Maybe it’s because I’m a softie but I couldn’t help feeling a twinge of sympathy for Edison Chen Kwoon-Hei as I watched his press conference last Thursday. Though his statement contained ill-advised credibility-killers like his concern for “society as a whole” and his pledge to dedicate himself to “charity and community work”, it was clear from his body language that Chen was genuinely gutted by “Sexy Photos Gate”. While my sympathy and HK$25 will buy him a tray of shrimp dumplings at a dim sum restaurant, I thought Chen came off much better than Gillian Chung Yan-Tung did in her press conference. Comparing the two, it’s hard not to notice that Chung self-inflicted even more damage to her career by appearing duplicitous and insincere just as she was taking heavy criticism for being duplicitous and insincere. EEG really needs to find better public relations help because the people manipulating PR for them now are doing more harm than good.

For the most part, Chen is still being excoriated over the scandal. His announcement about dedicating himself to charity is being dismissed as a publicity ploy and he took criticism for being disrespectful to Lydia Shum Tin-Ha by not allowing a proper period of time to pass before having the spotlight refocus on him and “Sexy Photos Gate”. Those who feel any sort of sympathy for Chen are definitely in the minority. Even tycoon Stanley Ho Hung-Sun, of all people, crushed Edison Chen. This past Saturday (February 23rd), Sing Tao Daily reported that the casino magnate refused to offer any opinions about “Sexy Photos Gate” because it was “trash” but he did say that he thought “that person” (Chen) was “cheap, cheaper than dirt.” Ouch.

Some other thoughts on the Edison Chen press statement:

- A few people are parsing Chen’s stepping “away from the Hong Kong entertainment industry” to mean that he is going to take a shot at Hollywood. Are you kidding me? If Jackie Chan, Jet Li and Chow Yun-Fat thought breaking into Hollywood was frustrating and difficult, what kind of chance does Edison Chen stand? The odds are so low that he stands a better chance of re-establishing a career in Hong Kong entertainment than he does at building a meaningful Hollywood career.

- With all due respect to Lydia Shum, it’s difficult to fault Edison Chen for holding the press conference on Thursday. He was caught in a no-win situation. Hold the conference on Thursday and get criticized for being disrespectful to Lydia Shum. Delay it a few days and continue taking shots for being a coward. Announcing that you are waiting out of respect for Lydia Shum opens you up to talk of trying to get sympathy by riding on her coattails.

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Another sign that I watch too much TV: I was watching the new LAW & ORDER episode last Wednesday night and I couldn’t help thinking that — if it actually blipped on the radar of people here in the West — “Sexy Photos Gate” would make for a great “ripped from the headlines” episode. Multiple suspects are available for the ol’ LAW & ORDER twist and I’ve already come up with the pithy ending: McCoy and Cutter are walking away from the courthouse following the verdict. They spot the agent for whoever murdered “alternate universe Edison Chen” holding an impromptu press conference on the courthouse steps. McCoy turns to Cutter and says: “The show must go on.” Cue “Executive Producer Dick Wolf” title card.

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Some comments on the comments from the last post:

Will writes: “No thoughts because of the snowstorms in China”? Damn snowstorms! I was hoping to hear what you thought of everything. Surely, you must have SOME opinions.

Using a phrase that seems to have become part of the North American lexicon in the past couple of years, my opinion on “Sexy Photos Gate” boils down to: “it is what it is”. People are people. They have their foibles. They make mistakes. They react to things of a sexual nature. I’m confident Edison Chen isn’t the only person to have recorded themselves having sex. Everybody has done things in their life that they regret and everyone has sexual instincts. Basically, I can understand why events unfolded like they unfolded — from Edison Chen taking the photos in the first place to the women allowing Chen to do so to the interest in seeing and collecting the photos.

I can also understand why some people took to the streets to protest police actions surrounding the photos. Given the already sensitive nature of Hong Kong political culture when it comes to the issue of human rights, it’s easy to see why people would be irked by the ham-handed response by the police — especially the insinuations that even having the photos on your hard drive was a criminal offense.

The only strong opinion I have about the entire affair is that I wish people would stop the mourning and weeping for society. Over the past three weeks, I’ve read multiple variations of “this scandal is bringing down society” or “we must protect the younger generation from this scandal”. For more than 5,000 years, Chinese society has survived despite war, conquest, pestilence and death, I think it and the younger generation will somehow manage to survive “Sexy Photos Gate”.

I thought the overwrought response by the Hong Kong Performing Artistes Guild was particularly dismaying. A couple of days into the scandal the Guild held an “emergency meeting” then emerged to release a sanctimonious statement saying that the affair was “not only a tragedy for the entertainment industry but a tragedy for Hong Kong people”. They called distributing the photos a “poison” for the younger generation and called for the police to stop the “bad wind from blowing further”. The first thing that came to mind when I read the statement was Helen Lovejoy screaming: “won’t somebody please think of the children” in that Maison Derriere episode of THE SIMPSONS. My second thought was where was this concern for poisoning the younger generation when Wong Jing was producing the RAPED BY AN ANGEL movies and John Woo was making films with body counts well into triple digit territory?

