Shu Qi Movies

This Cantonese-language romantic serio-comedy features multihyphenate Andy Lau as playboy Sam Ching. Many regard Sam as one of the most eligible and desirable bachelors in Hong Kong, given his carefree attitude toward life's obstacles, remarkable intelligence, and vast fortune. Unfortunately, despite Sam's professional success, he suffers from a long and rocky history in his personal life that includes a lengthy series of dysfunctional relationships and three prior divorces. Life improves dramatically when a sassy young woman named Milan (Shu Qi) waltzes into his world and takes over emotionally; Sam falls in love at first glance when he spots her at a Macau casino. Unfortunately, her twin careers -- she works as a cabaret dancer and poker dealer -- mesh poorly with Sam's social status, especially given his high-profile image. The couple soon make headlines in all of the major newspapers, and their perceived incongruity leads Milan to undergo preparations as a society woman, Hong Kong's number one "It Girl." A complication arises when Sam grows concerned that Milan might actually be after his money; he asks the girl to sign a prenuptial agreement; she grows indignant and instantly leaves him. When he recognizes her sincerity and the depth of his love for her once and for all, he'll do anything to win her back. But it just may be too late. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

Jo Jin-gyu returns as director for the second sequel to his 2001 action-comedy hit Jopok Manura. Aryong (Shu Qi) is the daughter of Lim (Ti Lung), a high-ranking crime boss in the Hong Kong triads. A gang war has broken out, and Aryong's life is put in danger when she's framed for the murder of a rival triad chief, a crime she didn't commit. Worried about his daughter's safety, Lim sends Aryong off to South Korea, where Gi-cheol (Lee Beom-su), a local underworld figure affiliated with one of Lim's old friends, is to see to her safety. Aryong and Gi-cheol don't get along at all, despite the best efforts of translator Yon-hi (Hyeon Yeong) to buffer the insults they toss back and forth. However, in time they become close after Aryong and Gi-cheol are forced to do battle with gangsters sent to kill her, and Aryong tries to unravel the mystery of her long lost mother. Jopok Manura 3 (aka My Wife Is A Gangster 3) also stars Oh Ji-ho and Jo Heui-bong. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Millennium Mambo director Hou Hsiao-hsien explores the ever-changing cycle of love in this collection of three romantic stories set in 1911, 1966, and 2005 and utilizing the same actors in all three tales. In "A Time for Love," a fresh-faced soldier boy named Chen (Chang Chen) searches for a pool hall hostess named May (Shu Qi) who captured his heart before disappearing into the crowd. The second tale, set against the backdrop of the Japanese occupation of Taiwan and entitled "A Time for Freedom," finds an elegant courtesan tending to a young intellectual in a lavish brothel. The trilogy draws to a close with a segment entitled "A Time for Youth" in which a present-day Taipei singer who is also an epileptic neglects her female lover to seek the romantic attentions of a talented photographer. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A spirited female detective who never had time for love realizes just how complicated romance can be after meeting Prince Charming while vacationing in Malaysia with her best friend. Grace is completely dedicated to her job, and as a result she's never had the time to seek out the man of her dreams. Invited by her best friend Joey to take a trip to Malaysia where he's scheduled to shoot a commercial, Grace decides to take the trip but gets caught off guard when she meets the perfect man. Unfortunately for Grace, this is only the beginning of a most unusual nightmare. Shu Qi, Andy On, and Simon Yam star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A young girl witnesses a horrific street accident. A man (Anthony Wong in a pivotal cameo) is hit by a trolley and decapitated. Fifteen years later, June (Shu Qi) is all grown up, and doesn't even remember the accident. One night at a club, Peter (Eason Chan), an unhappy young man, sees June dancing, wearing an eye patch, and approaches her. She quickly uses him to get away from another man, and drags him to a karaoke bar. Just as abruptly, they leave the karaoke bar, and she has him take her to his place. The next morning, he awakens to find his apartment splattered with red paint, and fifty dollars missing from his wallet. He and his roommate, Simon (Sam Lee), then discover Peter's father (James Wong) lying in the bathtub, jabbering about how he doesn't have Alzheimer's, but he's possessed. Eventually, Peter runs into the elusive June again, and they seem to be developing a relationship. But despite his romance with this mysterious woman, things continue to go badly for Peter. He loses his job as a hairdresser, and his father commits suicide. Soon, he discovers June's secret. Ever since she was a little girl, she's seen ghosts. She wears dark glasses or an eye patch sometimes, so she won't have to see them. Soon, it becomes clear that one ghost in particular is haunting June--the ghost of a man demanding his head back. As Peter gets closer to June, he begins to unravel the mystery, and discovers a connection to his own family's past. Visible Secret was written by Abe Kwong and directed by Ann Hui (Ordinary Heroes). Kwong would later direct the sequel. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

