A Battle of Wits

[aiza11]

About the movie:

A roaring river

A mighty force

A besieged walled city of the weak and the young

A lone warrior arrives in the darkness of night

To be their savior

To fight an impossible battle...


A lavishly-produced historical drama from China, A battle of Wits tells the complex story of a lone warrior whose mission is to save a besieged walled city from the savage attack of a 25,000 strong army.

Late in the 3rd Century, when China comprised seven rival kingdoms, Ge Li - an unremarkable savior in rags - stands alone in an endangered city waiting to fulfill his destiny.

It is an impossible battle however you look at it. But here is a lone man willing to climb every mountain and cross every river just to get the city of Liang with only one aim: to deliver Liang from the overwhelming threat of the kingdom of Zhao in her battle against the kingdom of Yan.

Ge Li is the last Mohist in the Warring States Period of China. Facing him in the field are thousands of swift chariots and many thousands more mail-clad soldiers. His battle will be the loneliest battle in the history of war. No battle has ever been this unmatched in strength.

Would this one man alone be able to change the destiny of Liang? On the surface, this is a battle for which bloodshed would be inevitable. But in reality it is also a battle of wits. A struggle between power and desire; between a ruler and the ruled. A message of anti-war through war itself.

About the Cast:

Andy Lau (as Ge Li)
Andy Lau is one of the most famous artistes in Asia. Since 1981, he participated in more than 100 films. He was nominated for the Best New Actor in the Hong Kong Film Awards in 1982 for his great performance in Boat People (1982). He was recognized as a producer for his accomplishment of Made in Hong Kong (directed by Fruit Chan, 1997) which has received over 50 awards at film festivals worldwide.

His great performances in A Fighter's Blues (directed by Daniel Lee, 2000 / Best Actor at Hong Kong Golden Bauhinia Awards), Infernal Affairs (directed by Andrew Lau and Alan Mak, 2002), Infernal Affairs III (directed by Andrew Lau and Alan Mark, 2003), House of Flying Daggers (directed by Zhang Yi-Mou, 2004), achieved fantastic results and are still vivid amongst the audiences.


Ahn Sung-Ki (as Xiang Yang Zhong)
Ahn Sung Ki started as a child actor in The Sunset Train and stunned the Korean film industry thereafter. After 70 films, her retired and went to military service.

His career kicked off with A Good Windy Day (1980) where his performance in the film was highly regarded in the movie industry. His skills and gifted talent has lead him to numerous film awards in Korea and up into the top placing in the film industry.

In 2005, he received the Medal of Freedom from the president for his distinguished service in Korean film. Since the 1980s, he has worked with many famous film directors including Im Kwon-Teak, Kang Woo-Suck and Bea Chan-Ho. His famous works include Two Cops, Winter Wanderer, Mandela, Chilsu and Mansu. His recent film Silmido has also achieved the highest box-office record in Korea. His latest film Hanbando is much anticipated in 2006.


Wang Zhiwen (as King Liang)
Wang Zhiwen is well-known as a character actor because of his attitude and acting skills. He was a graduate from Beijing Film Academy, and has since established himself as an actor in several TV series in China including A Bout of Love, Sunshine in the East, Rain in the West. His famous films include Family Feud (directed by Liu Miaomiao, Cui Xiaoqin, 1993), Blush (directed by Li Shaomiao, 1994), The Emperor and the Assasin (1998) and Together (2002) (both directed by Chen Kaige). His acting in Together won him the Best Supporting Actor at the Golden Rooster Award in China.


Fan Bingbing (as Yi Yue)
Fan Bing Bing started her career in 1997 with the TV series HZGG I and Ma Yon Zhen. She is a keen musician and singer, and is talented in both the piano and flute. Her first career breakthrough as the leading heroin was in Cell phone (directed by Fang Xiaogang, 2003), which achieved the unexpected success at the box-office in China in 2004 during the new year season. Her performance in A Battle of Wits showcases both her physical and emotional abilities. There is no doubt that she is one of the most promising actresses in both China and Asia.


Nicholas Wu Chi-lung ( as Zi Tuan)
Nicholas Wu entered the entertainment world in Taiwan at the age of 18 as one of the members of "The Little Tigers Group". The group received tremendous popularity in Taiwan but its members soon went separate ways. Nicky Wu started his solo career in 1994 through Sylvia Chang's The New Age of Living Together and gained popularity in Hong Kong. From 1999, he starred in various TV series and films across Taiwan, Hong Kong and mainland China.

Choi Si-Won (as Liang Shi)
Choi Si-Won is a rising star in Asia. Before his debut, he was very popular, and had already many internet fan-sites. After his debut in the TV drama, 18 and 29, he became an idol amongst female fans. Since 2003, he has undergone training in acting, singing and dancing to become a well-versed artiste. His capabilities and talents lead him to his role in A Battle of Wits. The director Jacob Cheung is very satisfied with him and assures Choi Si-Won's great success after this film.

