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Guh. This is the teaser trailer for Wong Kar-Wai's new film The Grand Masters starring Tony Leung. It kind of looks like the most beautifully shot martial arts epic but I think it's actually supposed to be the most beautifully shot biopic of the martial arts expert who taught Bruce Lee, Ip Man.

The only way I could have been more excited is if Tony Leung was wearing a suit and if Maggie Cheung was co-starring.

Current Mood: giddy

Some exciting news. Wong Kar-wai's latest film, his first ENGLISH language film My Blueberry Nights opened at Cannes this year.

My Blueberry Nights" is a romantic road film, with a young woman making a soul-searching trip across America and encountering a series of charming and bizarre characters. Norah Jones stars in her first motion picture, which is chock-full of today's A-list of good-looking actors and actresses, including Jude Law, Rachel Weisz, Natalie Portman, David Strathairn, and Tim Roth.

Some clips here.

Two reviewers who 'get' Wong Kar-wai (because he really isn't for everyone) are here and here.

Gah! I so want to see this but it is nowhere on the internets. Sadly, Wong Kar-Wai isn't working with Christopher Doyle anymore (how much do I love Christopher Doyle? So much). Instead his cinematographer is Darius Khondji, whose work I really loved in Se7en so that helps.

( Some gorgeous pics )

Wong Kar-Wai's next film will be The Lady from Shanghai which I'm guessing will also be in English because of the cast (Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, Rachel Weisz). Still, I live in hope that Tony Leung, Faye Wong, Takeshi Kaneshiro and Maggie Cheung will show up too.

(Though Maggie Cheung has pretty much retired from acting now. Apparently, she wants to focus on her painting and composing music. Good for her, tragic for us.)

Current Mood: excited

A couple of weeks ago I rented In the mood for love and 2046 as it has been ages since I've seen the former and I hadn't yet seen the latter. Most people seem to prefer 2046 to ITMFL but not me. Sure 2046 has the more original and complex story and greater artistic vision but Tony Leung's character is much less like-able. ITMFL is simpler in terms of narrative but that allows for all those heartbreaking scenes between Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung. Sure you know their love is doomed but it is beautiful to watch.

Anyway, I went a bit overboard with the icons.

38 icons from In the mood for love.