We got a teaser trailer back in December, but this new trailer for Wong Kar-wai’s take on an Ip Man biopic actually shows some footage.
Wong’s Ip Man is one of his regulars, Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, who has some action flicks in the past (Hero, Red Cliff) but isn’t exactly Donnie Yen, but that doesn’t seem to be too important, as Wong has so stylized the action that it doesn’t really flow like a proper fight scene. For me, that’s not really a good thing, but I’m still curious to see what kind of film Wong makes of the subject.
Tony is as great an actor, as Donnie Yen is a martial artist, and considering this is a film made about a kung fu figure, by an “art film” director, the strength an actor brings, as an observer of human psychology, is more important than martial arts ability. Â Ip Man’s story has already been brought to the screen with the strengths relying on the kung fu; this time, the portrayal of the man is more important. Â If it takes choppy editing to sell Leung’s one year of Wing Chun training, so be it. Â Nobody in their right mind thinks one year of training is going to compete with Yen’s 45 years of martial arts experience, just as no one with a brain in their head should expect Yen’s experience with acting amount to anywhere near Leung’s mastery of the art, and yet Donnie did a completely respectable job with Ip Man. Â I expect Tony to do just as well with his kung fu, as Donnie did with his acting. Â Everybody who seems to take jabs at one Ip Man portrayal against the other, should be fair, and give these two extraordinary men credit where it is due. Â Maybe Ip Man was a figure who actually deserves the portrayals of these two men. HE would probably be complimented that two such men should play him. Â Why do others have a problem with it?
And BTW, one of Leung’s action films was “Butterfly & Sword,” in which he fought side by side with Michelle Yeoh and…. DONNIE YEN.
Cheerio!