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NEWS ITEMS SEPTEMBER 2008 Sept 24: Gong Li attended a building grand opening reception in Beijing. Several other celebrities also attended, including Jet Li and Tony Leung Ka-Fai.
Sept 24: Troy of MovieWiseGuys.com writes about “Shanghai”: “Every year there is at least one film that is considered a sleeper pick for numerous awards… Well, I think I've found this year's Oscar sleeper at it has everything to become a special film, though few have heard of it. The Film is Shanghai… it certainly has all the ingredients to be a strong contender. It's current release date is for Christmas Day of this year which just supports its Oscar chances.” Don, an extra on "Shanghai", wrote about his experiences on his blog: "Gong Li was beautiful! I had seen several of her movies, both Western and Chinese, and she was even more beautiful in person. Many of the men on the set were all straining to get a glimpse of her! Who wouldn't? Even the women were all staring at her! ... I get to cross up some stairs in the casino just as Gong Li comes down them. I'll be on camera!! We do this over and over and over. But that's ok... Gong Li is doing it also... and she is the famous movie star and I can keep up with her... and she is beautiful! ... So the guns fire away and the bomb goes off... We are to 'react' accordingly and be the terrified customers in the casino bar! But I'm next to Chow Yun Fat and that makes me happy. Gong Li nearly falls out of her dress and that makes so many men on the set happy! Everyone was happy!! But not my feet! ... I have no regrets with the 15 days I spent working Shanghai. I learnt a lot and made some wonderful friends. I was always treated well in spite of the long hours." Sept 23: Gong Li is the cover girl for the October issue of Elle magazine, Hong Kong edition.
Ryan Adams of AwardsDaily.com writes about "Shanghai": "Starring John Cusack, Gong Li, ChowYun-fat, Rinko Kikuchi, and Ken Watanabe, Shanghai is the story of an American expat returning to Japanese-occupied Shanghai, weeks before Peal Harbor, in search of a details about a murdered friend. His investigation leads to romance and discovery of sensitive government secrets. From the publicity stills I'm feeling an Indochine, The Painted Veil atmosphere... Now that the release date for Shanghai has been shifted from Sept 25th to Dec 25th, and noting that it's being distributed by The Weinstein Company, maybe we should keep an eye on this blip on our long-range radar? Impressive pedigree behind the camera, as well..." Sept 19: Gong Li is the cover girl for the September 20 issue of Modern Weekly magazine. Photos from the article on the MW site:
Sept 12: Thanks to "狂爱巩俐" for scans from Elle China:
Sept 10: Gong Li is featured in the October issue of Elle China - their 20th anniversary issue - and four of the photos are included in the article on the website ->GO Thanks to "Lou Wu" of Chow-Yun-Fat.de for the following translation of some of Gong Li's remarks in the Elle article about the character she plays in "Shanghai": "I couldn't conjure the character out of thin air, I spent a month preparing. First, I needed to look at some pictures, looking at the outer appearance of the character and the clothes she wears. Then I had to think deeply about the character, turning over in my mind what sort of a person she is, coming to understand the times she lived in and the background details of her circumstances - where she went to primary school, did she go to university, whether she studied English, whether she had been abroad, what her family background had been like... Along with this deep understanding, the character must grow within you... I haven't played such a mysterious kind of woman before; she is always playing a part. When faced with different kinds of people she conducts herself differently, she treats the Japanese, her family members, members of the criminal organization, and her lovers, every one differently. The need to act all the time means she must present herself in many different ways. This is the first time I have accepted a role which stirs up my feelings so much. I love this script, it really attracts me. I think that if I can do this kind of thing, then life and death won't matter to me. In this, Anna and I are the same."
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