Asian Drama

Based on the hit romance novel, Sound of the Desert traces the fate of Xin Yue (Cecilia Liu), a young orphan who was adopted by the nomadic Xiongnu tribe. When political turmoil forces Xin Yue to flee, she finds herself in the company of two very different, but alluring men: Mo Xun (Hu Ge), a kind soul, and Wei Wu Ji (Eddie Peng), a cold general. As Xin Yue travels throughout a vast desert of possibilities, she must ask herself who she loves most in this delicate dance of love.

In his first hypnotic backward glance at Hong Kong in 1960, Wong Kar Wai creates a post-modern LA RONDE set in a fluorescent labyrinth of cool desperation and unfulfilled need. Against the echoing rhythms of period rumbas, Days of Being Wild tracks a half dozen characters through their individual searches for intimate connection. Collaborating for the first time with cinematographer Christopher Doyle, Wong Kar Wai's restless visual imagination decorates this dreamlike fable with characteristic muted extravagance. DAYS OF BEING WILD offers an intoxicating cocktail of lush nostalgia and bitter alienation equaled only by Wong Kar Wai's subsequent films. Star crossed Asian film icon Leslie Cheung plays Luddy, a devastatingly handsome Hong Kong lothario who seduces and forsakes women without compunction. Abandoned at birth, Luddy's self-destructive search for love is really a Quixotic quest for a feeling of permanence and a sense of identity. When Luddy beguiles lovely shop girl Su Lizen, he unknowingly sets in motion a sequence of broken hearts and unremembered promises that climaxes in naked obsession, inadvertent self-discovery and shocking violence. In possibly her most seminal performance, Maggie Cheung invests Su Lizen with ethereal beauty and street level vulnerability. With a supporting cast of Hong Kong cinema notables, including Andy Lau as Su's policeman confessor, and frequent Wong collaborator Tony Leung, Days of Being Wild's visionary audacity and deep romantic conviction sustains and rewards multiple viewings. -- Kino films

Set some time after the original 'Heroic Trio' the city has been devastated by nuclear attack. An evil deformed villain controls the city's scarce water supply, exerting influence over both a popular leader and a militarist colonel. The trio of Chat the Thief catcher, Ching and Wonder Woman (along with her young daughter) have to avert a military takeover and find clean headwaters to save the city.

The all-female Heroic Trio are Tung (Wonder Woman), Chat (Thief Catcher), a mercenary, and Ching (Invisible Woman). Initially, they're on opposing sides - the invisible Ching is kidnapping newborn male babies for her evil master, Tung is trying to solve the crime (rather more effectively than her policeman husband, who is unaware of her secret identity), and Chat, who was formerly employed by Ching's evil master, is trying to sell her services and inside knowledge to the police. But all three have something in common buried deep in their past...

Yuen Ta Hwa is a promising policeman transferred from Lantau Island to HK. He gets along well with his new boss Uncle Yi and muddling colleagues, but there is something that’s poisoning his life, and this something is Cheung Yeung, capable but arrogant officer with whom Hwa develops hate at first sight.

A spirited comedy that pokes fun at old-style Cantonese filmmaking and Wong Kar-Wai's 1990s art-house hits, but ever so gently. Dayo Wong plays a WK-W like director who is sent back 30 years and forced to make a movie under the conditions of the time. The film contains many refernces for film buffs, from Kwan Tak-Hing's cheesy "Wong Fei-Hung" series to the hilarious antics of "La Rose Noire". Review by Paul Thompson: You'll probably laugh, but you might not have gotten the object of satire by reading the subtitles, which is why I have provided this summary. I'm pretty sure Wong Jing was involved in this -- in fact one of the characters is Wong Jing as a young man. If you are a die hard Wong Kar Wai fan, you will laugh when you watch this film. "Those Were the days" speculates on what would happen if a hot international art house director (a.k.a. WKW) were transported back in time to the 1960s Hong Kong film industry. Highlights include: WKW meets Wong Jing as a child and profoundly influences career; WKW attempts to make his kind of films with the resources, talent, and expectations of 1960s HK filmmakers, and a lot of other Hong Kong /Wong Jing style zaniness.

Wong Jing produces and Cheung Kon-man directs this wacky cop comedy about mismatched partners Fish and Ball (Ng Man-tat and Aaron Kwok Fu-shing, respectively). While occupied with tracking down the thug who cut off Fish's hand, the two are assigned to go undercover and protect Jessy (Deric Wan Siu-lun), the scion of a wealthy businessman under threat from the mob. While posing as Jessy, Ball falls for the lad's beautiful though high-strung girlfriend Jacky (Maggie Cheung Man-yuk) while at the same time trying not to discourage the advances of his ex-ladyfriend Shun (Chingmy Yau Suk-ching).

