[2010.11.10] TANG WEI'S WU XIA IS LOGICAL

courtesy of takungpao.com

The Peter Chan Ho Sun directed, Donnie Yen Chi Tan, Takeshi Kaneshiro (Gum Sing Mo) and Tang Wei starred 2011 summer film WU XIA triggered a North America, Europe and global film company bidding war with its appearance at the American Film Market. Peter pointed out that the film was absolutely different from the traditional wuxia films, redefines "wuxia film" with scientific ideas and added all new elements in the film: scientific basis, physics and mechanics. All the martial art and kung fu in the film had basis, logically and not made out of fantasy.

The film is about wandering hero Liu Jixi (Yen Chi Tan) who hid his identity and lived in a remote village with his wife Yu (Tang Wei) and a pair of sons but was swept into a murder mystery. "Martial art fanatic" constable Xu Baju (Gum Sing Mo) during the investigation sniffed out the extraordinary ability of Liu Jinxi, but his curiosity forced the life and death duel between Liu Jinxi and the cult leader (Jimmy Wang Yu). Peter pointed out that Chi Tan has always played a hero, but every character had his weakness. Thus he always wanted to know whether Chi Tan was afraid or scared. In the film he discovered that even Chi Tan had times when he was afraid and actually Chi Tan was human too. Peter said that he has never worked with an actor for more than two films because he wanted to be able to shoot actors of different feeling. Gum Sing Mo was the exception because he was willing to let Peter help him "topple" Gum Sing Mo. Playing a mother for the first time on screen, Tang Wei according to Peter did not have many scenes but was less artificial and had more soul. He said, "During the shoot she was like a blank slate, but at the wrap she had the flavor of a Chinese scenery painting."