[2010.09.03] ANDY LAU DECLINES TO SHAVE HIS EYEBROWS

Andy Lau Tak Wa, Li Bingbing, and Carina Lau Ka Ling with big director Tsui Hark's imagination have already made the big budget production DETECTIVE DEE AND THE MYSTERY OF THE PHANTOM FLAME (DIK YUN KIT ji TUNG TIN DAI GOK) very attractive. As "ancient Sherlock Holmes" Lau Tak Wa described "Wu Zetian" Lau Ka LIng's performance was a return to form and that this film was the director's comeback work to wuxia films. Li Bingbing pointed out that a Wa Jai seduction scene would become the focus.

Lau Tak Wa and Li Bingbing two days ago talked about the production. Wa Jai played the "ancient Sherlock Holmes" Di Renjie, in the film he not only had to investigate a case but also had many action scenes. The director Tsui Hark asked his "bone think" Di Renji early in the shoot to shave his eyebrows. Wa Jai said, "I am not so noble. Back then when I had to dress up as a woman in RUNNING OUT OF TIME (UM JIN), (Johnnie) To Kei Fung wanted me to pluck my eyebrows and said they would grow up. However now they haven't grown back where they should and where they did they did not look good. Now everyday I have to pluck my brows." Wa Jai pointed out that Tsui Hark was known for his imagination, as he thought that ancient people might have brow tattoos he asked him to try. Finally Wa Jai only agreed to let him draw on his brows. Finally Tsui Hark did not feel they looked good. Wa Jai joked, "Luckily I didn't let me shave my brows, otherwise after the shave I wouldn't know what to do if he said it wasn't good." Wa Jai stated that he did not ask for much in terms of image. He just did not want to wear a scalp cap as he thought it would be too fake.

Wa Jai stated that although Tsui Hark was imaginative, everyday at work with him was like a lesson. Tsui Hark was like a professor. Wa Jai pointed out that this film aside from the attractive visual designs was also Tsui Hark return to true form. In recent years Tsui Hark has made many modern films and many felt that his movies did not have any wuxia flavor. Tsui Hark himself was once confused. This time the spotlight was on how Tsui Hark controlled this film. In the film Wa Jai had many action scenes. Action director Sammo Hung Kam Bo hoped it would be different from IP MAN 2 and designed many strange moves. He himself was only half trained so he was only able to perform 80% of the kung fu. Wa Jai also recommended the "ghost city" scene in the film. Wa Jai pointed out that the location was a cave with water. They shot there for six weeks but still did not complete. Everyday he and Bingbing had to ride a rubber raft there. The crew also put them on wires in case they fell into the water during the shoot. Wa Jai said that Tsui Hark fell into the water three times.

Wa Jai and Li Bingbing worked together for the third time after CAT AND MOUSE (LO SHU OI SEUNG MAU) and A WORLD WITHOUT THIEVES (TIN HA MO CHAK). Looking back at seven years ago when he first saw Bingbing on the set, Wa Jai said, "She is just as agile as back then, Even someone as agile as Lau Tak Wa still can't dodge her." Bingbing jokingly claimed that she was a "dumb kid". "When everyone saw Wa Jai taking a beating from me they wanted to laugh but didn't dare to. They were afraid that Wa Jai would get mad." Bingbing also pointed out that the Wa Jai seduction scene would be the entire film's "bright spot". Wa Jai claimed that Bingbing was even more tempting than in THE MESSAGE. Wa Jai also pointed out that originally the set was asked to be cleared but in the end 20 some workers were still on the set. Did they show a lot? Bingbing joked that Wa Jai did and praised his great figure. Wa Jai joked, "I have always thought that she had to strip, but in the end I had to too. At the time I didn't have any special training so the figure was less than perfect." Although their lips were sealed and reluctant to reveal more about the "seduction" scene, Bingbing honestly said that she did not dare to seduce anyone. This time she was able to try it in the film, which truly was fun.

Bingbing longed to work with Wa Jai on a romance like LOOK FOR A STAR (YAU LUNG HEI FUNG) and would rather be romantic with Wa Jai than fight. She praised Wa jai's character iN LOOK was truly too likable. They also had many scenes with "Wu Zetian" Lau Ka Ling. Wa Jai stated that after years without working together, he praised Ka Ling's performance as very dominating. Wa Jai said, "We can't imagine what happened in her life. This time she took her attitude, a type of seen it all attitude and put in on this character of Wu Zetian. She seemed to

expect everyone, it was a return to form performance." Li Bingbing worked with Lau Ka Ling for the first time but earlier they dined together. She felt that Ka Ling really knew how to take care of people and was a great person and a hard working actress. When she saw Ka Ling in heavy costume and head dress, it was quite a hard time.