Fei is a simple fisherman, who still possesses great sword-fighting prowess. He ends up foiling an assassination attempt against 13th Prince and helping him in an attempt to regain the throne from his evil brother. Yuet and Hsien appear as the prince's wife-to-be and aide, while adding their talents to the film's numerous swordplay sequences. The film ending was also a tragic situation.

The drama is a fictionalized account of a true love story between an older woman and a younger man in 1950s China. Starring Maggie Cheung Ho-yee as Koo Sun-yuet and Moses Chan as Miu Tin. Yuet, the wife of a wealthy businessman, falls in love with Tin, a man ten years her junior. The two elope to the countryside and lives modestly for the remainder of their lives. Before Tin dies, he handcarves a long stair path on the mountain so Yuet can travel down with ease. Moses Chan plays Miu Tin, catches a glimpse of Koo Sun-yuet (Maggie Cheung) on her wedding day and falls in love. Sun-yuet marries Ho Sei Cheng (Cheung Kwok Keung 張國強), the rich owner of an herbal shop. It was not before long that Sun-yuet discovers that Sei Cheng's having an affair with his helper, Oi Tai (Aimee Chan). Shortly after, Sei Cheng passes away and Sun Yuet decides to look after Oi Tai when she discovers that Oi Tai is pregnant with her husband’s child. All this time, Miu Tin is working in the herbal shop secretly staying beside her. When Sei Cheng’s family battles with Sun-yuet on the rights to the herbal shop. It is during this volatile time, that he confesses his love. And convinces Sun-yuet to elope with him. Miu then uses the next 50 years to handcarve a staircase for his beloved wife so she could get down the mountain more easily.

The reunion of two sisters and the quarrels between them are used to examine the changing relationship between China and Hong Kong in the past 30 years. The blood relationship can not be denied. As China becomes more powerful, the drama questions how do Hong Kongers position themselves? Would you still want to be a Hong Konger in the next life? Can the current social conflicts be solved with money? With theemerging integration of China and Hong Kong, what core values can Hong Kong people still defend?

Despite bearing Wong Jing's name, this fluffy comedy is pretty good for wacky Hong Kong fare. Richard Ng is the lonely widower father who schemes with son Jimmy Lin to get his three daughters married. He pretends to have testicle cancer, so the three daughters all try to bring home boyfriends (albeit fake ones) to placate their “dying” father. Brigitte Lin is a tough HK cop (named Ching Siu-Tung, get it?) who brings home the King of Gigolo Karaoke Tony Leung Ka-Fai. Social worker Maggie Cheung brings home wacky triad guy Jackie Cheung. And youngest sister Chingmy Yau brings home a twenty-seven year-old virgin (Dior Cheng) who she roped in by pretending to be a poor hooker. Yeah, that sounds about right. As is usual with Wong Jing, there are lots of gags, movie parodies, goofy acting, and general silliness, but it isn't oppressive like in his other movies. Maggie Cheung is winning and weird as "nice" sister Nam, and Tony Leung Ka-Fai is hilarious in another of his terrific comedy performances. Sandra Ng appears in a cameo and gets to beat up Jimmy Lin, which is always a welcome sight. This is a surprisingly funny wackfest despite many Hong Kong-specific jokes that would only confuse the rest of us. (review from lovehkfilm.com)

Jin Yu was raised with the people of Xiongnu, although her foster father is a Han. Due to political change within the Xiongnu, she was forced to flee to Chang'an, the then capital of the early Han Dynasty, changing her name to Xing Yue along the way. During her journey, she first meets the calm and kind Mo Xun, and later the handsome yet outwardly cold general Wei Wu Ji. Xing Yue falls for one, but was rejected. Will she untangle her love knot? Who will she choose in the end?

The Conqueror's Story is a retelling of how Liu Bang influenced from being a commoner to becoming the first Emperor, Emperor Gao, of the Han Dynasty.

In this film, set in ancient times in China, Leslie Cheung plays an agent, Ouyang Feng, hiring famous bounty hunters. His character is portrayed as a fallen swordsman driven by greed and heartless to both friend and foe. He was perpetually being spiteful of love as his own love history was not nearly so beautiful. His bounty-hunters came and went as was narrated by Ouyang Feng himself as based on the Tung Shu predictions. In essence, he was a loner with little love, but the bounty hunters that worked for Ouyang Feng, like Blind Swordsman and another of his best fighters, Hong Qigong, discovered the intangible secret of true love while Ouyang retained his attitude towards his fighters and the precious lessons that they have taught. However, the thread that runs through the entire narrative has clearly the spirit of refusal in the sense that one should reject another before he gets to be rejected in the future. To illustrate, nearly every character in this story has resorted to being selfish and malignant in order to prevent being rejected by others, be it in love or in comradeship as their individual hardships have moulded their attitude turning them into heartless and cold individuals in order to survive in the uncompromising desert where the story is set. It has many moral implications but is less evident since the main character is Ouyang himself and most of the narration would unquestionably be centred on him. 

