In case this article's title gave you a fright because you read it too quickly, no Jackie Chan is fine. Film producer and Chan's former manager, Willie Chan, is not though. He recently passed away peacefully in his sleep according to Variety.
Jackie and Willie would often refer to themselves as brothers, even though there were reports that no talent management contract had ever been signed between them. Actor Charlie Chin had introduced Jackie to Willie, while Jackie was working as a stuntman. And it was in 1976, after Bruce Lee's death and the hunt for a new male lead role began, that Jackie was featured in New Fist of Fury.
And so a strong 38-year relationship began. Willie managed Jackie's career for many long years, until Jackie became so big in the film industry that Willie had to step down.
(Jackie Chan) didn’t need my help anymore and...
Jackie and Willie would often refer to themselves as brothers, even though there were reports that no talent management contract had ever been signed between them. Actor Charlie Chin had introduced Jackie to Willie, while Jackie was working as a stuntman. And it was in 1976, after Bruce Lee's death and the hunt for a new male lead role began, that Jackie was featured in New Fist of Fury.
And so a strong 38-year relationship began. Willie managed Jackie's career for many long years, until Jackie became so big in the film industry that Willie had to step down.
(Jackie Chan) didn’t need my help anymore and...
- 10/29/2017
- by Shaun Jooste
- GeekTyrant
Gallants, Confucius, Ip Man 2, and the other winners of the 2011 Hong Kong Film Awards have been announced. The 30th Annual Hong Kong Film Awards, “founded in 1982, are the most prestigious film awards in Hong Kong and among the most respected in mainland China and Taiwan. Award ceremonies are held annually, typically in April. The Awards recognize achievement in all aspects of filmmaking, such as directing, screenwriting, acting and cinematography. The awards are the Hong Kong equivalent to the American Oscars and the British Baftas.” The awards were handed out on April 17, 2011 at the Hong Kong Cultural Center. “The ceremony was hosted by Teresa Mo, Vincent Kuk, and Lawrence Cheng.” The full listing of the 2011 Hong Kong Film Award winners is below.
Best Film
(Gallants), produced by Lam Ka Tung
Best Director
Tsui Hark, (Detective Dee And The Mystery Of The Phantom Flame)
Best Screenplay
Pang Ho Cheung & Heiward Mak, (Love...
Best Film
(Gallants), produced by Lam Ka Tung
Best Director
Tsui Hark, (Detective Dee And The Mystery Of The Phantom Flame)
Best Screenplay
Pang Ho Cheung & Heiward Mak, (Love...
- 4/18/2011
- by filmbook
- Film-Book
Action film Gallants has triumphed at the 2011 Hong Kong Film Awards, picking up the top movie prize.
The film, about a kung fu master who agrees to train four students after waking from a coma, also landed co-stars Teddy Robin and Susan Shaw Best Supporting Actor and Actress honours.
Robin also picked up the Best Score prize for his work on the film's soundtrack.
Another big winner at Sunday's film awards ceremony was Hong Kong director Tsui Hark's fantasy epic Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame.
Hark claimed the Best Director prize, while his leading lady, Carina Lau, was named Best Actress.
The film also picked up awards for art direction, costume and make-up, sound design and visual effects.
Other big winners included Nicholas Tse, who took home the Best Actor honour for his portrayal of a police informant in The Stool Pigeon and Oscar-winning cinematographer Peter Pau, who landed the Best Cinematography prize for his work on the biopic of ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius.
Jackie Chan's longtime agent Willie Chan was also honoured for Professional Achievement. Chan and Hong Kong pop star Jacky Cheung, another famous client, were among the stars who paid tribute to the industry mogul.
The film, about a kung fu master who agrees to train four students after waking from a coma, also landed co-stars Teddy Robin and Susan Shaw Best Supporting Actor and Actress honours.
Robin also picked up the Best Score prize for his work on the film's soundtrack.
Another big winner at Sunday's film awards ceremony was Hong Kong director Tsui Hark's fantasy epic Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame.
Hark claimed the Best Director prize, while his leading lady, Carina Lau, was named Best Actress.
The film also picked up awards for art direction, costume and make-up, sound design and visual effects.