Instead of holding emergency meetings and releasing statements that make them look like dopes, it would be far more constructive for the Guild to follow the leads of sports labour unions by holding workshops or developing literature that provide advice for new members on how to handle fame and fortune. Tips like “don’t pose for pictures or videos that may damage your reputation” could have prevented “Sexy Photos Gate” from happening in the first place.

Glenn writes: … Twins were due to break up anyway and both Charlene and Gillian have done good work solo — Charlene in SIMPLY ACTORS and others and Gillian in BEYOND OUR KEN and other flicks.

While Gillian Chung has done well in her solo acting roles, I don’t think she’s done enough to establish an identity outside of Twins. The perception of Chung has been that she’s the “lesser Twin” — pretty, cute but not as talented or charismatic as the award-winning Charlene Choi Cheuk-Yin. Even if “Sexy Photos Gate” didn’t happen, Chung wouldn’t have much of a career outside of Twins. I think deep down EEG knows this because if Chung could be profitable outside of Twins, Twins would already have disbanded.

Eliza Bennett writes: As a fan of Cecilia’s acting I never saw that her career is having a downslide (I blame THE PROMISE!!!). Your post sure was a wake up call as far as I’m concerned. If your predictions come true, it will be sort of a waste of a good actress.

I hope you didn’t think I was saying that Cecilia Cheung Pak-Chi’s career is circling the drain because the point I was trying to make was that the scandal wouldn’t be too damaging because the white-hot “it girl” period of her career was over. From the release of KING OF COMEDY during Lunar New Year 1999 to late-2003/ early-2004, Cheung was the “it girl” of the HK entertainment circle. It seemed like she was in every other holiday movie or every other major production. She was so popular in the first three years of her career, newspapers and magazines tried to increase sales by publishing vacuous articles about her father and her little brother or writing stories about the contents of her trash. By “downside of her career”, I meant that the buzz of celebrity surrounding Cecilia Cheung now is markedly less intense than what it was earlier in her career. She is now at the point where producers are going to hire her for a role because they want her for it rather than because her star power will help them make money. This is why I don’t think the scandal will significantly damage her film career.

While we’re on the subject of Cecilia Cheung, I was wondering what you guys thought of her acting. I think she has great screen presence but she’s an unrefined actress. If you watch LOST IN TIME or ONE NITE IN MONGKOK or THE PROMISE, there are many instances where you can tell that she’s “acting” because she has a tendency to overplay emotion. Borrowing the exquisite brushwork analogy of the Hong Kong Film Critics Society, Cecilia Cheung is an 1.0 mm medium point pen not a 0.5 mm fine point pen. Right now, I don’t think she has the chops to give complex, subtle performances like Maggie Cheung Man-Yuk did in IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE or Tang Wei in LUST, CAUTION. I’m not saying that she’s a terrible actress, I’m saying that she’s not in the “great” actress category yet.

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Rest in peace, Lydia Shum Tin-Ha.

IMAGE CREDITS: Associated Press (Edison Chen), NBC Universal (LAW & ORDER cast), 20th Century Fox Television (Helen Lovejoy), 21 Century Shengkai Film (Still from THE PROMISE)

Now that the initial blast waves from the explosive celebrity photos scandal have passed and those involved have started emerging from their fallout shelters, here is some speculation on the damage this “strange, strange ordeal” has inflicted on the careers of the three central figures — Edison Chen Kwoon-Hei, Gillian Chung Yan-Tung and Cecilia Cheung Pak-Chi:

Instead of adding my voice to the cacophony of opinions on “Sexy Photos Gate” aka “Celebrity Photos Scandal” aka “Edison-Gillian-Cecilia-Bobo Picture Scandal”, I will be focusing solely on the implications that the scandal may have on the careers of the three major celebrities who are still involved in the entertainment circle. Besides, I really have no thoughts on the scandal at large because my thoughts are mostly with the victims of the snowstorms in China. (Sorry Andy Lau, couldn’t resist. We kid because we love …). To those of you who believe that speculation on the career prospects of these celebrities is inappropriate, I ask you to consider the following: These people have cultivated an interest in themselves and have profited from that interest. It is fair game to discuss how this scandal may effect that interest.

Cecilia Cheung Pak-Chi

Career-wise, “Sexy Photos Gate” should not have a major effect on Cecilia Cheung. Before the scandal hit, her popularity had already peaked and she was on the downside of her career. Her last major movie release was in 2006 and her last new song was recorded in 2005. In the past two years, her career has consisted of advertising and promotional work, television appearances and voiceover roles. Cheung’s most significant project in this period was a biographical Mainland television drama on the life of Zhou Xuan. Her days of being a major box office draw for big budget projects and holiday movies were already over so the scandal should not damage her film career in any significant way as it likely would have continued based upon factors other than star power.

