MEDIA ASIA’S EVENT FILM CONFESSION OF PAIN

Presented by Hong Kong’s Media Asia Films, Japan’s Avex and Beijing’s Polybona Films, Confession of Pain is heralded as Asia’s event movie of 2006. Armed with a production budget of US$10m, the award-winning directing duo of the Infernal Affairs trilogy, Andrew Lau and Alan Mak, plus a steamy and stellar cast with Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Takeshi Kaneshiro, Shu Qu, Xu Jinglei and Chapman To, Confession of Pain is destined to be a cinematic behemoth.

The film was unveiled yesterday with the Asian press conference. The chief executives from the film companies, directors Lau and Mak with scriptwriter Felix Chong, and the star-studded cast all graced the scene in front of hundreds of the press across Asia. The two male leads, Tony Leung and Takeshi Kaneshiro, were both seen in stylish leather coats, while actress Shu Qi wowed the crowd with a sexy low-cut dress, and Xu Jinglei in an equally stunning gown.

In Confession of Pain, Leung plays a seasoned detective named Hei, while Kaneshiro is his former partner turned private investigator Bong, who is street-smart and alcoholic. The two friends team up in a gruesome murder case that gradually digs out the skeletons in their closets. Bong loses his joie de vivre but later entangled with the happy-go-lucky Feng (Shu Qi), while Hei is spinning a dangerous web unbeknownst to his newly wedded wife Susan (Xu Jinglei). Every step of their journey takes them closer and closer to one another, until a shocking denouement in which no stone is left unturned and no one can escape unscathed.

When discussing his character, Tony Leung stated that he would shed his melancholy screen persona this time. “My character may appear to be a villain, but he has an intriguing background story!” Rumor had it that the actor complained to director Andrew Lau over his screen time against co-star Kaneshiro, Tony Leung laughed and said mutual agreement had been reached in pre-production, and he had been personally closed to the director, so there would not be any argument. “It’s always comfortable to be in an Andrew Lau film,” said Leung.

Confession of Pain also reunites Leung and Kaneshiro on screen 12 years after Wong Kar-wai’s Chungking Express. Leung was elated to work with his co-star again, as he found Kaneshiro to be an extremely charismatic and seasoned actor, yet there wasn’t any appropriate project for them till now.

Kaneshiro was also eager to collaborate with Tony Leung, as they were never in the same scene during Chungking Express. He mused at the coincidence that he also played a cop in the Wong Kar-wai film and Andrew Lau was one of the cinematographers. So this time was both a familiar and refreshing experience to him. A reporter commented on the actor’s volatility when choosing projects, Kaneshiro simply smiled and said, “my principle is always to look for a great script, great co-actors and director. And I’ve found them all in Confession of Pain.”

As for Shu Qi, she confessed that she had no idea how to play her character at the beginning, except that it required her to be idyllic. When being asked if there would be any intimate scene with Kaneshiro, the actress indeed revealed her idyllic nature. “I’m really looking forward to that as well. I’ve already bribed the directors to arrange a passionate scene for us.” “Takeshi also did the same!” Andrew Lau jokingly replied. Kaneshiro didn’t understand it at first, but he laughed heartily upon hearing from his interpreter.

From the phenomenal Infernal Affairs trilogy to the manga-adapted Initial D, the multiple award-winning trio – formed by directors Andrew Lau and Alan Mak, with scriptwriter Felix Chong – has proved time and again of their cinematic aesthetics and commercial judgment. With crème de la crème from every production aspect, Confession of Pain will undoubtedly take the Asian theatres by storm.

GV Multiplex offers Soccer Fans Midnight Movie Treats For Just $2

In conjunction with the live screening of FIFA
World Cup 2006 Quarterfinal and Final matches at the Open Atrium at Plaza
Singapura, Golden Village Multiplex will show one movie before each live
screening matches starting 5 July, 2006.

Venue: GV Plaza Singapura, Cinema 4

Date: 5 July 2006, Wednesday
Movie: GOAL! at 12.00 a.m.
Match starts: 3.00 a.m.

Date: 6 July 2006, Thursday
Movie: Zoolander at 12.30 a.m.
Match starts: 3.00 a.m.

Date: 9 July 2006, Sunday
Movie: Bend it like Beckham at 12.00 a.m.
Match starts: 3.00 a.m.

Date: 10 July 2006, Monday
Movie: Slither at around 11.00 p.m.
Match starts: 2.00 a.m.

Tickets for the above screenings are priced at only $2 each. One can also
enjoy free flow of 20oz coke and 50oz popcorn for just $4 during these
screenings. 

A Confession of Pain! Ouch!

The Infernal Affairs’ directors Andrew Lau and Alan Mak, and the scriptwriter Felix Chong, team up again for the new thriller movie Confession Of Pain, and it started the shooting secretly a day before. Confession Of Pain is one of the greatest budget film of Media Asia in 2006, and it is confirmed a principal photography’s regional press conference will be held in Hong Kong on July 10. Tony Leung Chiu-wai and Takeshi Kaneshiro will be the main cast in this film, which attracts so much attention in public from the very beginning. On the other hand, the leading actress in the film is not yet confirmed, and Director Lau admitted the actress will not be Sammi Cheng for sure.

