Movie reel

Overhead

When Alan Mak and Felix Chong co-directed Infernal Affairs six years ago, the movie became an instant classic of Hong Kong cinema. Now, the duo brings their new movie Overheard to the big screen on July 23.

Starring Daniel Wu, Louis Koo, Lau Ching-Wan and Zhang Jingchu, Overheard is set at the Hong Kong stock exchange market, where an illegal operation is underway. Three investigators of the financial crime, led by Johnny Leung (Lau Ching-Wan), infiltrate the trading company Feng Hua to install surveillance devices to monitor the company. However, two cops Gene Yeung (Loius Koo) and Max Lam (Daniel Wu) desperately need money and they wind up getting involved in the conspiracy themselves.

As the film delves deeper beyond the simple themes of good versus evil, exploring the intricate relationship between greed, corruption and the value of principles, viewers can expect the usual car chases and bombing scenes of traditional Hong Kong crime thrillers.

Meanwhile, rising 28-year-old Chinese writer and director Yang Qing makes his cinematic debut with One Night in Supermarket.

The story takes place in the early morning of a 24-hour supermarket. A jobless man plots his revenge on the store owner, who denied his claim to a lottery prize bought at his shop.

The low-budget comedy, which garnered two prizes at the Shanghai Film Festival last month, is predicted to match the box-office records of the 2006 comedy hit Crazy Stone.

Other films now showing at cinemas:

McDull Wudang

The fourth installment of the light-hearted McDull movie series sees McDull depart from his Hong Kong home to embark on an adventure in the Wudang Mountains in China, where his mother wants him to learn the martial art of tai chi. But when he arrives, McDull is more interested in having fun with his new friends until he discovers a big secret, which becomes his motive to master the art.

Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs

A group of prehistoric mammals team up to save one of their friends from dinosaurs in this 3D animated film. Starring the voices of Ray Romano, Denis Leary, Simon Pegg and Chris Wedge. Carlos Saldanha directs.

Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince

Daniel Radcliffe returns as Harry Potter, who returns to Hogwarts for his sixth year, where he is helping Dumbledore uncover a key that can unlock critical information about Lord Voldemort. David Yates directs. Also stars Emma Watson and Michael Gambon.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

The sequel to 2007's Transformers, the science-fiction action film stars Shia LaBeouf as a college student caught in the war between the Autobots and Decepticons. Also stars Megan Fox. Steven Spielberg produces and Michael Bay directs.

(China Daily 07/25/2009 page14)