Zhang Ziyi!

[Serynsatina]

True. True. I'd agree with that.


As for The Banquet, it's already finished production and just premiered at Venice.

Press Conference Pictures, Videos:

http://ent.sina.com.cn/m/c/2006-09-03/18281229106.html
http://ent.sina.com.cn/s/m/p/2006-09...181231725.html
http://ent.sina.com.cn/m/c/2006-09-03/22111229263.html
http://ent.sina.com.cn/m/c/2006-09-03/22131229264.html

Red Carpet Pictures, Video:

http://ent.sina.com.cn/m/f/p/2006-09...101229644.html
http://ent.sina.com.cn/m/c/p/2006-09...471230404.html
http://ent.sina.com.cn/m/f/2006-09-05/09221231422.html
http://ent.sina.com.cn/m/c/p/2006-09...171229614.html


Venice Film Festival Director Marco Muller kneels when Ziyi appears on red carpet!

Wow, why was he kneeling?

[Southern Crane]

Wow, why was he kneeling?

Marco Muller has been trying for years to not only get Zhang Ziyi to attend the Venice Festival, but he's been travelling all over the world in person to make his request that she serve as a juror. For what ever reason, Ziyi couldn't in the past. For example, in 2004 she had just started shooting Memoirs of a Geisha at the time. Last year, she was busy promoting it. But she knows him well from his personal requests. And now, he's FINALLY got her there and is thrilled. As an inside joke, we see him showing his friend his appreciation.

There's been a great deal of speculation on Chinese sites about what's going on in that picture -- of course, much of it negative or even romantic. But it's just a friend expressing thanks, that's all. Fact is, Mr Muller was pictured the day before kneeling to Ziyi upon greeting her in Venice before The Banquet press conference. It was not his intention to cause all this speculation but to FINALLY thank his friend Zhang Ziyi in his own way for attending his festival. Nice, sincere guy, I'd say.


PS: I just spent the past hour looking for the second picture of Marco Muller kneeling the day before, but I just can't seem to find it!

[autuymnrain]

yea, he seems so adorable. haha

[Serynsatina]

Ah, haha. That's pretty cool. He seems like a pretty awesome guy. xD

[Spanner]

She's way over-rated. Her acting is not that good, and she's not that pretty anyway.

I don't know what americans see in her...

[Southern Crane]

She's way over-rated. Her acting is not that good, and she's not that pretty anyway.

I don't know what americans see in her...

She's one of the top ranking actors in China and very much in high demand there. She's still relatively unknown in the US. I'd think the question is, what do Chinese see in her? Not Americans.

[autuymnrain]

honestly, i dont really think she acts well either.

[Southern Crane]

honestly, i dont really think she acts well either.

Well, of course, everyone's entitled to their opinion. But it's the 'more educated' ones that count. For example, those who voted to give her last year's Hong Kong Film Awards Best Actress trophy think her acting is exemplary.

[kiropuppy]

i think she's a good actress. she's really good at being a serious character. has she ever played a joyous character?

[Nefertari]

I think she acted a lot better in Chinese films, compared to American ones. Isn't she more popular in the West than in China? From what I know, Asians don't really like her.

She's very beautiful, but there're also actresses like Gao 00, FBB, etc in the East who are very beautiful and talented as well. So I don't see the particular hype about her, aside from commercial value.

[Southern Crane]

i think she's a good actress. she's really good at being a serious character. has she ever played a joyous character?

The Road Home.

I think she acted a lot better in Chinese films, compared to American ones.

Two American films aren't many to compare with, really. Of all her movies, 10 are Chinese (mainland, HK, Taiwan) productions.

Isn't she more popular in the West than in China? From what I know, Asians don't really like her.

That's a very common misconception. Probably because it's often repeated in tabloids and by their readers. Fact is, she's far more popular and well-known in China than anywhere else. Again, though she's made successes, she's still relatively unknown outside of the Chinese speaking world.

She's very beautiful, but there're also actresses like Gao 00, FBB, etc in the East who are very beautiful and talented as well.

Exactly. Which is why I've always been supportive of ALL Chinese actresses. I'd like to see each of them gain international success and fame because many are quite good and talented. But for them to succeed, they have to build on the success of others. That's why I've never understood why Ziyi doesn't get more support (on the Internet) than she does. She and others should encouraged, not discouraged imo.

So I don't see the particular hype about her, aside from commercial value.

Even she sees herself as the current "flavor" (hype?) on the international stage, and realizes it could all end. It's why she's always concentrated on her Chinese films, which dominate her filmography. Again, she's starred in only two Hollywood films -- Rush Hour 2 and Memoirs of a Geisha. Yet, there is that common misconception that she's been in all these American films, which of course isn't true.

