Chinese actress Gong Li, Chinese director Zhang Yimou, Hong Kong actor Chow Yun-Fat and his wife attended the world premiere of their new film Curse of the Golden Flower, written and directed by Zhang Yimou, on the Closing Night of the AFI Fest 2006 in Hollywood, California November 12.

 

 

However, contrary to praise from China's movie reviewers and executives of Sony Pictures Classics, a number of foreign critics weren't overly impressed by the movie. For example, Kirk Honeycutt of the Hollywood Reporter has said that "Some critics have worried about his obsession with visual dazzle and digitized effects, but the stories and fights in the first two films more than measured up to the sumptuous design. Curse, though, feels disappointingly inert."

 

The movie is set to hit Chinese screens on December 14 and US cinemas eight days later. It is the Chinese entry for the foreign-language Oscar, while Zhang and Gong will compete for Best Director and Best Leading Actress respectively.

 

 

 

 

 

 

(China News Service, China.org.cn by Zhang Rui November 14, 2006)