A man looking for the release of a long-time prisoner takes a police officer, his daughter, and a group of strangers hostage.

To escape her cruel stepmother, Lu Zhen enters the palace as an attendant. She was quickly promoted through the ranks for her pottery-making skill. During this time, she captures the heart of crown prince Gao Zhan. However, she can never be with him as social status and jealous enemies work against her at every turn. She devotes herself to politics and helps Gao Zhan defeat a coup d'etat. Though Gao Zhan can not make her his wife, he bestows her with the highest position in the land, the female prime minister.

A romantic comedy about the Ling Wu family who have a tradition of matchmaking since the Jin Dynasty. Appointed as the Official Matchmakers during the Tang Dynasty, a son to carry on the family tradition becomes even more important. The head of the family is very ill during the birth of his child -- hoping that the Old Master will get better, his first wife informs him that he finally has a "son" by his second wife to take over the family business. But he dies right after naming his "son", Ling Wu Hei. Only the first wife and one servant know that Ling Wu Hei is not a son, but another daughter. Even her real mother does not know. Ling Wu Hei grows up to be educated in the Classics, skilled in the martial arts and as the honorable head of the family and the Official Matchmaker, judges disputes among matchmakers and their clients.

Things become interesting when the Lin family has an open competition with a large reward for a suitable son-in-law. This attracts both the honest and not so honest matchmakers. Go Fei, a skilled former military official, appears, searching for his ideal bride, the young woman named "Xin" who rescued him. Ling Wu Hei also has her own problems with her lazy brothers-in-law who are working in the family business. Golden Fan struggles to get the best of Chuen Ka Fuk, a rogue and a genius at marketing, who seems to be going after her own matchmaking clients. Couples are matched up, problems arise ... will Ling Wu Hei's secret be uncovered? What will happen to her position? Will Go Fei find his love? What is Chuen Ka Fuk's secret? Will Golden Fan resolve her dispute with Chuen Ka Fuk?

The path through life is twisted and uneven, no one has never not fallen. It's no exception for those who fight fires and save lives.

After fire fighter, Kei Tak Tin (Wong Hei)'s wife dies, his attitude to work begins to fade away. Can he let time pass so easily when he is on his most important mission? Experienced commander Tong Ming (Alex Fong Chung Sun) has been in many fires. Why can he have so much trouble dealing with his crew when he is in charge? Choi Nam Fung (Stephen Au) is left by his girlfriend because he has no future in his job. After changing to become a firefighter, his new girlfriend is worried about his safety. Will he give up on his dream job for his girlfriend? Chung Yan Yee (Maggie Cheung Ho Yee) is part of the lifesaver team. She may be strong and cool on the outside but she hides a past that she cannot reveal. Will living with a nightmare history affect her future career? Kong Yat Ngor (Yoyo Mung) is Ming's wife who depends on him a lot and brings him even more pressure. She leaves after her relationship with him falls apart. After the tears, can she compose herself again? Yip Heung Yeung (Annie Man) is in love with a martial arts instructor how is also Fung's trainer. After her boyfriend dies, Fung becomes her counsellor, but can this master and disciple overcome their reservations and be together?

Remember, life is precious so stand up with more strength after you fall.

N/A

1997 Drama, Hong Kong's take on "The X Files".

The protagonist, Yang Guo, is the orphaned son of Yang Kang, the antagonist in The Legend of the Condor Heroes. The couple Guo Jing and Huang Rong raises Yang Guo briefly before he is sent to the Quanzhen Sect for better guidance in moral values and orthodox martial arts. In Quanzhen, Yang Guo is often picked on and bullied by his fellow students, and even his master, Zhao Zhijing, is biased against him. Yang Guo flees and ventures unknowingly into the nearby Tomb of the Living Dead, where the Ancient Tomb Sect is housed. He is saved by Xiaolongnü, a mysterious maiden of unknown origin, and becomes her apprentice. They live together in the tomb for many years until Yang Guo grows up. After being attacked by Li Mochou, they leave the tomb and stay on the mountain. Xiaolongnü develops romantic feelings for Yang Guo and after a while, he falls in love with her.

However, their romance is forbidden by doctrines of the Confucianism society of that time. Throughout the story, their love meets with several tests, such as the misunderstandings that threaten to tear them apart and the encounter with Gongsun Zhi. Finally, after their reunion and marriage, Xiaolongnü leaves Yang Guo again, owing to her belief she cannot recover from a fatal poison, and promises to meet him again 16 years later. While Yang Guo is wandering the jianghu alone, he meets several formidable martial artists and a giant condor. His adventures gradually mould him into a courageous martial artist, whose prowess matches the Greats of his age. Yang Guo serves his nation by helping the Han Chinese citizens of the Song Dynasty defeat the Mongol invaders. At the end of the novel, he is reunited with Xiaolongnü and they are recognized as heroes of their time.