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Babes in the city
Put pouty Shu Qi, perky Vicki Zhao Wei and punchy Karen Mok together in an
action movie and what do you get? An explosive mix of slick moves and
feminine wiles
By Teo Pau Lin, 29 Oct 2001
IN HONG KONG
THREE nubile nymphets who can kick butt as well as curl on mascara. Who
can be blamed for thinking that Virtual Twilight is Hongkong's answer to
Charlie's Angels? But veteran action director Corey Yuen is indignant.
'I wanted to make this movie two years ago, way before Charlie's Angels
was even out in Hollywood,' says the Hongkonger whose claim to fame was
directing Jet Li in The Legend Of Fong Sai Yuk and Michelle Yeoh in Yes,
Madam. 'I just thought it would be fun to make an action movie with
girls.'
And he has put together an inspired piece of casting. Just wrapped in
Hongkong this month, the movie is scheduled for release here next July.
It puts together box-office-boosting starlets whose nationalities seem
strategically chosen - Vicki Zhao Wei from China, Karen Mok from Hongkong,
and Shu Qi from Taiwan.
Together with a supporting role by Korean TV hunk Song Seoung Heon (Autumn
In My Heart, now airing on Channel U), the movie's international release
by Columbia Pictures Film Production Asia, looks ready for a giant harvest
of cinema-goers across the Asian region.
Virtual Twilight tells the tale of two sisters, played by Zhao, 24, and
Shu, 25, who become locked in a battle with a computer mogul.
Mok, 31, plays a smart police officer who gets drawn into the tussle.
Song, 26, plays a love interest to Shu. Again, Yuen waves away suggestions
that the convergence of the four famous nationalities was anything more
than mere
'coincidence'.
'We created the story first. Then realised that Shu Qi would make a good
older sister. Zhao Wei is very playful, and fits the role of the younger
sister. And Karen, her image is suitable for playing strong, straight
characters,' said Yuen, 50, at the movie's pre-release press conference at
Hongkong's Peninsula Hotel last month.
His Angels and their purported Hollywood inspiration, he stresses, are
like 'two different worlds'. He describes: 'We don't have all those planes
and bombs. We focus more on drama and story development. And our action
scenes are more real.'
So real indeed that his martial arts scenes have left his three stars
whining about their long shooting hours and harsh regimens.
Life! catches up with them to find out about bruises and other female
annoyances.
It's sexy when girls do guy stuff
KAREN MOK
WOLFING down a club sandwich and deftly spewing answers (in English,
Mandarin and Cantonese) through bits of ham, Karen Mok is a busy woman
these days.
The graduate of Italian Literature from the University of London has been
juggling a career in film and singing.
Her famously-tight bottom is the highlight of any publicity event. Her
waist-length hair hangs down like the ears of a basset hound and her
fat-free body-of-a-15-year-old is sheathed in a red slip dress.
She is matter-of-fact, straight to the point, and not quite willing to
suffer fools gladly.
We heard you cried once during filming.
Yeah, I got hit really bad with a sword. I couldn't dodge it and it hit my
head, it was really painful. I didn't bawl or anything, just couldn't stop
the tears from coming.
The three of you trained for
about a month in martial arts. So what are you good at?
The best stunt I did was something Michelle Yeoh did before. I was sitting
on a banister, which had glass beneath it. I did a backflip and went
through the glass with my head and my hands. That was really cool! I was
really impressed with myself.
What about rumours that there was a lot of competition between you
girls on the set?
If there were any, it's all concocted by the media. You don't just get
rumours when girls act opposite each other. You get that with guy actors,
too. We actually share a lot of things in common. We've acted with the
same people before, we have the same friends. There's lots to talk about.
What are your long-term plans for your career?
I don't really have long-term plans (laughs). Of course, I have to get
back to my music after this movie. Hopefully I can do a series of concerts
maybe next year or the year after.
You were really good at school. Any plans to return to academia?
No! (laughs) I've had enough of school. No more, thank you.
Why not?
Well, you do different things at different stages in your life. When I was
a student, I did my best at it. Now, I've moved on and I'm doing something
else which I totally enjoy. I think I'll still be doing this for quite
some time. Hopefully.
You're quite fully-clothed in this role. A departure from your sexy
image, no?
You don't have to wear very little to look sexy. To me, it's naturally
quite sexy when girls do things which are very masculine.
What about your long hair?
You've had it for quite some time now.
Yeah, I really want to cut my hair but I can't touch it for the time being
because I have to finish the movie, and I have a contract with a shampoo
commercial. I have to wait till that's over before I can do something
totally outrageous. I tend to go from extreme to extreme.
How would you cut it?
Really short.
I want to be a baddie
VICKI ZHAO WEI
 Screen darling Vicki Zhao's sweetie-pie looks and saucer-size eyes are a handicap -- to her playing villains. Aw, poor thing. |
CHINA'S screen darling is just
that in real life. With big eyes that seem to overshadow everything else
on her pint-sized body, she is as lively and endearing as Xiao Yanzi, the
onscreen character which shot her to regional fame in TV period serial My
Fair Princess. With three albums to her name, her watery vocals have
managed to make only a
small dent in the Mandopop industry.
But more successfully, she has transplanted her comedic talents to the big
screen, especially with her role as an acne-stricken dough-maker in
Stephen Chow's regional hit, Shaolin Soccer.
Which move are you good at in the movie?
Mine's the sword. Karen and Shu Qi took the other moves so there's only
the sword left for me!
Along with Shaolin Soccer, you seem to be taking on a lot of action
films.
Yes, right now I think Chinese movies can only conquer the world with
fighting movies. But I hope one day I don't have to fight. It'd be so much
easier. I also don't want to do any more goodie roles. I've done too many
already. I'm feeling quite fan (perplexed), I want to be a baddie.
If anything, you succeeded in playing ugly in Shaolin Soccer.
Yes, audience reaction to that has been very good! I'm glad they think I'm
adorable even when I'm ugly.
If you had one wish right now, what would it be?
I want to have a child immediately. Don't have to go through labour, just
toot! I have a baby!
Seeing how tiring filming has been, wouldn't you prefer something more
urgent, like sleep?
There are lots of opportunities to sleep. But if I have a child, I'd
always have a companion. That'll make me happy.
You would need a man first though.
Yes, I would get married first. But right now, I'm just irresponsible. I
just want a kid.
Do you miss living in Beijing?
Yes, very much. I want to go home. I miss just walking about. In Beijing,
people do recognise you but they leave you alone. In Hongkong, stars
really look like stars. Their clothes, hair, shoes - everything has to be
different from normal people. You can't have a private life. But in China,
stars are like normal people. They have private lives. It's very
comfortable there.
Mainland reporters are easier on stars then?
Yes. Once they finish work, they really don't work. If they're on holiday,
even when you ask them to cover an event, they won't.
Speaking of which, we have
to catch a plane back to Singapore in two hours.
Oh, then you'd better hurry. Just feel free to write whatever you want. As
long as it's positive. Leave first, really, it's okay. I'm even more tired
than you!
Excerpted from
The Straits Times
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