Word: zhao
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...film centers on an idealistic Chinese antidrug cop (Vicky Zhao Wei) in Yunnan province who becomes emotionally entangled with a handsome stranger (Hong Kong's Nicholas Tse, with sideburns at proper idol-length). Tse turns out to be a drug smuggler, and because carnally cavorting with convicted criminals is a no-no in the Public Security Bureau, Goddess abruptly switches gears to an '80s cop-revenge drama, complete with shootouts and children in peril. All that's missing is Mel Gibson and Danny Glover engaging in witty repartee and senseless violence...
...Despite plot twists that strain credulity, the film works, thanks mostly to Zhao's soulful performance as a cop torn between love, duty and motherhood. With her elfin stature, Zhao couldn't intimidate a jaywalker, but her convincing portrayal confirms her status as one of China's best actresses. Goddess's real success is its rewarding fusion of mainstream mainland actors with Hong Kong indie vision, pointing the way for future cross-border collaborations. When Zhao and Tse exchange smoldering glances (and occasional gunfire), one country, two systems never looked so good...
...Zhao...
...public forgave, or forgot. Lucky that it did, because now audiences will get to see her in Jade Goddess as An Xin, a policewoman who faces an unwanted pregnancy, friction at headquarters and an affair with a drug trafficker (Tse) whom she is assigned to hunt down. Zhao's performance must, and does, show the weight of these dilemmas as they threaten to crush her. The mood on the set was nearly as serious as that in the film, but Zhao says she respects the care Hui took with every element of production. "In the morning, when I'd come...
...only Zhao understood herself as well as her director does. Here she takes a stab: "Perhaps my most outstanding personal trait is my lack of outstanding personal traits. The characters I play have much more personality than I do. So maybe it's easier for me to slip into the various characters. Also, the parts I play are all very different. So in that sense my absence of persona is an advantage. But maybe one day I'll develop a strong personality and it'll give me a whole new kind of career...