As for her celebrity image, the scandal should not have a detrimental effect because Cheung did not promote herself as a paragon of virtue and it was no secret that she liked to enjoy life. Furthermore, the public perception of Cheung seems to be that — as a wife and mother — she had put her “wild” days behind her and had moved on to the next stage of her life. Among Cheung, Gillian Chung and Edison Chen, Cheung is the one most likely to be perceived by the public as a “victim”. Apart from some desultory comments about her personal grooming habits, the response to Cheung’s part in the scandal — in both discussion forms and media articles — has been mostly sympathetic.

Gillian Chung Yan-Tung

“Live by the sword, die by the sword” best describes the predicament of Gillian Chung Yan-Tung. Along with her Twins’ bandmate Charlene Choi Cheuk-Yin, Chung made a living by promoting herself and everything from instant noodles to Hong Kong Disneyland using a cute and innocent personna. The scandal has obliterated that image and her reliance on being sweet and squeaky-clean (unlike Charlene Choi, Gillian Chung has not been able to diversify herself from the Twins brand) means that recovering from the scandal will be difficult.

While the release of the first photos was a grave wound to her career, the cause-of-death will be the inept response by her publicity handlers at Emperor Entertainment Group (EEG). Rather than issue blanket denials and have their sympathetic media outlets attempt to debunk the photos by citing unnamed “experts”, EEG should have determined the authenticity of the photos and had Gillian Chung confront the public as quickly as possible. Their response should have been based upon the precedent set by the “Aaron Kwok Love Trap Incident of 1999″.

In August 1999, a videotape of Aaron Kwok Fu-Sing caressing a woman in an Australian hotel room was filmed by con artists who hoped to blackmail Kwok with it. Instead of buckling to the demands, Kwok and his manager filed a criminal complaint and an injunction in an Australian court to block the sale of the video. They then held a press conference to publicly address the matter. At the event, Kwok admitted to being attracted by the woman and to caressing her in a hotel room. He went on to emphasize that he was a victim of a scam and that the only thing he was guilty of was being attracted to a woman. Kwok: “I am a victim of love. It is hurtful to be cheated like this.”

At that point in his career, Kwok projected a clean-cut image — though not to the extent of Gillian Chung — so the incident was a definite threat to his carefully-crafted reputation. By confronting the matter directly, rapidly addressing the public and reminding people that he was a victim, Kwok was able to quell wild speculation and minimize the damage. Eight years later, he is nominated for a Hong Kong Film Award and holding a concert series at AsiaWorld-Expo.

If Gillian Chung and EEG reacted similarly to “Sexy Photos Gate”, the blow to her career may have been limited to damaging rather than catastrophic. If the photos were indeed fake, then Chung should have been out in public immediately bemoaning the attack on her good name. If the photos were authentic, Chung should have reacted like Kwok did in 1998. She should have held a press conference and admitted to being in the photos. The plan should have called for her to go “all-in” with her wholesome and innocent image by declaring that Edison Chen was her first love and that she agreed to the photos because she was naive and inexperienced. She then could have reminded the public that she was a victim by reacting like she did during the EasyFinder Scandal of 2006. It may not have been convincing but it would have been better than what happened.

Understandably, Chung may have been too mortified by the photos to appear in public during the first days of the scandal but EEG should have impressed upon her that it was critical for her to get her message out to the media and control, somewhat, the discussion over the scandal. Aaron Kwok addressed the public after the first “Love Trap” stories broke. Ekin Cheng Yi-Kin held a press conference when news of his relationship with Gigi Leung Wing-Kei surfaced. Jackie Chan spoke to the press about “Dragon Seed” when it became clear the story could not be contained. Facing the public when a scandal breaks is part of the job when you are an HK entertainment idol. Gillian Chung and EEG should have realized this during week one of the scandal.

The only way EEG can be absolved of blame for the way they handled the matter is if they went with the full denial because Gillian Chung told them on day one that the photos were fake. Otherwise, they were extremely foolish for ignoring the old Chinese adage: 紙包不著火 (”paper cannot cover up a fire”).

As it stands now, Gillian Chung has to dig out of a very deep hole if she wants to restore her career. Advertisers may find her too “radioactive” to work with because reaction to her part in the scandal has not been sympathetic. The majority view is that she is a hypocrite for maintaining a cute and chaste image in public while being less than chaste in private. Moreover, the sympathy she garnered from the EasyFinder Scandal has turned into animus as her reaction to the spy-camera photos is now perceived as calculated and disingenuous.

It appears that EEG has adopted a strategy of “keep a stiff upper lip and proceed like nothing happened”. It may be the only option available because to try adopting a different image — “good girl gone bad”, for example — would make Chung appear desperate. The critical question in the coming months will be: How much of her fanbase can Gillian Chung keep? If she can keep enough to still be profitable, then she and Twins will survive. If not, EEG will break Twins up, slowly and quietly marginalize Gillian Chung and send her off to join the ranks of faded HK starlets. If it happens, the move will not be overt. After a suitable waiting period that allows them a little face-saving distance from the scandal, Twins will break up because it is the “natural time” and Gillian Chung will be “taking a break” because she needs to “rest” or because she is going to Japan or the United States or England to take “singing/acting lessons”.

