Wang Lee Hom
Academy Award-winning director Ang Lee adapts this Eileen Chang story set in World War II-era Shanghai that details the political intrigue surrounding a powerful political figure named Mr. Yee (Tony Leung) in Japanese-occupied Shanghai. Spanning the late '30s and early '40s, the movie introduces us to Hong Kong teen Wong Chia Chi (Tang Wei), a shy college freshman who finds her calling in a drama society devoted to patriotic plays. But the troupe's leader, Kuang Yu Min (Wang Leehom), isn't just a theater maven -- he's a revolutionary as well, and he's devoted to carrying out a bold plan to assassinate top Japanese collaborator Mr. Yee. Each student has an important role to play, and Wong puts herself in a dangerous position as Mrs. Mak; she befriends Mr. Yee's wife (Joan Chen), and slowly gains trust before tempting him into an affair. While at first the plan goes exactly as scripted, things suddenly take a deadly turn and Wong is emigrated from Hong Kong. Later, in 1941, the occupation shows no signs of ceasing and Wong is simply drifting through her days in Shanghai. Much to her surprise, the former actress finds Kuang requesting that she resume the role of Mrs. Mak. Now, as Wong again gains intimate access to her dangerous prey, she must struggle with her own identity in order to pull off the performance of a lifetime. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Tang Wei, (more)
- 2005
In writer/director Yosuke Nakagawa's third feature, Starlit High Noon, (Wang Leehom) plays Lian Song, a hitman from Taipei who hides out in Okinawa between jobs. After a particularly difficult assignment, he finds himself questioning his place in the world while "decompressing" in Japan. He falls into his routine. Lian Song enjoys cooking his own gourmet meals, swimming at the local pool (where a pretty staff worker harbors a secret crush on him), and doing his laundry at the same laundromat at the same time every Friday night, when he knows he'll run into the quiet stranger he dreams about. She turns out to be Yukiko (Kyoka Suzuki of Zebraman, playing the same character played by Haru Kawazu in Nakagawa's previous film, Departure). Lian Song follows Yukiko and finds out she works in a kitchen preparing bento boxes. He occasionally buys a bento box, and finds them inedible, but when he approaches Yukiko at her job and asks about buying one, she gives him one, and this bento box turns out to be strangely delicious. Meanwhile, back in Taipei, the hitman's employers have run into trouble with a rival gang whose boss Lian Song executed. The rivals have apparently taken control of the local police department. They offer a truce, but only if Lian Song's bosses turn him over to them. Starlit High Noon was selected by the Museum of Modern Art and the Film Society of Lincoln Center for inclusion in the 2005 edition of New Directors/New Films. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Wang Lee Hom, Kyoka Suzuki, (more)
Combining yakuza, science fiction, and vampire elements may sound like an outlandish recipe for campy excess in the United States, but former pinku eiga director Takahisa Zeze plays things remarkably straight in this truly unique effort from Japan. In the near future, a group of desolate citizens spend their days and nights in Mallepa, a large refugee community located in the "Asian Special Economic Zone." Though brothers Sho and Shinji survive on the streets with a little resourcefulness and the help of friend Toshi, an encounter with wounded vampire Kei forever changes the course of their lives. Soon after taking Kei back to their hideout so that the desperate vampire may recover, an angry gangster shows up to reclaim a stolen briefcase full of cash. Although Kei is quick to make dinner out of the angry gangster, his efforts to keep his trio of friends from harm is too little too late when the determined gangster fires a fatal bullet into Shinji. When Sho and Toshi plan to rip off a rival gang a decade later, Kei follows and the team soon meets up with similar-minded Chinese troublemaker Son (Wang Lee Hom) and his sister Yi-Che (Zeny Kwok). Soon stalked by the revenge-thirsting rival gang, the trio lose track of their bloodsucking friend in the ensuing melee. It's not long before Sho and Son have a falling out and end up in rival gangs, but can the re-emergence of condemned vampire Kei be enough to bring the two old friends back on the same side of the fence again? ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Hideto Takarai, Gackt Camui, (more)
The work of two of Hong Kong's top action directors, Andrew Lau and Corey Yuen, The Avenging Fist is a science-fiction-fueled action epic set in a futuristic city where violence and weapons are outlawed. Out of this time comes a weapon known as the Power Glove, which activates hidden powers in the human brain that enable those who wear the glove to have super powers. When a former special agent known as War 21 shows up with a Power Glove planning to use it for evil, it's up to Nova (Wang Lee-Hom) to stop him. The Avenging Fist also stars martial arts film legends Sammo Hung, Stephen Fung, and Yuen Biao. ~ Jason Gibner, All Movie Guide
Two young Shanghai detectives, Alex (Wang Lee Hom) and Darren (Aaron Kwok), uncover the plot by an ambitious and ruthless mobster, Tony (Mark Dacascos), to bring tons of cocaine into China sold to him by Los Angeles drug dealer Coolio (Coolio). Darren is distracted by the arrest of mob-gal Norika (Norika Fujwara), who isn't what she seems, and Alex's life is complicated with his impending engagement to the daughter of the local sheriff (Paul Chiang), who is helping them in their dangerous mission to stop the drugs from infiltrating their country. ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Aaron Kwok, Noriko Fujiwara, (more)
