As the deadline for Oscar applications approaches, it is finally
clear that the three Chinese blockbusters Lust, Caution,
Warlords, and The Sun Also Rises will all bid for
the upcoming race for a Best Foreign Film golden statuette.
Fresh Golden Lion winner Lust, Caution, as critics
comment, perhaps weighs more as a result of Ang Lee's directorial
talent than for Tony Leung and Tang Wei's acting. It is possible
that Ang Lee will also pick up a second win for Best Foreign Film
or Best Director.
Hong Kong director Peter Chan's ancient Kung Fu epic The
Warlords, starring Andy Lau and Jet Li, is now under final
production and will be screened for seven days at the end of
September, to meet the Oscar requirements. Venice Film Festival
president Marco Muller spoke highly of the film after watching its
6-minute trailer during the festival.
Mainland director Jiang Wen's third directorial work also boasts
a stellar cast, including Joan Chen, Anthony Wong and Jaycee Chan.
Despite receiving no awards in Venice, promotion for the film has
never ceased, and it will be in Chinese theaters this Friday.
Among their Asian competitors, one of the most noteworthy is
South Korea's Milyang, or Secret Sunshine. The
Korean Film Council announced on Tuesday that the romance beat
May 18 and Breath to join the selection. Actress
Jeon Do-yeon won the best actress award at the Cannes Film Festival
this May, for her role in the film.
This year, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will
investigate a new method of choosing nominees for best foreign
language film. A shortlist of films from nine countries will be
chosen by a Los Angeles-based screening committee that has
traditionally viewed the approximately-60 submissions. That
shortlist will then be screened by a second committee for a final
nominee list.
(CRI.cn September 12, 2007)