Though the situation may appear bleak, there are a few factors working in Chung’s favour. First, EEG and its publicity machine is solidly behind her. Mani Fok Man-Hei, EEG super-manager, has been spinning the line that Chung is still being offered movie work and advertising jobs. Media outlets sympathetic to EEG have been running stories calling her “sincere” and “brave”. Second, it appears that the powers-that-be in the entertainment circle — investors and producers — see Chung as a “victim” and are willing to give her every opportunity to rehabilitate herself. Will that be enough? The answer will come in a year or so from now but, one thing is certain, Gillian Chung and Twins will never be as popular or as profitable as they were before January 27th, 2008.

Edison Chen Kwoon-Hei

History has shown that if a celebrity is talented, popular or rich, it is possible to weather everything from minor transgressions to serious criminal charges. So, is Edison Chen talented enough, popular enough or rich enough for his career to survive “Sexy Photos Gate”? Conventional wisdom suggests no. However, Edison Chen’s career has defied conventional wisdom so he cannot be written off. Nonetheless, it is difficult to envision a scenario in which Chen’s career does not end up being significantly diminished by the scandal.

Chen’s appeal to the Hong Kong market was based primarily on a hip-hop, bad boy image. He used it to establish himself, with varying degrees of success, in film, music, advertising and business. Not only has the scandal — and Chen’s bizarre response to it — severely damaged that “street cred”, he has become a laughingstock to some and an object of scorn to others. On Internet discussion forums, there are some who applaud Chen for his sexual exploits but they are vastly outnumbered by posters who wonder what psychological inadequacy led Chen to record them with such fervour and those who make derisive comments about his genitalia. In addition, being sexually prolific does not carry the same cachet in the conservative HK market as it does in other markets.

Furthermore, Chen’s bizarre response to the scandal — from the blog post about his new film SNIPER to chastising the media for not “getting their facts straight” to the Bin Laden-like video statement from an undisclosed location to the long delay in directly addressing the public — has painted him as a coward in the eyes of most. One poster on a Chinese-language discussion board likened Chen’s response to a person reacting to 9/11 by refusing to acknowledge anything happened then ignoring the magnitude of the situation by complaining that it “ruined a sunny day”. Many have stated that a true “bad boy” would face the public like a “real man” and not act like a 縮頭烏龜 (”turtle hiding inside its shell”). Others question the “bad boy” image by wondering if a real “bad ass” would keep a stuffed animal on his bed or have a pink cotton-candy themed laptop computer.

Evidence of Chen’s falling status has emerged rapidly. The release of his Columbia Pictures/Star Overseas film, JUMP, has been pushed back to October 1st from May 1st. Reportedly, Columbia Pictures called for the delay because they wanted Chen excised from the film. Earlier this month, Chen’s ads for the Manhattan Titanium credit card were pulled. This past weekend, Sing Tao Daily reported that the cashless payment system, EPS, has dropped him from its roster of celebrity spokespersons — pulling all billboards and television spots that featured Chen. It appears then that investors and producers have seen the emphatically negative reaction to Chen and decided to disassociate themselves from him. If that is the case then it will be extremely difficult for Chen to re-establish himself in the entertainment circle.

On the positive side of the ledger, Chen is not without resources. He still has sympathetic media outlets willing to proclaim that his trip away from Hong Kong was a planned Lunar New Year holiday. They have also tried propping up Chen’s image by dropping reminders that Anthony Wong Chau-Sang is his “godfather” and Miriam Yeung Chin-Wah is his “godsister”. The release of THE DARK KNIGHT this summer may get him some favourable media coverage. Moreover, it is impossible to dismiss Chen entirely because he accomplished the remarkable feat of building a career in the Hong Kong market based on a hip-hop, bad boy image that would have been dismissed as laughable in the West (given the history of the East Coast-West Coast rivalry and the multiple murders and arrests that it spawned). He beat the odds once, it is possible that he might do it again. The odds, however, are even longer this time around and most gamblers would probably not make that bet.

IMAGE CREDITS: Reuters (Cecilia Cheung), Associated Press (Gillian Chung), Sil-Metropol Organization (Aaron Kwok), Edison Chen (Edison Chen)

Happy Lunar New Year! May health and happiness be yours in the year 4706.

As the Year of the Rat begins a new 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac, changes will abound because the prevailing cosmic energies will be focused on cleaning out the old and bringing in the new.

Granny Mak — a family friend who isn’t a fortune teller but “knows things” — predicts that the tides of change brought about by the Year of the Rat will cause much turbulence in both private lives and society in general.

