Lost in Beijing (Ping guo) is a 2007 film directed by Yu Li about two financially opposite couples entwined in a greedy and selfish dispute over a yet-to-be-born child.
The film has been steeped in controversy due to the realistic tone and with its roots in a censor-heavy China.
Trouble started even before its premiere with Chinese censors demanding multiple cuts of the sex and gambling portrayed as well as scenes in slum-like settings. And despite the film acquiring international distribution, it still had problems being released in its own country. Read more…
I guess I saw Koyuki for the 1st of many times in The Last Samurai (2003). She had a key-role in the film as Taka, the widow of a warrior slain by Captain Nathan Algren (Tom Cruise). In her role she spoke only Japanese, but it was her ethereal beauty, and her soulful eyes that captured my attention.
I’ve since watched this film again and again. The reality is that Koyuki was so mesmerizing, that I’ve wanted to see her in other roles. I’ve been fortunate in that I’ve been able to see Koyuki in a good number of Television drama series. Read more…
Lust, Caution (Se, jie) is a 2007 film directed by Ang Lee based off a story by Eileen Chang. The setting is 1930-40s China during the Second Sino-Japanese War.
It stars Wei Tang as the foolhardy young student Wong Chia Chi who poses undercover as Mak Tai Tai in a resistance effort to assassinate Mr. Yee (Tony Leung Chiu Wai), a high-ranking official of the Wang Jinwei Regime. Read more…
Source: Sanspo.com
Translated by migimaru from Tokyograph
“A press conference was held on Monday for actor Goro Kishitani’s first directed movie “Killer Virgin Road,” at a wedding spot in Tokyo. Actress Juri Ueno (23), Yoshino Kimura (33), and Kishitani attended, and a bouquet toss was performed with 50 brides. Ueno, who appeared in a wedding dress, spoke of her girlish feelings. “I want to get married once in my life. But if I decide an age to get married at, and I can’t get married then, I’ll be contradicting myself. So I’ll just say by around the age of 80.”
Read more…
Source: Sanspo.com & Tokyograph.com
“It was announced on Tuesday that Aya Ueto (23) will be the lead voice actress in the Japanese dub of the computer-animated “Astro Boy” movie that opens later this year.
In addition to Ueto providing the voice for Astro Boy, it was revealed that Koji Yakusho (53) will be voicing Dr. Tenma. In the English version, those two characters are played by Freddie Highmore and Nicolas Cage, respectively.
Produced by Imagi Animation Studios, “Astro Boy” opens on October 10 in Japan and on October 23 in the United States.”