Other big winners included Nicholas Tse, who took home the Best Actor honour for his portrayal of a police informant in The Stool Pigeon and Oscar-winning cinematographer Peter Pau, who landed the Best Cinematography prize for his work on the biopic of ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius.
Jackie Chan's longtime agent Willie Chan was also honoured for Professional Achievement. Chan and Hong Kong pop star Jacky Cheung, another famous client, were among the stars who paid tribute to the industry mogul.
- 4/18/2011
- WENN
What do you get when you mix The Wizard of Oz, The Karate Kid, Rush Hour and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon? You get a hodgepodge titled The Forbidden Kingdom, which will please its core audience but won't enthrall anyone over the age of 16. (Even that might be stretching the point.)
Young males adore martial arts movies with plenty of well-choreographed mayhem. To ensure the involvement of that key demographic, the film provides a teenage American hero, Jason Tripitikas (Michael Angarano), magically transported from his south Boston neighborhood to ancient China, where he gets to study kung fu under the guidance of two masters of Asian cinema, Jackie Chan and Jet Li. The first-ever teaming of Chan and Li is a shrewd commercial ploy, and the movie looks poised for strong opening-weekend business. But the weak script will keep it from enduring for long.
In the opening scene, after visiting an elderly Chinese pawnbroker (Chan), Jason is pummeled by a neighborhood bully and wakes up in China, where he is thrust into the middle of a battle to rescue an old wizard, the Monkey King Li). He finds himself in the possession of a magical staff (much like Dorothy's Ruby Slippers) sought by heroes and villains alike. Friends (including younger incarnations of Chan and Li) materialize to aid him in his journey, but he also is pursued by a wicked white-haired witch (Li Bing Bing) on his way to the Emerald City -- er, the golden fortress, where an evil warlord keeps the Monkey King imprisoned in stone.
John Fusco's dialogue is often laughable, encumbered by spiritual mumbo jumbo ("You have come far through the gate of no gate") or incongruous contemporary slang of the "Dude, what's happening?" variety. But few people go to martial arts movies to savor the elegant language, and as an action extravaganza, the film delivers. Cinematographer Peter Pau and choreographer Woo-ping Yuen honed their skills on Crouching Tiger and many other Asian and American movies. Kingdom was filmed in China and benefits from lush costume and set design.
Li as the Zen master and Chan as his more comical sidekick build on their familiar personas and demonstrate the chops that their fans appreciate. Angarano, who recently appeared in the very different Snow Angels, is rapidly establishing himself as one of the most promising young American actors. The rest of the performers meet the demands of their roles, which are not exactly arduous. Under Rob Minkoff's direction, everything unfolds predictably, which is why the film ultimately becomes tedious. The fight scenes (including Jason's climactic battle with the bullies back in south Boston) are fun, but the filler in between is deadlier than one of Li's lethal kicks.
THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM
Lionsgate
The Weinstein Co., Relativity Media, Casey Silver Prods.
Credits:
Director: Rob Minkoff
Screenwriter: John Fusco
Producer: Casey Silver
Executive producers: Ryan Kavanaugh, Woo-ping Yuen, Wang Zhongjun, Jon Feltheimer, Raffaella De Laurentiis
Director of photography: Peter Pau
Production designer: Bill Brzeski
Music: David Buckley
Co-producer: Scott Fischer
Co-executive producers: Willie Chan, Solon So, Steve Chasman, Jason C. Lin, David U. Lee
Costume designer: Shirley Chan
Editor: Eric Strand
Cast:
Old Hop/Lu Yan: Jackie Chan
The Monkey King/The Silent Monk: Jet Li
Jason Tripitikas: Michael Angarano
Golden Sparrow: Liu Yifei
Jade Warlord: Collin Chou
Ni Chang: Li Bing Bing
Jade Emperor: Wang De Shun
Lupo: Morgan Benoit
Running time -- 105 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
Young males adore martial arts movies with plenty of well-choreographed mayhem. To ensure the involvement of that key demographic, the film provides a teenage American hero, Jason Tripitikas (Michael Angarano), magically transported from his south Boston neighborhood to ancient China, where he gets to study kung fu under the guidance of two masters of Asian cinema, Jackie Chan and Jet Li. The first-ever teaming of Chan and Li is a shrewd commercial ploy, and the movie looks poised for strong opening-weekend business. But the weak script will keep it from enduring for long.