Renowned director Stanley Kwan spins this parable about post-handover Hong Kong, the second in a trilogy about the former colony that began with Hold You Tight (1998). Inspired from the 1998 "bird flu" that killed several people and prompted authorities to order the wholesale slaughter of that city's chickens, this film centers on seven disparate people trapped on an island because of a government quarantine. The film opens with Haruki (Takao Osawa), a Japanese writer suffering from consumption, trying to write his next novel. Other characters that populate the film include Sharon (Michele Reis), a lesbian Chinese-American businesswoman who lived on the island as a child, Sharon's married Japanese friend Marianne (Kaori Momoi), and party girl Mei Ling (played by former pin-up model Shu Qi), who came to the island to meet a Brit with whom she shacked up the night before. Also, there is young actor Han (Julian Cheung), hailing from Hong Kong, and Bo (Gordon Liu) the gay middle-aged manager of the island's hotel. After the aforementioned people cross paths, news comes that the government has stopped all traffic to and from the island for an indefinite period of time in order to prevent the spread of the "stone virus." As the long night wears on, the inhabitants have little to do except wait and talk. Soon they begin to reveal more and more of themselves. This film was screened at the 2000 Berlin Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi

A team of adventurers are out to save the world in this tongue-in-cheek action comedy from Hong Kong. Mac (Leon Lai), Michelle (Michelle Saram), Bird (Jordan Chan), and Sam (Sam Lee) are the Skyline Cruisers, a team of elite, super-intelligent, crime-fighting secret agents who are called in for only the most important assignments. When it's learned that arch-villain Kam (Patrick Lung) has stolen the latest innovation from one of the world's leading medical research labs -- a possible cure for cancer -- the Skyline Cruisers are sent into action, and they travel to Kuala Lumpur to track down Kam's compound and bring back the formula. However, the Cruisers are met by an unexpected ally -- June (Shu Qi), who says she's Kam's secretary and wants to help them recover the drug. San Tau Chi Saidoi was originally announced as a sequel to the 1997 Hong Kong hit Downtown Torpedoes, though the producers later denied any connection between the two films. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Riley Ip directs his melodrama about a man haunted by his memories. Ailing from Alzheimer's disease, Roy (Eric Tsang) returns to Hong Kong after 30 years in Brazil to track down his former enemy, Nine Dragons. Claiming that he was previously a notorious gangster called Mountain Leopard, he enlists the help of young street tough Smokey (Nicholas Tse). Roy tells Smokey that back in the 1970s, he and his arch-nemesis were rivals for the attention of an enigmatic beauty (Shu Qi). When she seemed to favor Roy, Nine Dragons shot him and ditched him on a barge for Brazil. Yet as the hunt continues, Smokey learns that the truth is a bit different. Meanwhile, Smokey's young heart yearns for the very female cop (Kelly Chen) who once arrested him. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi

A spin-off from Hong Kong's popular "Young and Dangerous" action series, this fast-paced tale of a lesbian's rise to the top of the Triad hierarchy features top-notch acting and plenty of martial arts excitement. Most of the characters from the series return, and many events taking place in this story occur simultaneously to those in the others; as a result those familiar with the "Young and Dangerous" series will delight at the many inside references to it. Told in flashback, this narrative centers on leather-jacket-wearing, pompadoured Sister Thirteen (Sandra Ng). Those around her believe that she was always a lesbian, but her past story reveals otherwise. As the teenaged daughter of a low-level mobster, she had a crush on Coke (Alex Fong) a handsome but taciturn boxer. When he did not return her affection, Sister Thirteen turned to women for love. She entered Hong Kong's organized crime network via a scruffy band of low-level gangsters in the Mongkok district. There she earned her nickname and was mentored by Scarface (Shu Qi), a female drug-addict with a horrifying history of abuse. Under Scarface's tutelage, Sister Thirteen toughens up, learns to fight, and becomes the leader of the gang. From there, she and her cohorts fight their way to the highest echelons of the Triad. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