About the Producers/Directors:
PRODUCERS

Huang Jianxin
Huang Jianxin is known by many international film reviewers as "one of the most important Chinese film directors", "a director with characteristic style", and "one of the representative figures of the Fifth Generation filmmakers". His films has entered numerous film festivals including at Cannes, Berlin, New York, Tokyo, San Sebastian, Munich, San Francisco, Rotterdam and Toronto. His film was selected as the "10 Greatest Chinese Film of the Year" for three times at the Hong Kong International Film Festival. He is a committee member of the China Filmmakers Association, the China Film Funding Association, the Chairman of the China Film Directors Association and the Vice Chairman of the Shanxi Filmmakers Association. He had also been honored as a Member of Judging Committee for the 25th Cairo International Film Festival, the 11th Fukuoka International Film Festival in Japan, and the 12th China Golden Rooster Film Awards.

Satoru Iseki
Satoru Iseki was born in Tokyo in 1943 and entered Nippon Herald Co. Ltd. in 1965 through the Publicity Department and International Department. He was installed the Director Vice-President with the establishment of Herald Ace Co. Ltd. in 1981. In 1989, he established Nippon Film Development and Finance (NDF). He is now exerting his powers into fostering young filmmakers while engaging in numerous film productions worldwide. He established Hark & Co. in 2001, a company that handles various film projects and finance matters with talented Asian directors and producers, including Jacob Cheung, Tsui Hark, Nansun Shi and Bill Kong. A Battle of Wits was developed by Hark & Co. Meanwhile, Tara Contents Inc. was established in 2006 by Iseki and Lee Jooick who is one of the producers of A Battle of Wits, aiming at co-producing, developing and financing films across borders.

Siuming Tsui
Siuming Tsui is the President of Sundream Motion Pictures Ltd. He began his show business as a juvenile actor at the age of 5 and has since participated in a lot of movies and television dramas. He later established his career behind the screen as a producer, director, scriptwriter and martial arts director. His achievement is well recognized by industry practitioners. Over the past 20 years, Siuming has put his contributions on the development of the movie and television industry in mainland China. His works include The Holy Robe of Shaolin Temple, Mirage and Bury Me High. Siuming has also produced many famous television dramas such as Legendary Fok, The Fist, Tiger Hill Trail, Fatherland, Chameleon and The Reincarnated. Amongst which, Legendary Fok is named 'classic of the classics' and was awarded 'The Best TV Series' (Golden Eagle Award) in 1985.

Lee Jooick
Lee Jooick is the CEO of Boram Entertainment Inc., a production company and an artiste management agency in Korea. His latest film project, The First Love of a Millionaire is directed by acclaimed Korean director Kim Tae-kyun (Romance of Their Own 2004, Volcano High 2001), and starred Hyun Bin, who is one of the hottest actor in Korea. Lee also produced Seven Swords (2005) directed by Tsui Hark, and Two Guys (2004) directed by Park Hun-soo. He also executive produced several other films, including Big Show which was a co-production between Japan and the US.


SCREENPLAY, PRODUCED AND DIRECTED BY:

Jacob Cheung Chi Leung
Jacob Cheung is one of the most acclaimed filmmakers in the Hong Kong cinema. He is renowned for refusing to compromise his filmmaking just to cater to the market. Born in Hong Kong, Jacob Cheung graduated in the Artiste Training Center of Hong Kong Television Broadcasts Limited (HKTVB). Early in his career, Mr. Cheung served as a production manager on films such as Mr. Vampire and My Lucky Star which featured the combined acting talents of Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao. Jacob Cheung made his directorial debut Lai Shi, China's Last Eunuch in 1986. He started his career as producer with This Thing Called Love (1990), a Woody-Allenesque comedy on love and marriage. All of his films have been serious dramas and tragic-comedies, two of which, Beyond the Sunset (1989) and Cageman (1992), won the Best Film Award at the Hong Kong Film Awards, the latter also taking the Best Director Award.

As a director and producer, Jacob Cheung has enjoyed remarkable critical success over the course of his distinguished career. In the past decade, his films have won the Hong Kong Film Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor.

[aiza11]

I watched the movie today and it was a great movie. If you love war games and strategies, then the movie is for you. I love Andy Lau's character's Ge Li cos he was a very cool guy. Why is it that in every movie, they have to put a little bit romance part? The romance Andy and Fan Bing Bing was brief but effective, I guess. By the way, Fan Bing Bang was great too. I never liked her before but in the movie she was wonderful and beautiful too.

Overall, it's worth my 10 bucks and 2 hours except the lady next to me kept yapping all the time and the one behind me kept drilling the seat
!!! My rating would be 4.5/5

[arachidonic]

Good. I'll watch it. Thanks for the review

[ChestNut]

I watched the movie today and it was a great movie. If you love war games and strategies, then the movie is for you. I love Andy Lau's character's Ge Li cos he was a very cool guy. Why is it that in every movie, they have to put a little bit romance part? The romance Andy and Fan Bing Bing was brief but effective, I guess. By the way, Fan Bing Bang was great too. I never liked her before but in the movie she was wonderful and beautiful too.