On the first day of the shooting, a rumour was spreading and saying that Tony Leung was not satisfied with his role which seems to be the second leading role in the film, which leads to the discord between him and Director Lau. Lau said he did read this news and found it funny. Lau has been friend of Tony Leung for so many years and this is not their first time to work together. They knew each others well and surely no discord happened between them. As well, he keeps on communicating with the cast since the film was in development stage, and so he guessed the rumour turned up because the press could not get the interview chance with Leung.

Media Asia’s CEO, John Chong, was also surprised by such rumour. Chong said the script had been finalized for sometimes and Leung was not his first time to read the script on the first shooting day. Leung also considered for quite a long time to the role in the film, and it is impossible to change the role during shootings. Chong smiled, “I believe it’s the news for press to entertain the public.”

On the other hand, no actress turned up on the first day of shooting. Director Lau kept it in confidential and he could only tell that Sammi Cheng will not involve in this project.

It is believed that the leading actress will be turned up in the press conference on July 10, and Director Lau said everything will be revealed on that day. He also emphasized that Confession Of Pain is totally irrelevant to Infernal Affairs. Although they are both thrillers, they are totally two different stories. He is so much looking forward to the villain role played by Leung, and all the details will be revealed in the press conference on July 10.

According to Media Asia, one of the investors of the film, Confession Of Pain hopefully will be the biggest scale and budget film amongst all the Hong Kong thrillers, as the total budget of the film has cost for nearly HK$100 millions. The scale of the shooting crews and cast will be also the biggest. The shootings will last for about 2 months in Hong Kong, and hopefully it can be released in Asia region by the end of 2006.

Golden Village Flagship at VivoCity Will Open on 7 October

Market leader Golden Village Multiplex is pleased
to announce the start of a 100 Day countdown beginning today to the opening
of its new Singapore flagship 15-screen, 2,293-seat cinema complex at
HarbourFront. The new flagship 15-plex will be named - GV VivoCity and is
scheduled to open its doors on 7 October 2006. The new cineplex will occupy
a stunning 90,000 sq feet of space, and is expected to entertain over a
million patrons per year.

As part of the 100-day countdown celebration, Golden Village will be handing
out flyers at MRT stations and at its 8 multiplex locations to get everyone
aware and involved. Customers who present this flyer at GV VivoCity during
the opening month of October will receive a surprise!

It has been seven years since Golden Village last opened a new multiplex in
Singapore (GV Grand at Great World City, in January 1999). Village Cinemas
International, the managing partner of Golden Village, takes pride in
continuous innovation in cinema design and management around the world. With
Golden Village's 14 years of experience in Singapore under its belt, GV
VivoCity will incorporate the latest world-class features under one roof:
*        The widest indoor cinema screen in Asia (22.4 metres)
*        A cluster of three Gold Class Cinemas - the ultimate in luxury movie
viewing with a private lounge and seats comparable to First Class airline
seats
*        A Cinema Europa - a first for Singapore - where quality
international movies, such as those usually available only in film
festivals, will be showcased all-year round (this concept is extremely
successful in Village's other territories)
*        A wide range of exciting food and beverage items from premium coffee
to tasteful dinners
*        State-of-the-art Digital Projection
*        An unparalleled selection of all types of movies
*        A beautiful indoor reception area for private screenings, premieres,
group functions, and corporate parties

"Think of the huge shake-up that happened in the cinema industry when Golden
Village first arrived in Singapore. Golden Village has continually pushed
boundaries and redefined cinema-going with every multi-screen cinema complex
we've built in Singapore since 1992. We take pride in being true innovators
focused on creating the ultimate customer movie experience. As the Number
One cinema brand in Singapore, we will make GV VivoCity the all-new way to
go the movies in Singapore. We're factoring 14 years of local experience and
customer feedback into the whole design and programming process," said Mr
Kenneth Tan, Managing Director, Golden Village Multiplex Pte Ltd.

THANK YOU FOR SMOKING STUBBED OUT!

In Twentieth Century Fox’s (TCF) upcoming social satire, THANK YOU FOR SMOKING, the film’s official poster artwork has been rejected for print advertising. TCF was informed by the Singapore Press Holdings copy vetting unit that the poster visual was unacceptable as advertisements deemed promoting smoking, cigarette and tobacco brands are prohibited by law.

The film poster has been approved for in-theatre display however, for print advertisements in the newspapers’ cinema listing pages, the artwork has been modified in line with the authorities’ anti-smoking stand. The revisions include the removal of the cigarette visual from the ad and the inclusion of the text “A SOCIAL SATIRE” below the title treatment.

TCF stresses that THANK YOU FOR SMOKING is by no means an encouragement of the smoking habit, rather, the film is a fiercely satirical look at today’s “culture of spin” based on Christopher Buckley’s acclaimed 1994 novel of the same title.

THANK YOU FOR SMOKING world premiered at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival to critical and audience acclaim. Adapted for the screen and directed by Jason Reitman, the film stars Aaron Eckhart as Nick Naylor, chief spokesman for Big Tobacco, who makes his living defending the rights of smokers and cigarette makers. Nick’s notoriety attracts the attention of both tobacco’s head honcho and an investigative reporter for an influential Washington daily. Nick says he is just doing what it takes to pay the mortgage, but he begins to think about how his work makes him look in the eyes of his young son.

The film also stars Maria Bello, Cameron Bright, Adam Brody, Sam Elliott, Katie Holmes, William H. Macy and Robert Duvall.

THANK YOU FOR SMOKING is rated M18 (Sexual References). The film opens exclusively at Golden Village Plaza, Cathay Orchard Cineleisure and The Cathay on July 6, 2006.