In the opening scene, after visiting an elderly Chinese pawnbroker (Chan), Jason is pummeled by a neighborhood bully and wakes up in China, where he is thrust into the middle of a battle to rescue an old wizard, the Monkey King Li). He finds himself in the possession of a magical staff (much like Dorothy's Ruby Slippers) sought by heroes and villains alike. Friends (including younger incarnations of Chan and Li) materialize to aid him in his journey, but he also is pursued by a wicked white-haired witch (Li Bing Bing) on his way to the Emerald City -- er, the golden fortress, where an evil warlord keeps the Monkey King imprisoned in stone.
John Fusco's dialogue is often laughable, encumbered by spiritual mumbo jumbo ("You have come far through the gate of no gate") or incongruous contemporary slang of the "Dude, what's happening?" variety. But few people go to martial arts movies to savor the elegant language, and as an action extravaganza, the film delivers. Cinematographer Peter Pau and choreographer Woo-ping Yuen honed their skills on Crouching Tiger and many other Asian and American movies. Kingdom was filmed in China and benefits from lush costume and set design.
Li as the Zen master and Chan as his more comical sidekick build on their familiar personas and demonstrate the chops that their fans appreciate. Angarano, who recently appeared in the very different Snow Angels, is rapidly establishing himself as one of the most promising young American actors. The rest of the performers meet the demands of their roles, which are not exactly arduous. Under Rob Minkoff's direction, everything unfolds predictably, which is why the film ultimately becomes tedious. The fight scenes (including Jason's climactic battle with the bullies back in south Boston) are fun, but the filler in between is deadlier than one of Li's lethal kicks.
THE FORBIDDEN KINGDOM
Lionsgate
The Weinstein Co., Relativity Media, Casey Silver Prods.
Credits:
Director: Rob Minkoff
Screenwriter: John Fusco
Producer: Casey Silver
Executive producers: Ryan Kavanaugh, Woo-ping Yuen, Wang Zhongjun, Jon Feltheimer, Raffaella De Laurentiis
Director of photography: Peter Pau
Production designer: Bill Brzeski
Music: David Buckley
Co-producer: Scott Fischer
Co-executive producers: Willie Chan, Solon So, Steve Chasman, Jason C. Lin, David U. Lee
Costume designer: Shirley Chan
Editor: Eric Strand
Cast:
Old Hop/Lu Yan: Jackie Chan
The Monkey King/The Silent Monk: Jet Li
Jason Tripitikas: Michael Angarano
Golden Sparrow: Liu Yifei
Jade Warlord: Collin Chou
Ni Chang: Li Bing Bing
Jade Emperor: Wang De Shun
Lupo: Morgan Benoit
Running time -- 105 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
- 4/14/2008
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
HONG KONG -- Jackie Chan's longtime business partners are denying reports of a falling out that could destroy one of the longest partnerships in the Hong Kong film industry.
Hong Kong and Chinese media reported that Willie Chan and Solon So, partners of Jackie Chan at JC Group, have resigned from their respective posts of CEO and senior vp.
But So denied reports about a falling out, stating that the Chinese reports about the split are rumors. "Jackie Chan's business is expanding. Apart from the entertainment side, there are restaurants, cafes and the distribution deal with Segway cars. There will be a further expansion, and the company will be hiring more people," he told The Hollywood Reporter on Wednesday. "Besides, Willie and I are producers of Jackie's new film The Shinjuku Incident, now in production," he said.
Rumors are rife after reports in Hong Kong newspapers Oriental Daily and the Sun appeared Tuesday, saying that the kung fu star was splitting with So and Willie Chan, his manager and partner for more than 30 years.
Hong Kong and Chinese media reported that Willie Chan and Solon So, partners of Jackie Chan at JC Group, have resigned from their respective posts of CEO and senior vp.