So, with that in mind, everyone take care in the coming year. Consider spending the holiday transferring naughty material from your hard drive to data discs, deleting the files from your computer and marking your newly burned discs “Photos from visit to Colonial Williamsburg”.

When you’re done with that, please accept my Lunar New Year wish for all of you:

At an event Saturday at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Sandra Ng Kwun-Yu, Gordon Lam Ka-Tung, Jo Koo and Karena Lam Ka-Yan took turns announcing the nominees for the 27th Annual Hong Kong Film Awards. Derek Yee Tung-Sing’s film PROTEGE led the way with fifteen nominations. It was followed by thirteen nominations for Peter Chan Ho-Sun’s epic, THE WARLORDS. THE POSTMODERN LIFE OF MY AUNT, from director Ann Hui On-Wah, received nine nominations while two Milkyway films, EYE IN THE SKY and MAD DETECTIVE, each got eight nominations.

Lau Ching-Wan, the Best Actor winner last year for MY NAME IS FAME, will get a chance to defend his title as he was nominated for his work in MAD DETECTIVE. He will be going up against Jet Li (THE WARLORDS), Aaron Kwok Fu-Sing (THE DETECTIVE), Andy Lau Tak-Wah (THE WARLORDS) and Simon Yam Tat-Wah (EYE IN THE SKY). Asked to comment on his nomination, Lau said: “I hope I’m lucky again. What makes me happy, however, is that the master, Johnnie To Kei-Fung, and his student, Yau Nai-Hoi, were both nominated for awards.”

In the Best Actress category, Charlene Choi Cheuk-Yin of Twins will try to parlay her Golden Bauhinia win for SIMPLY ACTORS into a Hong Kong Film Award. Her competition will be Teresa Mo Shun-Kwun (MR. CINEMA), Siqin Gaowa (THE POSTMODERN LIFE OF MY AUNT), Zhang Jingchu (PROTEGE) and Rene Liu (KIDNAP). Commenting on her nomination, Choi declared: “I’m very happy. Making the film was a very rewarding experience because I learned many things. My competition is very strong so getting nominated with them already makes me feel like I’ve won.”

LUST CAUTION, the much-discussed box office sensation by Ang Lee, did not qualify as a Hong Kong film. As a result, it was relegated to a single nomination in the Best Asian Film category.

The awards will be presented on April 13th at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre.

NOMINATIONS LIST FOR THE 27TH ANNUAL HONG KONG FILM AWARDS: (reactions from some nominees follow)

BEST FILM

• THE WARLORDS
• PROTEGE
• THE POSTMODERN LIFE OF MY AUNT
• MAD DETECTIVE
• EYE IN THE SKY

BEST DIRECTOR

• Peter Chan Ho-Sun (THE WARLORDS)
• Derek Yee Tung-Sing (PROTEGE)
• Ann Hui On-Wah (THE POSTMODERN LIFE OF MY AUNT)
• Johnnie To Kei-Fung, Wai Ka-Fai (MAD DETECTIVE)
• Yau Nai-Hoi (EYE IN THE SKY)

BEST SCREENPLAY

• Xu Lan, Chun Tin-Nam, Aubrey Lam Oi-Wah, Huang Jianxin, Ho Kei-Ping, Kwok Jun-Lap, Jojo Hui Yuet-Chun, James Yuen Sai-Sun (THE WARLORDS)
• Derek Yee Tung-Sing, Chun Tin-Nam, Lung Man-Hung, Go Sun (PROTEGE)
• Li Qiang (THE POSTMODERN LIFE OF MY AUNT)
• Wai Ka-Fai, Au Kin-Yee (MAD DETECTIVE)
• Yau Nai-Hoi, Au Kin-Yee (EYE IN THE SKY)

BEST ACTOR

• Aaron Kwok Fu-Sing (THE DETECTIVE)
• Jet Li (THE WARLORDS)
• Andy Lau Tak-Wah (THE WARLORDS)
• Lau Ching-Wan (MAD DETECTIVE)
• Simon Yam Tat-Wah (EYE IN THE SKY)

BEST ACTRESS

• Teresa Mo Shun-Kwun (MR. CINEMA)
• Zhang Jingchu (PROTEGE)
• Siqin Gaowa (THE POSTMODERN LIFE OF MY AUNT)
• Rene Liu (KIDNAP)
• Charlene Choi Cheuk-Yin (SIMPLY ACTORS)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

• Nick Cheung Ka-Fai (EXODUS)
• Ronald Cheng Chung-Gei (MR. CINEMA)
• Louis Koo Tin-Lok (PROTEGE)
• Andy Lau Tak-Wah (PROTEGE)
• Chow Yun-Fat (THE POSTMODERN LIFE OF MY AUNT)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

• Karen Mok Man-Wai (MR. CINEMA)
• Anita Yuen Wing-Yi (PROTEGE)
• Vicki Zhao Wei (THE POSTMODERN LIFE OF MY AUNT)
• Susan Shaw aka Siu Yam-Yam (THE PYE-DOG)
• Maggie Shiu Mei-Kei (EYE IN THE SKY)

