Movie reel

By Chen Nan (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-10-17 10:12

Qiu Xi

Sun Zhou's latest spy movie Qiu Xi takes place in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou before the country's liberation by the Communist Party in 1949. Qui Xi, played by mainland actress Jiang Yiyan (The City of Life and Death) is a servant to Yan Haiqing, played by actor Guo Xiaodong (Summer Palace), a secret communist agent who works for the ruling nationalist regime. Qiu's love for the man who is responsible for trying to keep the country under Kuomintang rule contrasts sharply with the ongoing civil war and the tension and destruction it carries with it.

Meanwhile, Yan's boss Xia Huimin, played by the director's real-life brother Sun Chun, tries to uncover and expose the identity of the underground communist agent to give the narrative a strong dramatic tension.

The 45-million-yuan ($6.6-million) production marks the commercial comeback of fifth-generation director Sun after a seven-year hiatus, and represents his first market-friendly movie since he entered the filmmaking industry in the 1980s. His previous movies include Silence (2000) and Zhou Yu's Train (2002).

The renowned art film director makes lavish use of the lanes and traditional architecture of Guangzhou province in his latest opus, as well as utilizing the local dialect and costume to authenticate his work and draw viewers in.

The movie opened on Wednesday.

Other films now showing at cinemas nationwide include:

Scandal Makers

This family comedy by rookie Korean filmmaker Kang Hyoung-chul reveals the hilarious trials and tribulations of Hyun-Su (Cha Tae-Hyun), a former television actor-turned-popular radio disc jockey. Hyun-Su's enviable bachelor life is challenged when he learns he is a grandfather after a young lady (Park Bo-Young) with a son (Wang Seok-Hyun) claims to be his daughter.

Lost, Indulgence

Written and directed by Zhang Yibai, the film is a visually stunning meditation on loss. It centers on the complicated relationships between a teenage boy, his mother and the secretive young woman they take into their home after a tragic accident. Starring Karen Mok and Eric Tsang.

Tale of Mari and Three Puppies

Based on the true story of Mari, the plot revolves around a dog who manages to rescue her old-age owner during a severe earthquake in Nagaoka in 2004.