But So denied reports about a falling out, stating that the Chinese reports about the split are rumors. "Jackie Chan's business is expanding. Apart from the entertainment side, there are restaurants, cafes and the distribution deal with Segway cars. There will be a further expansion, and the company will be hiring more people," he told The Hollywood Reporter on Wednesday. "Besides, Willie and I are producers of Jackie's new film The Shinjuku Incident, now in production," he said.
Rumors are rife after reports in Hong Kong newspapers Oriental Daily and the Sun appeared Tuesday, saying that the kung fu star was splitting with So and Willie Chan, his manager and partner for more than 30 years.
- 12/28/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
BEIJING -- Another Hollywood remake of a Hong Kong hit was announced Monday as Jackie Chan's JCE Movies Ltd. sold the rights to action-comedy Enter the Phoenix to Flashpoint Entertainment, producers of The Bourne Ultimatum.
Andrew Tennenbaum will produce the remake of the 2004 original, according to a statement from L.A.-based Flashpoint.
"This is my first Asian film remake and I couldn't be more excited," Tennenbaum said.
Last year, The Departed, a remake of Hong Kong boxoffice winner Infernal Affairs, won four Oscars, including best picture and best director for helmer Martin Scorsese.
Financial details of the Phoenix deal, brokered with help from the Shanghai office of the William Morris Agency, were not disclosed.
The original Phoenix, produced by Chan, Albert Yeung and Willie Chan and sold internationally by Emperor Motion Pictures (Chan's joint venture partner in JCE), was directed and co-written by its star, Stephen Fung.
"Stephen tells a great story and has a terrific sense of humor," Tennenbaum said. "This movie should be remade for a bigger, broader audience."
The Cantonese-language original was Fung's directorial debut.
Andrew Tennenbaum will produce the remake of the 2004 original, according to a statement from L.A.-based Flashpoint.
"This is my first Asian film remake and I couldn't be more excited," Tennenbaum said.
Last year, The Departed, a remake of Hong Kong boxoffice winner Infernal Affairs, won four Oscars, including best picture and best director for helmer Martin Scorsese.
Financial details of the Phoenix deal, brokered with help from the Shanghai office of the William Morris Agency, were not disclosed.
The original Phoenix, produced by Chan, Albert Yeung and Willie Chan and sold internationally by Emperor Motion Pictures (Chan's joint venture partner in JCE), was directed and co-written by its star, Stephen Fung.
"Stephen tells a great story and has a terrific sense of humor," Tennenbaum said. "This movie should be remade for a bigger, broader audience."
The Cantonese-language original was Fung's directorial debut.
- 5/29/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Screened
Hong Kong International Film Festival
HONG KONG -- If "The Incredibles" was a superhero family adventure, then "House of Fury" is a domestic comedy with martial arts. With Hong Kong heartthrob-turned-director Stephen Fung's sophomore effort, premiering as the opening-night gala at this year's Hong Kong International Film Festival, the "fury" of kung-fu action enters a dysfunctional family home.
The name is, obviously, a reference to an old Bruce Lee classic, but this is not just another homage to kung-fu cinema of the past. Sure, some of the lighting and interior design nostalgically recall a '70s Hong Kong polyvinyl look. But everything else about this funky commercial fight flick is new and slick.
Martial arts fans should enjoy some of the punch-ups, and Hong Kong teens are making this a boxoffice hit. For everyone else, "House of Fury" might move fast, but it's not that furious.
The always delightful Anthony Wong ("Infernal Affairs") is a crabby Chinese medicine practitioner named Yue Siu-bo, who runs a traditional herbal shop. His outrageous tall tales about being a former international spy and kung-fu master constantly irritate his embarrassed son and daughter. Then one day, dad is kidnapped and the siblings discover the truth.
The cast is full of hip, young Hong Kong idols and starlets, Yuen Wo-ping helped create the fights, Hong Kong's biggest youth entertainment group is using its clout to market this lightweight confection and director Fung is genuinely interested in his craft.
