Cannes Watch? The "Return" of Gong Li & Zhang Yimou
Friday, March 21, 2014 at 11:48AM Speculating about what might be at Cannes is not something I do so as to prevent the envy but the reunion of director Zhang Yimou with his most beloved muse Gong Li is definitely something to consider. Together they made six international hits, four of them Oscar-nominated (Raise the Red Lantern, Ju Dou, Shanghai Triad, Curse of the Golden Flower), the first two are among the best Chinese films ever made.
Their seventh collaboration just released first stills and a nearly wordless teaser (embedded below).
The film is planning a May premiere at home so Cannes would make sense. The film is based on the novel "The Criminal Lu Yanshi" by Yan Geling about a long term prisoner (Chen Daoming) who, upon release, returns to his wife (Gong Li) who no longer recognizes him. The film also features Miss Chinese Toronto winner (2009) Candy Chang. There's a whole name for young actresses who break through within Zhang Yimou's filmography "Mou girls" (given the global fame of Gong Li and Zhang Ziyi) so she might be one to watch.
It sounds like the English movie title is yet to be determined, alternately listed as Coming Home, The Homecoming, or Return, depending on where you read about it. Here's the teaser...
Reader Comments (4)
Maybe it's just me, but The Criminal Lu Yanshi seems like a better title than any of the three alternates.
i cannot wait. i'm also putting a lot of pressure on this film to bring gong li her first oscar nomination. you know, just a make-up nomination for all the performances they already missed. oh, yeah, hopefully it's actually good as well...
Great teaser. I want to see more.
Gong Li should have gotten an oscar a Looooong time ago.
The ultimate "yimou girl" is Gong Li. NO ONE will replace her.