BEST NEW PERFORMER

• Linda Chung Ka-Yan (LOVE IS NOT ALL AROUND)
• Tsei Tsz-Tung (PROTEGE)
• Wen Jun-Hui (THE PYE-DOG)
• Wong Hau-Yan (THE BESIEGED CITY)
• Kate Tsui Tsz-Shan (EYE IN THE SKY)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

• Charlie Lam Chi-Kin (EXODUS)
• Arthur Wong Ngok-Tai (THE WARLORDS)
• Venus Keung Kwok-Man (PROTEGE)
• Kwan Pun-Leung, Yu Lik-Wai (THE POSTMODERN LIFE OF MY AUNT)
• Cheng Siu-Keung (MAD DETECTIVE)

BEST EDITING

• Oxide Pang Shun, Curran Pang Jing-Hei (THE DETECTIVE)
• Lee Tung-Chuen (THE WARLORDS)
• Kwong Chi-Leung (PROTEGE)
• Tina Baz (MAD DETECTIVE)
• David Richardson (EYE IN THE SKY)

BEST ART DIRECTION

• Anuson Pinyopotjanee (THE DETECTIVE)
• Alfred Yau Wai-Ming (BLOOD BROTHERS)
• Yee Chung-Man, Yi Zhengzhou, Pater Wong Ping-Yiu (THE WARLORDS)
• Yee Chung-Man, Kennerth Mak Kwok-Keung (PROTEGE)
• Yank Wong Yan-Kwai (THE BESIEGED CITY)

BEST COSTUME & MAKEUP DESIGN

• Surasak Warakitcharoen (THE DETECTIVE)
• Tim Yip Kam-Tim (BLOOD BROTHERS)
• Yee Chung-Man, Jessie Dai Mei-Ling, Lee Pik-Kwan (THE WARLORDS)
• Ma Yu-Tao (THE POSTMODERN LIFE OF MY AUNT)
• Stanley Cheung Sai-Kit (MAD DETECTIVE)

BEST ACTION CHOREOGRAPHY

• Kong Tao-Hoi (TWINS MISSION)
• Tony Ching Siu-Tung (THE WARLORDS)
• Lee Chung-Chi (INVISIBLE TARGET)
• Chin Ka-Lok (PROTEGE)
• Donnie Yen Chi-Tan (FLASH POINT)

BEST SOUND DESIGN

• Wachira Wongsaroj (THE DETECTIVE)
• Sunit Asvinikul, Nakorn Kositpaisal (THE WARLORDS)
• Kinson Tsang King-Cheung (PROTEGE)
• Steve Burgess, Sam Wong Lui (FLASH POINT)
• Tu Duu-Chih, Kuo Li-Chi (THE DRUMMER)

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

• Suchada Somasavachai (THE DETECTIVE)
• Ng Yuen-Fai (THE WARLORDS)
• Ho Siu-Lun, Chow Kin-Hung, Ching Han-Wong (PROTEGE)
• Raymond Man Siu-Lun (MAD DETECTIVE)
• Leung Wai-Kit, Don Ma Wing-On, Leung Yiu-Fung, Frankie Chung Chi-Hang (THE MAGIC GOURD)

BEST ORIGINAL FILM SCORE

• Payont Permsith, Jadet Chawang (THE DETECTIVE)
• Chan Kwong-Wing, Peter Kam Pui-Tat, Chatchai Pongprapaphan, Leon Ko Sai-Cheung (THE WARLORDS)
• Peter Kam Pui-Tat (PROTEGE)
• Joe Hisaishi (THE POSTMODERN LIFE OF MY AUNT)
• Andre Matthias (THE DRUMMER)

BEST ORIGINAL FILM SONG

• “Brothers” (from BROTHERS)
  • Composer: Eason Chan Yik-Shun
  • Lyrics by: Andy Lau Tak-Wah
  • Sung by: Andy Lau Tak-Wah and Eason Chan Yik-Shun

• 逼得太緊 (”Forced Too Close” from LOVE IS NOT ALL AROUND)
  • Composer: Dennie Wong Tan-Yi
  • Lyrics by: Lin Xi
  • Sung by: Kary Ng Yu-Fei
• 星光伴我心 (”Starlight Accompanies My Heart” from MR. CINEMA)
  • Composer: Peter Kam Pui-Tat
  • Lyrics by: Keith Chan Siu-Kei
  • Sung by: Ronald Cheng Chung-Gei
• “Happy Wanderer” (from MING MING)
  • Composer: Anthony Wong Yiu-Ming, Jason Choi Tak-Choi
  • Lyrics by: Lin Xi
  • Sung by: Anthony Wong Yiu-Ming, Zhou Xun
• 問天不應 (”No Reply From Heaven” from THE PYE-DOG)
  • Composer: George Lam Chi-Cheung
  • Lyrics by: Calvin Poon Yuen-Leung
  • Sung by: George Lam Chi-Cheung