But as impressive as the action in "House of Fury" is, its punches fail to make a real impact. The domestic angle is interesting, but the overall story is nonsensical. Family scenes with Wong, Fung (as the dolphin-trainer son, Nicky) and pop star Gillian Chung (as daughter Natalie) resemble a low-rent, single-parent sitcom. The only moments of interest -- and they are the most enjoyable moments in the film -- are the sibling fights. The two use Shaolin fists to argue about the TV remote and have a discreet feet fight under the table during a dinner with guests.
Given that this is only Fung's second film -- his debut was a Triad satire with another Bruce Lee-alluding title, "Enter the Phoenix" -- it's no surprise he lets Yeun's lighting-paced choreography dominate even though it is to the movie's own detriment.
When pops is captured and the junior set is called to arms, the movie seriously derails. Cronyism casting doesn't help. There are minor roles designed for Hong Kong stars that contribute nothing to the story. Worse is a badly drawn villain rendered even more wooden by a monotone actor.
House OF FURY
JCE Movies Limited presents a Homfaith Limited Production
Credits:
Director: Stephen Fung
Screenwriters: Stephen Fung, Lo Yiu-fai
Producers: Willie Chan, Solon So
Executive producers: Jackie Chan, Albert Yeung, Willie Chan
Director of photography: Poon Hang-sang
Martial arts advisor: Yuen Wo-ping
Production designer: Mak Kwok-keung
Costume designer: Au Yeung Ha
Martial arts directors: Sunny Yuen, Shun-yee, Ku Huen-chiu
Music: Peter Kam
Editor: Cheung Ka-fai
Cast:
Yue Siu-bo: Anthony Wong
Nicky: Stephen Fung
Natalie: Gillian Chung
Jason: Daniel Wu
May: Charlene Choi
Rocco: Michael Wong
No MPAA rating
Running time -- 101 minutes...
Hong Kong International Film Festival
HONG KONG -- If "The Incredibles" was a superhero family adventure, then "House of Fury" is a domestic comedy with martial arts. With Hong Kong heartthrob-turned-director Stephen Fung's sophomore effort, premiering as the opening-night gala at this year's Hong Kong International Film Festival, the "fury" of kung-fu action enters a dysfunctional family home.
The name is, obviously, a reference to an old Bruce Lee classic, but this is not just another homage to kung-fu cinema of the past. Sure, some of the lighting and interior design nostalgically recall a '70s Hong Kong polyvinyl look. But everything else about this funky commercial fight flick is new and slick.
Martial arts fans should enjoy some of the punch-ups, and Hong Kong teens are making this a boxoffice hit. For everyone else, "House of Fury" might move fast, but it's not that furious.
The always delightful Anthony Wong ("Infernal Affairs") is a crabby Chinese medicine practitioner named Yue Siu-bo, who runs a traditional herbal shop. His outrageous tall tales about being a former international spy and kung-fu master constantly irritate his embarrassed son and daughter. Then one day, dad is kidnapped and the siblings discover the truth.
The cast is full of hip, young Hong Kong idols and starlets, Yuen Wo-ping helped create the fights, Hong Kong's biggest youth entertainment group is using its clout to market this lightweight confection and director Fung is genuinely interested in his craft.
But as impressive as the action in "House of Fury" is, its punches fail to make a real impact. The domestic angle is interesting, but the overall story is nonsensical. Family scenes with Wong, Fung (as the dolphin-trainer son, Nicky) and pop star Gillian Chung (as daughter Natalie) resemble a low-rent, single-parent sitcom. The only moments of interest -- and they are the most enjoyable moments in the film -- are the sibling fights. The two use Shaolin fists to argue about the TV remote and have a discreet feet fight under the table during a dinner with guests.
Given that this is only Fung's second film -- his debut was a Triad satire with another Bruce Lee-alluding title, "Enter the Phoenix" -- it's no surprise he lets Yeun's lighting-paced choreography dominate even though it is to the movie's own detriment.
When pops is captured and the junior set is called to arms, the movie seriously derails. Cronyism casting doesn't help. There are minor roles designed for Hong Kong stars that contribute nothing to the story. Worse is a badly drawn villain rendered even more wooden by a monotone actor.
House OF FURY
JCE Movies Limited presents a Homfaith Limited Production
Credits:
Director: Stephen Fung
Screenwriters: Stephen Fung, Lo Yiu-fai
Producers: Willie Chan, Solon So
Executive producers: Jackie Chan, Albert Yeung, Willie Chan
Director of photography: Poon Hang-sang
Martial arts advisor: Yuen Wo-ping
Production designer: Mak Kwok-keung
Costume designer: Au Yeung Ha
Martial arts directors: Sunny Yuen, Shun-yee, Ku Huen-chiu
Music: Peter Kam
Editor: Cheung Ka-fai
Cast:
Yue Siu-bo: Anthony Wong
Nicky: Stephen Fung
Natalie: Gillian Chung
Jason: Daniel Wu
May: Charlene Choi
Rocco: Michael Wong
No MPAA rating
Running time -- 101 minutes...
- 4/18/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
HONG KONG -- JCE Movies, a company formed last month by Jackie Chan and Emperor Multimedia Group principal Albert Yeung, is embarking on aggressive strategy of nurturing new local talent with two movies to be helmed by first-time feature film directors Stephen Fung and Kenneth Bi. Fung's $2 million Enter the Phoenix is slated to start shooting at the end of the month, while Bi's $1 million comedy Hainan Chicken Rice (working title) is expected to start shooting in Singapore in mid-November. "The vision of JCE is to work on films of different genres and to nurture new actors and directors, and Jackie wanted to achieve that not only locally but around the world as well," said Solon So, senior vp at Chan's JC Group, who oversees JCE with Chan Hong's Kong manager, Willie Chan. "We're looking for projects and talents with potential and not just projects to make money."...
- 10/21/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
53rd Berlin International Film Festival
BERLIN -- "Traces of the Dragon: Jackie Chan and His Lost Family" is a fascinating yet seriously conflicted look into the previously hidden family background of Hong Kong action movie star Jackie Chan.
Unbeknownst even to Chan, his father and mother -- a cook for the American ambassador to the British Crown colony and a housemaid -- both led scrappy lives of survival in mainland China before escaping the Communist takeover. This past includes two brothers and two sisters from previous spouses, all a shock to the actor.
Four years ago, Chan hired friend and fellow filmmaker Mabel Cheung to accompany him to Australia, where his father is a naturalized citizen, to record his astonishment when his father tells Chan about his "lost" family. This she fleshes out with interviews with his four siblings in the mainland town of Anhui, his parents' old friends in Hong Kong and archival footage from a troubled century of Chinese history.
This project originated as strictly a family document. Moments after the film's premiere here at the festival, Chan said he is now willing to expose his story because it so accurately captures 20th century China's struggle to enter the modern world. He added that he wishes subsequent exhibition to take place in limited venues with proceeds going to charity. It deserves at least that much exposure for despite its repetitiveness and unanswered questions it's a hell of a story.
Clearly, Chan is ambivalent about his "lost" family. He has yet to visit his brothers in the People's Republic and has apparently not forgiven his father for abandoning him for 10 years in a martial-arts school while his parents followed the ambassador to Australia. Yet Cheung, whose subject is also her boss, is unwilling or unable to probe these sensitive areas. Chan submits to a brief interview, where he regurgitates his father's tale, yet never divulges his feelings about all this subterfuge and deceit.
Both parents were born into poverty in a poor country, forced by war, politics and opportunity to become refugees in their own land. His father, something of a street hustler in his youth, moved through the Shanghai underworld and wound up a spy for Chiang Kai-shek's corrupt Nationalist regime. His mother was at various times a gambler and opium trader.
His father had two sons by his first wife, who died, while his mother had two daughters by her first husband, killed by Japanese bombing. The two met but didn't marry until reunited in Hong Kong in 1951, having both fled Mao's revolution. For 30 years, they were cut off from their other children, not knowing if they were alive or dead, an especially difficult situation during the Cultural Revolution.
Wishing to disappear among the refugee hoards then flooding Hong Kong, his father changed the family name from Fang. (Chan's real name is Fang Shilong.) Born in 1954, Chan was left at age 8 in a school where he studied the arts that made him a superstar. The film shows Chan lovingly nurse his frail mother, who has since passed on, and fish and kid around with his dad. But the distance between him and his family remains great.