[sunnysnow]

I think she's somewhat sterotyped to play stubborn, strong-willed characters. Her performace in memoirs of a geisha was pretty flat, bland and boring, in fact, the whole show was practically a flop. She was pretty good in 2046 and House of Flying Daggers though. I thought her performance as a blind girl in the latter was particularly convincing.

[Southern Crane]

Zhang Ziyi's in the cast of the new TMNT movie. She just completeted her voice-over work recently and will be playing the lead villain, Karai, Shredder's daughter. The film opens in March 2007.



T-U-R-T-L-E Power! T-U-R-T-L-E Power! Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!

[hmschocolate]

Her performace in memoirs of a geisha was pretty flat, bland and boring, in fact, the whole show was practically a flop.

yeah I agree though I have to say she looked really nice in Geisha though. all the glamorous costumes....

[Sparky]

She's one of the top ranking actors in China and very much in high demand there. She's still relatively unknown in the US. I'd think the question is, what do Chinese see in her? Not Americans.

My feelings about Ziyi aside, I disagree that she's relatively unknown. That's such an understatement. She's definitely not as popular as Nicole Kidman or whatever, but not relatively unknown. Why would they invite someone relatively unknown to help present the Academy Awards?

[Southern Crane]

My feelings about Ziyi aside, I disagree that she's relatively unknown. That's such an understatement. She's definitely not as popular as Nicole Kidman or whatever, but not relatively unknown. Why would they invite someone relatively unknown to help present the Academy Awards?

Well, 'relatively' unknown in the sense that's she's far better known in China than she is elsewhere. For example, it's one reason why she loves being in the US (I read an article where Maggie Cheung said the same thing): Ziyi enjoys travelling alone in New York City or Los Angeles because people hardly know or recognize her. She's able to be just another person on the street, making her feel freer. That's not at all the same in China, where she's widely known and easily recognizable and hardly travels alone.

In the US and much of the rest of the world outside of China, HK, etc, Ziyi is very much 'relatively' unknown. Within Western film circles, she's very well known, but not within the public at large. Not like in China. But through continued hard work and exposure, that is changing...

[NetDriftr]

it's one reason why she loves being in the US (I read an article where Maggie Cheung said the same thing): Ziyi enjoys travelling alone in New York City or Los Angeles because people hardly know or recognize her

becos all asians look the same to westerners

[Southern Crane]

becos all asians look the same to westerners

IMO that's a grossly overused 'copout', particularly in this context. It's a matter of exposure and recognizability. There's little to no chance that Lucy Liu, for instance, could leave her New York apartment, walk to the subway, travel to and from school or run errands and not be distinguishable for who she is. Her face has been bombarding American TVs for years. The same is true for Lisa Ling (The View), Anne Cury (NBC's The Today Show), Connie Chung (NBC, CBS News) Michelle Kwan (champion figure skater) and even Margeret Cho (ABC's All American Girl), among many others.

Do you seriously think none of these Asian women would be recognized on the streets of New York because "all asians look the same to westerners"?

Again, it's all about exposure and recognizability. Though both are very well known and respected in Western film circles, neither Zhang Ziyi nor Maggie Cheung have had the HEAVY exposure among 'regular' people to have the familiarity and recognizably that these other Asian women have had. Certainly not the HEAVY exposure they've received back in HK and China. That's why both have said they enjoy 'relative' anonymity while in the US.

In the US and much of the rest of the world outside of China, HK, etc, Ziyi is very much 'relatively' unknown. Within Western film circles, she's very well known, but not within the public at large. Not like in China. But through continued hard work and exposure, that is changing...

[NetDriftr]

The same is true for Lisa Ling (The View), Anne Cury (NBC's The Today Show), Connie Chung (NBC, CBS News) Michelle Kwan (champion figure skater) and even Margeret Cho (ABC's All American Girl), among many others.

who are these ladies?

[Southern Crane]

who are these ladies?

See, you don't live in the US and aren't regularly bombarded by their faces on TV. Which is the point: Exposure and recognizability. These women would be faaaar more recognizable to the average person on the streets and subways of New York than Zhang Ziyi or Maggie Cheung (among others) would be; and why both enjoy 'relative' anonymity here. None of the women mentioned above would be able to do what they can -- have the high likelihood of traveling alone in New York without being recognized for who they are.

Really, that applies to celebs of most any race, including whites. I'm sure there are white Australian celebs that are highly recognizable stars in Oz. Yet, if they were to pass by me on the beaches of Miami, I'd think nothing of them. I'd likely never heard of muchless even seen them before. And it would have nothing to do with the copout that all whites look the same. Outside of film circles, that analogy still applies to Zhang Ziyi to the average people in most of the West. But with more and more exposure (particularly TV), that's likely to change in the future..