BEST NEW DIRECTOR

• Derek Kwok Chi-Kin (THE PYE-DOG)
• Yau Nai-Hoi (EYE IN THE SKY)
• Adam Wong Sau-Ping (MAGIC BOY)

BEST ASIAN FILM

• SECRET
• THE SUN ALSO RISES
• LUST CAUTION
• TOKYO TOWER: MOM & ME AND SOMETIMES DAD
• GETTING HOME

REACTIONS:

- Anita Yuen Wing-Yi: “I never thought I’d be nominated but, if I win, it’ll be a nice addition to the Best Actress awards I’ve already won. Actually, I’m just happy for the opportunity to work with great directors like Peter Chan Ho-Sun and Derek Yee Tung-Sing. This just shows that it’s the quality of the work that’s important not the quantity.”

- Simon Yam Tat-Wah: “The competition is fierce every year but I have confidence.”

- Aaron Kwok: “I’m very happy. It’s a very nice Lunar New Year present. I consider getting nominated a victory.”

- Teresa Mo: “I’m happy every time I get nominated. I’m facing strong competition this year so I’ll go to the ceremony, try to be dispassionate, and hope that I’m the one getting the award from Lau Ching-Wan (last year’s Best Actor).”

- Nick Cheung: “I was nominated a few times for awards last year but kept losing to Gouw Ian Iskander (AFTER THIS OUR EXILE). He’s not nominated for anything this year so I think I’ve got a shot.”

- Andy Lau: “I’m grateful to be nominated but my thoughts are with the victims of the snow storms in China.”

- Peter Chan: “The most important thing is that I get to share the glory with all the nameless heroes in the cast and crew. I don’t think too much about winning. Getting nominated doesn’t mean you’ll win.”

- Johnnie To: “MAD DETECTIVE was my way of celebrating Milkyway’s tenth anniversary with Wai Ka-Fai so it’s very meaningful. It was also about taking our filmmaking into a new direction. As for Yau Nai-Hoi getting nominated, I’m also very happy. I told him to keep up the good work.”

Revised at 12:04 pm

Last week, the Hong Kong Film Critics Society released the winners list for its 14th annual awards. I was incredulous when I saw that it named THE POSTMODERN LIFE OF MY AUNT as the Best Film of 2007. I had an Allen Iverson-practice moment when I read the news. I mean, we’re sitting here and the award is supposed to go to the best film of the year and we’re talking about THE POSTMODERN LIFE OF MY AUNT? THE POSTMODERN LIFE OF MY AUNT? THE POSTMODERN LIFE OF MY AUNT? Not MAD DETECTIVE, not THE WARLORDS but THE POSTMODERN LIFE OF MY AUNT. We’re supposed to be talking about the best movie of the year produced by an industry that I follow passionately and approach every movie it makes like it’s going to be the best movie I’m ever going to see and we’re talking about THE POSTMODERN LIFE OF MY AUNT.

I reviewed the film last May and thought that there was no poignancy in its unyielding sadness. As a result, I was stunned when I found out it was named Best Film. In order to get an understanding of why the Hong Kong Film Critics Society (HKFCS) awarded the movie with the top prize, I decided to read the society’s official awards statement. At the very least, I hope to learn what the society members were on when they made their decision because I want to get me some of that.

On January 20th, the HKFCS gathered to determine its annual awards. After nine spirited hours of debate and three rounds of voting, the society named the winners of its 14th annual awards. In all, fifty-one films were considered but only nine or ten were serious candidates for awards. THE POSTMODERN LIFE OF MY AUNT emerged as the Best Film of 2007. It was nominated for voting consideration along with the following films:

THE WARLORDS
EYE IN THE SKY
MAD DETECTIVE
WHISPERS AND MOANS
TRIANGLE
HOOKED ON YOU

After the preliminary round of voting, only three films: THE POSTMODERN LIFE OF MY AUNT, THE WARLORDS and MAD DETECTIVE were considered for the final vote. THE POSTMODERN LIFE OF MY AUNT won.

Why? According to the HKFCS:

The POSTMODERN LIFE OF MY AUNT is unrestrained filmmaking from Ann Hui On-Wah that shows she is back at the top of her game. Bringing forth a fresh perspective from the haze of her older work, Hui uses Shanghai to reflect the current state of Hong Kong and the helplessness of life. She has made a richly-layered and touching film that reveals sorrow through humour and allows passion to seep through restraint. It moves from being wildly imaginative to being simple and unadorned. A masterful display of exquisite brushwork that deftly paints a portrait of the human spirit.

Obviously, the HKFCS saw the poignancy in Ye Rutang’s tragic fate that I failed to see. I still maintain that the film’s thematic nuances are too faint to be meaningful. If somebody out there “gets” the film, I’d appreciate it if you would let me know what I’m missing because all I see is a heavy-handed, blunt delivery of the “life sucks sometimes” theme and not a “masterful display of exquisite brushwork that deftly paints a portrait of the human spirit.”