A celebrated Chinese hero returns to the mainland seven years after the fight that made him a myth, and assumes the identity of a masked crusader in order to expose the clandestine alliance between the Japanese and the mafia, and to procure a vital assassination list in this epic action thriller from Infernal Affairs director Andy Lau. At the height of the Warlord Era, China is being torn apart though internal conflict, allowing Japanese forces to gain a foothold in Northern Shanghai. His mentor murdered by Japanese troops, Chinese avenger Chen Zhen (Donnie Yen) single-handedly defeats an entire dojo full of enemy combatants amidst a blinding shower of bullets. Though his body is never recovered, Chen Zhen is presumed to have perished in the fight. Flash forward seven years, when high-ranking Japanese officials rub elbows with ruthless gangsters in the lavish Casablanca nightclub as the impoverished masses starve in the streets. Suddenly, into the Shanghai social scene steps a wealthy entrepreneur named "Ku" (also Yen), whose obvious affluence quickly gains him an audience with the most powerful mob boss in town. Little do the local criminal masterminds realize it's all an elaborate ruse; by day Ku uses his relationship with the formidable gangster to gather intelligence on the collusion between the Chinese underworld and the Japanese military, and by night he dons a mask in order to fight the powers attempting to oppress his people. But the closer Ku grows to scorching beauty Kiki (Shu Qi), the more he risks blowing his cover. Later, when Ku discovers evidence of a top-secret Japanese hit list that threatens to shift the balance of power in their favor, he prepares to risk his life in a fight that could alter the future of an entire nation, and give the downtrodden masses hope for a better future. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Three best friends who are barely getting by as fishermen in the small village of Zhujiajiao depart to seek their fate in Shanghai in director Alexi Tan's reworking of the John Woo action classic Bullet in the Head. Feeling trapped by circumstance in the only place they have ever known, Kang, his brother Hu, and their best friend Fung decide to take their fate into their own hands by moving to Shanghai. Upon arriving in the bustling city, the naïve trio gradually finds their innocence corrupted as they fall into the deepest depths of the criminal underworld. The starting point for their harrowing descent is the infamous Paradise Club: the most popular - and dangerous - nightclub in all of Shanghai. In the Paradise Club, Lulu is the songbird that every man wants to capture, yet she remains locked securely in the cage of owner and underworld crime kingpin Boss Hong - or so he thinks. Because when the stage lights go down and the big guy isn't around, his right hand man Mark starts making the moves on Lulu. Of course Lulu is no innocent either, and as this pair conduct their dangerous affair both enemies and allies alike begin plotting a way to wrestle control of the city from the ruthless Boss Hong. As the tense situation between Boss Hong and his many conspirators begins to boil over, Kang, Hu, and Fung make a desperate grab for power that quickly pays off. But success in Shanghai doesn't come cheap. With their power nearly cemented in the land of plenty, Fung will be forced to choose between love and a life of crime while wrestling with his troublesome conscience, Hu will enter into a monumental struggle against his own inner weakness, and power-hungry Kang will allow nothing to prevent him from realizing his own ambitions. Now, as lives hang in the balance and blood begins to flow, the chance for redemption fades with each passing day. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Visionary Asian horror directors the Pang Brothers offer another disconcerting look at the spirits of the dead in this sequel to their international hit The Eye. Joey Cheng (Shu Qi) is a woman who has been given to deep mood swings, which isn't helped by the fact her relationship with her boyfriend, Sam (Jesdaporn Pholdee), is crumbling. In a moment of despair, Joey takes an overdose of sleeping pills in an apparent suicide attempt. Joey survives the incident, but discovers that she's pregnant with Sam's child, putting her in another difficult situation. Joey decides to keep the baby, but she soon discovers another strange side effect of her brush with death -- she can now see ghosts, especially when she's in the presence of children and pregnant women, and is frequently haunted by the spirit of a women attempting to kill herself near a railroad track. As the ghost begins visiting more and more often, Joey becomes convinced the spirit wants to enter the body of her unborn child. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi