The Bodyguard

[GeneChing]

I'm really eager to see this one. Reviews have been mixed but I'm a huge fan of Sammo.

Hong Kong Martial Arts Star Sammo Hung to Be Guest of Honor at Udine’s Far East Fest
Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent @NickVivarelli


COURTESY FAR EAST FEST
APRIL 13, 2016 | 03:50AM PT
Fest will bow Focus Asia mart

ROME — Hong Kong martial arts multi-hyphenate star Sammo Hung will be the guest of honor at the 18th Far East Festival in Udine, Italy.

Fest, which is Europe’s biggest showcase of genre and mainstream Asian cinema, will open with Park Hoon-jung Korean mountain-action epic “The Tiger” and close with “The Bodyguard,” co-starring Hung and Andy Lau, which recently beat “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” at the Chinese box office.

Hung in his latest hit plays a retired bodyguard called back into action by a young girl. He will receive Udine’s Golden Mulberry award for lifetime achievement joining other top Asian talents tributed by Udine in past years including Johnnie To, composer Joe Hisaishi, and his old friend and cohort Jackie Chan with whom he attended the China Drama Academy.

Higlights of Udine’s mixed bag selection comprise the European preem of “10 Years” the controversial low budget pic depicting a dark imaginary future for Hong Kong under Chinese rule which recently won best film at the Hong Kong Film Awards and allegedly caused the ceremony broadcast to be banned in mainland China; the world preem of “Destiny” by Chinese producer-director Zhang Wei, known for his candid depictions of the marginalised in his country; the international fest preem of Hong Kong martial arts hit “Ip Man 3”; and Japanese auteur Hashiguchi Ryosuke’s “Three Stories of Love” named best Japanese film of 2015 in the local Kinema Junpo critics’ poll.

A big novelty this year is that the Far East Fest is launching a Focus Asia market in partnership with the Rome’s MIA International Audiovisual Market. The three day April 27-29 micromart will take place at the Cinema Visionario in Udine with screenings, research panels and one-on-one meets.

Fest will run April 22-30.

[GeneChing]

It's now titled My Beloved Bodyguard. I really enjoyed this film, but it probably won't please most fans of the Kung Fu genre. There are only 2 or 3 fights and a long wait in between. The big fight delivers like only Sammo can. Big falls from great camera angles. CGI X-Ray vision to illustrate to bone breaks. It's only a few moves per shot but the action is tight and Sammo still has great hands. No sword fight but lots of knife fights. Sanguinous ultravi. But probably not enough for the typical fight scene fan.

I should confess that I'm a longstanding fan of Sammo's directorial work and am probably really biased. Sammo has always had a surprising style of filmmaking and storytelling. MBB is stylish, almost artsy, irreverent, and cinematographically engaging. Some beautiful moments - fresh and funny. And brutal. It might be too bloody for the general population, and juxtaposed with the tender and comical scenes early in the film, it might be too jarring. But it worked for me.

There are lots of cool cameos too - Tsui Hark, Karl Maka, and maybe all of the 7 fortunes except Jackie. If you are into film and filmmaking, it's a must-see. If you are just into fight scenes, you probably won't like it, except for the big finale fight near the end of the film.

[Jimbo]

Thank you for the review, Gene.

I'm looking forward to this. I don't mind if there's only a few fights, so long as the movie is good and the fights it does have are quality, and make sense relative to the storyline. I enjoy many MA films that have had very few fights in them; Sammo's own Encounter of the Spooky Kind is but one example.

It kinda makes me laugh when people watch MA movies with good quality (but few) fight scenes, and complain that they're boring and a waste of time. Then, when a movie has a high abundance of fight scenes, many of those same people say, "Another brainless MA movie that is packed full of fights that, while doubtlessly well-choreographed and entertaining, cannot disguise the shallowness, lack of storyline, and pedestrian acting typical of 'chop-socky' MA movies. Too bad they didn't go for some depth, because this movie could have really been something; instead, they took the easy way out."

IMO, when Sammo was at his directorial peak, he was the best at what he did. He had that rare ability to insert comedic elements into tragic or cathartic scenes that made his movies so unique and exciting.

[Jimbo]

I agree with Gene that not everybody will like this film, but I ended up liking it. It's a film with heart. In some ways the story is depressing, but Sammo truly inhabits the character. So much so, in fact, that I found myself actually a bit worried for his health. Sammo has long had the ability to 'inhabit' a character and make him believable when playing dramatic roles. And although age and time have slowed him considerably, IMO, nobody can put together a fight scene like Sammo could. He's still got it, and he does the most he can with what he still has. He shows some subtle moves that nobody else can quite duplicate. He's been directing movies a long time, and choreographing fight scenes even longer; almost 50 years now.

[GeneChing]

Sammo's choreography is the best in the business right now. He's two-for-two in my book for 2016. Check out Call of Heroes next. Sammo doesn't appear in that one, but his choreographic style is all over it. It's more fantasy wuxia fighting, not the sort of gritty hyperrealism that is in The Bodyguard, but it's still so Sammo. I've always loved his work. He is 66 now. Amazing stamina for a choreographer - really unprecedented in the industry on his level.

[GeneChing]

Sammo Hung didn't have strength to carry his grandsons, daughter-in-law reveals in talk show


PHOTO: YouTube/VIU TV

LAM MIN LEE
ASIAONE May 07, 2019

Many of us may remember him as a kung fu legend in Hong Kong films, but age has caught up with 'Big Brother' Sammo Hung.

Sammo, 67, was once so exhausted from directing and filming My Beloved Bodyguard in 2016, he didn't have the strength to carry his grandsons, his daughter-in-law Janet Chow recently said in a talk show.

In the show, the veteran actor also revealed that he broke his arm while filming Lucky Stars Go Places in 1986.

He got his injured limb set in a cast at the hospital, and promptly returned to the set to continue filming.

Talk about dedication to his work.



The actor devoted half his life to his work and put on many hats over the years -- producing, choreographing and directing over 200 films in his career. And while he's a hefty man, Sammo's been known as an agile martial artist.

But decades of filming action movies have taken their toll on his body.

On several occasions, Sammo was spotted using a wheelchair in public, especially after undergoing knee surgery two years ago.

The doting granddad was also seen out shopping for toys with his grandsons last August.

"He's able to walk, but it's more comfortable for him to sit in a wheelchair when going to places such as a shopping mall," Janet explained.

Now on a break from work, the sexagenarian is busy whipping up dishes for his loved ones at home.

Sammo said that he had been working on his culinary skills, and once considered becoming a chef if his acting career didn't work out.

lamminlee@asiaone.com

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