FOR THE RECORD: The following is the list of candidates nominated for voting, the finalists and the winners in the Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actress and Best Actor categories:

	Best Director	Best Screenplay	Best Actress	Best Actor
Nominated For Voting	Ann Hui On-Wah THE POSTMODERN LIFE OF MY AUNT Peter Chan Ho-Sun THE WARLORDS Yau Nai-Hoi EYE IN THE SKY Johnnie To Kei-Fung, Wai Ka-Fai MAD DETECTIVE Law Wing-Cheong HOOKED ON YOU	Li Qiang THE POSTMODERN LIFE OF MY AUNT Wai Ka-Fai, Au Kin-Yee MAD DETECTIVE Fung Chi-Keung HOOKED ON YOU Yau Nai-Hoi, Au Kin-Yee EYE IN THE SKY Herman Yau Lai-To, Yang Yee-Shan WHISPERS AND MOANS Chun Tin-Nam, Aubrey Lam Oi-Wah, Xu Lan THE WARLORDS	Siqin Gaowa THE POSTMODERN LIFE OF MY AUNT Candace Yu On-On WHISPERS AND MOANS Kate Tsui Tsz-Shan EYE IN THE SKY Miriam Yeung Chin-Wah HOOKED ON YOU Teresa Mo Shun-Kwun MR. CINEMA Charlene Choi Cheuk-Yin SIMPLY ACTORS	Jet Li THE WARLORDS Lau Ching-Wan MAD DETECTIVE Chow Yun-Fat THE POSTMODERN LIFE OF MY AUNT Anthony Wong Chau-Sang MR. CINEMA Simon Yam Tat-Wah EYE IN THE SKY Tony Leung Ka-Fai EYE IN THE SKY
Final Vote	Ann Hui On-Wah THE POSTMODERN LIFE OF MY AUNT Peter Chan Ho-Sun THE WARLORDS Johnnie To Kei-Fung, Wai Ka-Fai MAD DETECTIVE	Chun Tin-Nam, Aubrey Lam Oi-Wah, Xu Lan THE WARLORDS Li Qiang THE POSTMODERN LIFE OF MY AUNT Wai Ka-Fai, Au Kin-Yee MAD DETECTIVE	Siqin Gaowa THE POSTMODERN LIFE OF MY AUNT	Jet Li THE WARLORDS Lau Ching-Wan MAD DETECTIVE Tony Leung Ka-Fai EYE IN THE SKY
Winner	Ann Hui On-Wah THE POSTMODERN LIFE OF MY AUNT	Wai Ka-Fai, Au Kin-Yee MAD DETECTIVE	Siqin Gaowa THE POSTMODERN LIFE OF MY AUNT	Tony Leung Ka-Fai EYE IN THE SKY

MISCELLANEOUS THOUGHTS:

- It was good to see that Kate Tsui Tsz-Shan was considered for Best Actress. For a while there, I was afraid I was impressed with her work only because my expectations were lowered by the negative chatter about her acting on the discussion forums.

- Also good to see Teresa Mo get consideration for her role in MR. CINEMA. Here’s hoping she gets a Hong Kong Film Award nomination as well.

- Speaking of MR. CINEMA, I’m surprised it wasn’t in consideration for Best Film. Granted, it’s not a weighty piece of work but I thought it was more insightful and a better piece of art than THE POSTMODERN LIFE OF AUNT.

- Wow, the HKFCS must have really, really liked THE POSTMODERN LIFE OF MY AUNT. Not only did it win Best Film but Siqin Gaowa won Best Actress uncontested in the final round of voting. Wow. I’m sorely tempted to reach out to the HKFCS to see if someone there can enlighten me on their love for the film.

- I have much respect and admiration for Chow Yun-Fat’s body of work over the years but I can’t believe the HKFCS thought his performance in THE POSTMODERN LIFE OF MY AUNT was one of the top five performances in 2007. As I said back in May, if it wasn’t the mighty Fat-Gor giving that performance on the screen, my eyes would be rolling at the exaggerated gestures and hammy expressions. Even if you accept the premise that the demeanour was a deliberate ploy by a conman out to scam a lonely woman, I don’t know if 5% of HK entertainment fans would categorize it as one of the year’s top five performances.

- I actually thought Simon Yam Tat-Wah did better work in EXODUS than he did in EYE IN THE SKY. Still, it’s nice to see that he’s getting some recognition. Since Lau Ching-Wan won a Hong Kong Film Award last year, I think Simon Yam Tat-Wah is the next unrecognized veteran who needs to get recognized with a HKFA. Let us all burn incense and offer fish and roasted suckling pigs to the Hong Kong Movie Gods in support of Simon Yam.

IMAGE CREDITS: Beijing Poly-bona Film Publishing Company (THE POSTMODERN LIFE OF AUNT poster, Chow Yun-Fat), Sil-Metropol Organization (Teresa Mo), Filmko Pictures (Simon Yam)