Cheung's interviews lack insight into all but the basic facts -- certainly none of his siblings inherited Chan's loquaciousness -- and the historic footage is extremely poor. (Cheung insists, and credibly so, this is the best she could find in China's disorganized film archives.) While occasionally tedious and definitely not curious enough about its subject, "Traces of the Dragon" tells an amazing story.
TRACES OF THE DRAGON: JACKIE CHAN AND HIS LOST FAMILY
Jackie & Willie Productions
Credits:
Director: Mabel Cheung
Producer: Willie Chan, Solon So
Executive producer: Alex Law
Director of photography: Arthur Wong
Music: Henry Lai
Editor: Maurice Li
Narrator: Ti Lung
Running time -- 96 minutes
No MPAA rating...
BERLIN -- "Traces of the Dragon: Jackie Chan and His Lost Family" is a fascinating yet seriously conflicted look into the previously hidden family background of Hong Kong action movie star Jackie Chan.
Unbeknownst even to Chan, his father and mother -- a cook for the American ambassador to the British Crown colony and a housemaid -- both led scrappy lives of survival in mainland China before escaping the Communist takeover. This past includes two brothers and two sisters from previous spouses, all a shock to the actor.
Four years ago, Chan hired friend and fellow filmmaker Mabel Cheung to accompany him to Australia, where his father is a naturalized citizen, to record his astonishment when his father tells Chan about his "lost" family. This she fleshes out with interviews with his four siblings in the mainland town of Anhui, his parents' old friends in Hong Kong and archival footage from a troubled century of Chinese history.
This project originated as strictly a family document. Moments after the film's premiere here at the festival, Chan said he is now willing to expose his story because it so accurately captures 20th century China's struggle to enter the modern world. He added that he wishes subsequent exhibition to take place in limited venues with proceeds going to charity. It deserves at least that much exposure for despite its repetitiveness and unanswered questions it's a hell of a story.
Clearly, Chan is ambivalent about his "lost" family. He has yet to visit his brothers in the People's Republic and has apparently not forgiven his father for abandoning him for 10 years in a martial-arts school while his parents followed the ambassador to Australia. Yet Cheung, whose subject is also her boss, is unwilling or unable to probe these sensitive areas. Chan submits to a brief interview, where he regurgitates his father's tale, yet never divulges his feelings about all this subterfuge and deceit.
Both parents were born into poverty in a poor country, forced by war, politics and opportunity to become refugees in their own land. His father, something of a street hustler in his youth, moved through the Shanghai underworld and wound up a spy for Chiang Kai-shek's corrupt Nationalist regime. His mother was at various times a gambler and opium trader.
His father had two sons by his first wife, who died, while his mother had two daughters by her first husband, killed by Japanese bombing. The two met but didn't marry until reunited in Hong Kong in 1951, having both fled Mao's revolution. For 30 years, they were cut off from their other children, not knowing if they were alive or dead, an especially difficult situation during the Cultural Revolution.
Wishing to disappear among the refugee hoards then flooding Hong Kong, his father changed the family name from Fang. (Chan's real name is Fang Shilong.) Born in 1954, Chan was left at age 8 in a school where he studied the arts that made him a superstar. The film shows Chan lovingly nurse his frail mother, who has since passed on, and fish and kid around with his dad. But the distance between him and his family remains great.
Cheung's interviews lack insight into all but the basic facts -- certainly none of his siblings inherited Chan's loquaciousness -- and the historic footage is extremely poor. (Cheung insists, and credibly so, this is the best she could find in China's disorganized film archives.) While occasionally tedious and definitely not curious enough about its subject, "Traces of the Dragon" tells an amazing story.
TRACES OF THE DRAGON: JACKIE CHAN AND HIS LOST FAMILY
Jackie & Willie Productions
Credits:
Director: Mabel Cheung
Producer: Willie Chan, Solon So
Executive producer: Alex Law
Director of photography: Arthur Wong
Music: Henry Lai
Editor: Maurice Li
Narrator: Ti Lung
Running time -- 96 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 2/10/2003
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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