Overall, it's worth my 10 bucks and 2 hours except the lady next to me kept yapping all the time and the one behind me kept drilling the seat
!!! My rating would be 4.5/5

thanks cos I was skeptical about it. the poster looks so-so only..
Now I'll watch it..

[aiza11]

It was wayyyyyyyy better than The Banquet. Now looking forward to the new one with Chow Yun-Fat and Gong Li. Can't remember the title now but I saw the trailer yesterday. The trailer looked promising cos it made me wanna go and watch the movie.

[Lady Zhuge]

It sounds like this one's pretty good. I'll have to check it out.

It was wayyyyyyyy better than The Banquet. Now looking forward to the new one with Chow Yun-Fat and Gong Li. Can't remember the title now but I saw the trailer yesterday. The trailer looked promising cos it made me wanna go and watch the movie.

You mean this one?

[aiza11]

You mean this one?

Yep, that's the one - Curse of the Golden Flower. The set was majestic and very lavish. I think it's going to be worth for me to watch it at the cinema when it comes out.

Thanks for URL, Lady Zhuge. Gotta go and check out the forum.

[ChestNut]

Yep, that's the one - Curse of the Golden Flower. The set was majestic and very lavish. I think it's going to be worth for me to watch it at the cinema when it comes out.

yeah, these are the two films I'm going to watch ^^ Hope they are both good.. Haven't watch good chinese movies for such long time..

[Surferket]

Battle of Wits is good only let down by the ending.

[Fearless]

Battle of Wits is good only let down by the ending.

what about the ending? sad ending? some spoilers pls

[Surferket]

Darn......don't blame me for putting spoilers hor

SPOILER ALERT - BLAME FEARLESS

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Andy's Ge Li character did his job of defending the city from the Zhou forces but just when the battle was almost won, the Zhou commander pulled a trick of pretending to be withdrawing as Zhou was being attacked by another state. The commander send the bulk of his 100,000 army back but he stayed behind with 1,000 men.

The Liang emperor believed they had won the war and decided to take back military power from Ge Li before the news of the Zhou army's retreat reached the town folks. He was jealous of Ge Li's reputation among the soldiers and folks. He ordered Ge Li's arrest but Ge Li was saved by the prince who told him to take him hostage and leave the city.

The royalist general Niu ordered his archers to use Ge Li's modified long range arrows to kill Ge Li but he ended up killing the prince.
The king ordered the arrest of all those sympathetic of Ge Li, including the calvary commander played by FBB who was in loved with Ge Li.

The Zhou commander ordered a surprise night attack on the city using special hot air balloon shock troops who took control of one of the gates and the city fell to only 1,000 Zhou soldiers. The commander spread the news that he would slaughter all the menfolks of Liang if Ge Li did not surrender himself.

Ge Li did surrender but urged the commander to withdraw to end the killings. Ge Li had arranged with the 800 Liang archers, who'd left the city during the earlier mass arrests, to attack the Zhou soldiers who were all gathered in the main square. They caused flooding and used fire barriers to trap the Zhou soldiers.
The Zhou commander realised he was out smarted and ordered his troops to withdraw but stayed behind to die.

The flooding drowned the lower dungeons where FBB was imprisoned and she couldn't swim. She had her tongue cut out so she couldn't cry to Ge Li for help when she saw him looking for her desperately. By the time Ge Li found FBB it was too late and she'd died.

While the Liang king was happily celebrating "his" victory, Ge Li left the city.

Btw,the fighting's pretty good and like that crusade movie Heaven's Gate of defending Jerusalem. Lots of archery.

Chow Yun Fatt's Battle of Red Cliff would be something like this.

what about the ending? sad ending? some spoilers pls

[NetDriftr]

Darn......don't blame me for putting spoilers hor

*spoiler snipped*

did u type that out or u cut and paste from somewhere?

[Surferket]

Wah you see me no up ar? I watched that movie last night so it's still fresh in my memory.

did u type that out or u cut and paste from somewhere?

[NetDriftr]

Wah you see me no up ar? I watched that movie last night so it's still fresh in my memory.

hahah it was well written...i thought someone else wrote the review

[Surferket]

Does that means I get a job as movie reviewer?

hahah it was well written...i thought someone else wrote the review

[NetDriftr]

Does that means I get a job as movie reviewer?

no! it meant i understood what you wrote

[aiza11]

it was a great review. I couldn't have it any other way lol

[Bingcute]

I heard they cut almost one hours off from the original the movie suppost 2 hrs long. Can't wait to buy the DVD version there is no cut in there .

[c13:4567]

good discussion on the historical aspect of this film at CHF, http://www.chinahistoryforum.com/ind...ic=14386&st=15

i feel like watching it now Mohism sounds pretty interesting

[aiza11]

http://www.gscmovies.com.my/msite/ab...asp?search=dwn

if u want to get download stuffs....