charming", remarks that Gong Li overheard. He noted that she seemed embarrassed at the praise. He continued speaking with Gong Li while her friends were shopping. At the end of their conversation, Gong Li very warmly stretched out her hand and said goodbye. He concluded that evening was very special because Gong Li was so charming and friendly. June 25: It is being reported that "Hannibal Rising" will make a profit. From a Fortune magazine article about the Weinstein Co: "Most of the new company's movies have been profitable, even if they've failed to light up the box office. The film 'Hannibal Rising,' released by the Weinsteins through a deal with MGM, will make roughly $9 million in profit." The reaction in the Chinese media to Gong Li's appearance last night at the Shanghai International Film Festival was overwhelmingly positive. From Sina.com: The festival committee got "absolute value" in her appearance "from the press conference to the red carpet. In front of the reporters and cameras, she displayed the demeanor of a great international star." Her slow pace on the red carpet "took care of all the media and fans," her "red carpet walk is very professional." From ent.tom.com: "Gong Li showed people who is the real star. Dressed in an evening gown, she was sexy and gorgeous, conquering the audience."
->Video-Q&A ->Video-Red Carpet (IE required) June 23: Gong Li was spotted Friday night in Shanghai at a L'Oreal dinner party that was held at a JW Marriott Hotel. L'Oreal is sponsoring the Shanghai Film Festival that ends Sunday night with an awards ceremony that Gong Li will attend. A girl who was one of the volunteers at the Friday night event wrote on her blog about seeing Gong Li there, and commented on her beauty and youthful appearance. (Thanks to NewPath) June 22: I have received a few beautiful photos taken on May 19 at the Cannes Film Festival:
Two of Gong Li's former co-stars mentioned her during interviews this week. Chang Chen, who starred opposite Gong Li in "Eros", was asked which actress he most admires. He immediately answered: "The biggest influence on me is Gong Li." He said that she is "real", that some actors are concerned with only how to play their own character, but Gong Li provides a great deal of exchange and interaction with her co-star. Under her guidance, an actor is pulled into the scene and doesn't lose concentration. Chen feels that the overall result is that the actor rises to a higher level. "On this point, she is very special." Kaori Momoi, who played Mother in "Memoirs of a Geisha", said that while making that film Gong Li left the deepest impression on her. She noted the deep feelings expressed in their dramatic scenes together. Momoi said that some of her happiest moments were when she and Gong Li sneaked outside the studio for a chat. Even though their first languages are different (Japanese and Mandarin), they managed to communicate and understand each other, leading to unexpected "good times". (Thanks to NewPath for assistance with the translation.)
June 20: Thanks to NewPath for the tip on an Apple Daily article (Taiwan). The reporter writes that Gong Li's manager confirmed that she will attend the closing ceremony of the Shanghai Film Festival on Sunday. The festival is sponsored by L'Oreal this year, and Gong Li is their "ambassadrice" in China. Her manager also provided the reason for their trip to Singapore this week: she has been filming a new commercial. June 19: A Morning Post reporter "obtained the reliable information that Gong Li will attend as the honored guest" the closing ceremony of the Shanghai International Film Festival on the 24th. Another reporter claims that she will not only walk the red carpet at the closing ceremony, but will also present an important award. Neither report is confirmed yet. ComingSoon.net is reporting that "Paramount Pictures may be searching for a new director" for "Ripley's Believe It Or Not". If Tim Burton has dropped out, it is a very negative development for the project imo. There is no word on what prompted the rumored change, or if Gong Li remains attached.
June 7: The "Hannibal Rising" DVD ranked No. 1 on the U.S. sales chart in its first week of release. From The Hollywood Reporter: "It was gore in the video stores last week. The gruesome prequel 'Hannibal Rising' topped the national DVD sales chart for the week ending June 3, while equally brutal 'Apocalypto' held on to the No. 1 slot on the rental chart." The DVD ranked No. 13 on the rental chart, yet it was the top rental debut of the week.
June 5: The "Hannibal Rising" DVD did very well in Canada in its first week of release. CanadaEast.com reports that the DVD ranked Number One on both the rental and sales charts of Rogers Video, the largest specialty video retailer in Canada. June 4: There is a brief mention of "Believe It Or Not" in Variety today in an article about Jim Carrey signing on to another film. It is reported that plans include shooting the films prior to next summer when the Screen Actors Guild contract expires. Variety's Michael Fleming writes: "This [new] project is one of the finalists for those slots; another is 'Ripley's Believe It or Not!', the film Paramount put the brakes on last year. Studio, director Tim Burton and Carrey all sparked to a rewrite just turned in by Steve Oedekerk." Background: BION, based on the life of Robert Ripley, was announced in January 2006 and was to begin production in November 2006. Jim Carrey and Gong Li were listed on the production company's website as cast members, although her participation has not been officially announced in the trade papers. The project was put on hold in mid-2006, and it was reported that the studio was concerned about the budget. Later reports alleged that Carrey had demanded a script re-write and wanted his friend Oedekerk to work on the new script. In December of 2006, Fleming reported in Variety that the "studio is eyeing a winter 2008 production start in China and a 2009 release date." On April 6, Gong Li remarked during an interview, "In addition to the projects already decided for this year, next year I will continue to film Hollywood movies, a film will be shot in Shanghai. I was recently looking at the script." During an interview on May 20, she was asked about BION and responded, "I cannot refute the rumor concerning Tim Burton's film because nothing is yet done." June 3: The Boston Herald includes a brief mention of "The Cinema of Zhang Yimou" festival: "The summer kicks off with a bang at the Brattle Theatre in Cambridge, where the works of Zhang Yimou, China's most spectacular director, can be enjoyed through Thursday. Such classics as To Live and Curse of the Golden Flower showcase one of cinema's greatest masters and reintroduce us to the breathtaking talents of his longtime muse Gong Li." June 2: Muzi has created a Gong Li Video Blog (Chinese) and has begun uploading his collection of videos. ->GO June 1: A video report on "Curse of the Golden Flower" produced by the folks at "A-Nation TV" was uploaded to You Tube today. It includes an interview with Gong Li that was done on November 13, 2006, the day after the premiere of the film at the AFI Fest (that I was honored to attend). The report is in English and the interviews include English voice-over tracks. ->Watch Q: Gong Li plays a very rebellious queen. But, Miss Gong Li, what does Curse of the Golden Flower mean to you? A: Well, I haven't spent a lot of time thinking about the movie for me personally, but the script is very good. It's a story set in the past about this empress, and it's one that touches me. Q: Most of Gong Li's characters endure a lot of suffering, especially with love. Is this a reflection of your own personal experience? A: Oh, it's not so similar to my own life. [laughs] It's, luckily, not so similar. Q: The director, Zhang Yimou, and Gong Li have dated in the past for eight years. So was there any awkward moments on the set? A: Actually, we had a very good professional relationship before, which is even better now. It's a very strong relationship, and we work together very nicely. I didn't feel like there was anything we couldn't do or couldn't talk about. It's like we're old friends, and we work together quite well.
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