The following are extracts from the program of a recent performance of U-Theatre that I attended:
"The 'U' of U-Theatre is a phonetic transcription of a Chinese character meaning 'superior, excellence'. In ancient China, this word also referred to 'professional actor' ..U-Theatre is an arts group established in 1988 by Liu Rou-yu ..As a student of Polish director Jerzy Grotowsky, Liu had undergone professional training that took place in the woods .. She decided that the focal point should be 'the development of a performer's body and mind' In 1993, Huang Chih-chun was invited to join as a drum instructor, and he introduced the training method of 'learning meditation prior to drum techniques' .For U-Theatre, performance is not an end in itself, but an aspect of a holistic way of life."
U-Theatre has performed in art festivals around the world New York, London, Moscow, as well as numerous in cities in Asia, Europe and the two American continents.
This movie is first and foremost about U-Theatre. One approach could be to dramatize the history of this arts group. Instead, the Hong Kong movie makers chose to fit it into a gangsters' yarn, for reasons that are painfully obvious. The gangster story is banal and too drawn out. But I do give credit to the movie makers for devoting more than half of the movie to U-Theatre, in the middle section when the protagonist, a kingpin's son, is in exile in Taiwan and becomes a new student in U-Theatre. As well, both founders Liu Rou-yu and Huang Chih-chun are in the movie playing themselves, together with other members of the group, giving the movie authenticity.
While I am not particularly impressed with the script, the acting is fine. Jaycee Chan, looking as like his father Jackie Chan as I've ever seen him in a movie, handles his character's spiritual transformation reasonably well. Lovely Angelica Lee, among the best Chinese actresses today, is not even challenged in her role. The Hong Kong gangster movie veterans have all delivered Tony Leung Ka-fai, Roy Cheung Yiu-yeung, Josie Ho, Kenneth Tsang Kong. For eye-candy, there is Cheng hei-yi, better known to the Hong Kong Canto pop crowd as Yumiko.
"The 'U' of U-Theatre is a phonetic transcription of a Chinese character meaning 'superior, excellence'. In ancient China, this word also referred to 'professional actor' ..U-Theatre is an arts group established in 1988 by Liu Rou-yu ..As a student of Polish director Jerzy Grotowsky, Liu had undergone professional training that took place in the woods .. She decided that the focal point should be 'the development of a performer's body and mind' In 1993, Huang Chih-chun was invited to join as a drum instructor, and he introduced the training method of 'learning meditation prior to drum techniques' .For U-Theatre, performance is not an end in itself, but an aspect of a holistic way of life."
U-Theatre has performed in art festivals around the world New York, London, Moscow, as well as numerous in cities in Asia, Europe and the two American continents.
This movie is first and foremost about U-Theatre. One approach could be to dramatize the history of this arts group. Instead, the Hong Kong movie makers chose to fit it into a gangsters' yarn, for reasons that are painfully obvious. The gangster story is banal and too drawn out. But I do give credit to the movie makers for devoting more than half of the movie to U-Theatre, in the middle section when the protagonist, a kingpin's son, is in exile in Taiwan and becomes a new student in U-Theatre. As well, both founders Liu Rou-yu and Huang Chih-chun are in the movie playing themselves, together with other members of the group, giving the movie authenticity.
While I am not particularly impressed with the script, the acting is fine. Jaycee Chan, looking as like his father Jackie Chan as I've ever seen him in a movie, handles his character's spiritual transformation reasonably well. Lovely Angelica Lee, among the best Chinese actresses today, is not even challenged in her role. The Hong Kong gangster movie veterans have all delivered Tony Leung Ka-fai, Roy Cheung Yiu-yeung, Josie Ho, Kenneth Tsang Kong. For eye-candy, there is Cheng hei-yi, better known to the Hong Kong Canto pop crowd as Yumiko.