Final Justice Return to Review Archive - FYear: 1997 Eric Tsang and Carman Lee Director: Derek Chiu Sung-Kei Producer: Johnnie To Kei-Fung Cast: Lau Ching-Wan, Eric Tsang Chi-Wai, Carman Lee Yeuk-Tung, Almen Wong Pui-Ha, *Tse Kwan-Ho*The Skinny: Director Derek Chiu has a hammer and he uses it! You'll get the point of this effective though heavy-handed drama. Reviewby Kozo: The first film from those guys at Milky Way productions shows the same uncompromising edge that marks their later, more effective works. Lau Ching-Wan is a devout Catholic priest who succumbs to temptation in the form of a promiscuous, emotionally damaged woman named Donna (Almen Wong). After one night together, he spurns her citing the impossibility of their relationship. Would that he could sweep the situation under the rug - she slaps him with a lawsuit claiming that he raped her, and the fireworks begin. What follows is an ethical and moral struggle between keeping one’s vows and finding justice, and how the two concepts sometimes are incompatible. Making things more difficult is the presence of Eric Tsang as an old childhood friend of Lau’s, who’s now a vicious triad who uses his religion to justify all his evil deeds. Lau is called upon to testify against Tsang using whatever confession he’s heard - a definite no-no in the priesthood. There are some well-staged ethical battles in this film, as well as a final opaque action that throws the entire film’s discussion out of whack. Lau can’t decide what’s more important - keeping an oath or saving a soul. The fact that the film ends the way it does says volumes, though the deposited pearl of wisdom could still fit on a bubblegum wrapper. Helping matters is the acting, which is excellent. Tsang is marvelous as the self-justifying triad and Lau underplays his role effectively. Equally impressive is Carman Lee, who shows integrity as Lau’s defense lawyer. Sadly, Derek Chiu directs with an iron sledgehammer. He doesn’t use it much, but he breaks your skull with it when he does. His lack of restraint means some of the most blatant symbolism since Mel Gibson got drawn and quartered in Braveheart. Watch out for falling crosses. (Kozo 1997) 

Mad about the PhoenixSouth China Morning Post 1998/04/17 There's one role that Tse Kwan-ho knows only too wells, on stage andscreen.It must surely be one of life's ironies that actor Tse Kwan-ho should end up with a Golden Horse - Asia's equivalent of the Academy Awards -for best actor. His training and his true affection, after all, lie withthe theatre. Yet he has never won an acting award for his stage roles, after almost a decade of theatre work. "But I have been nominated several times. That's already a great honour," he says with a laugh. The coveted Golden Horse that sits on a shelf in his home was in recognition of Tse's portrayal of the legendary eccentric scriptwriterNam Hoi Sup Sam Long in The Mad Phoenix which was adapted from a stageplay by Raymond To Kwok-Wai. The story tells how Nam Hoi Sup Sam Long went from being the most famous playwright in Hong Kong from 1940-60, to becoming a mad destitute who froze to death on the streets. It wasTse's first leading role in a movie and he won despite strong competition, in particular from favourite Tony Leung Chiu-wai (Happy Together). Granted, the role of Nam Hoi Sup Sam Long is one that Tse knows like the back of his hand since he had already starred in the same role inmore than 30 stage performances before being cast in the film adaptation. Critics will be waiting to see if Tse can repeat his win at the Hong Kong Film Awards on April 26, where he will be competingagainst Lau Ching-wan (Full Alert), Tong Leung (Happy Together) and Leslie Cheung (Happy Together). Tse gives himself an equal chance of winning but says that it would just be "extra profit" for him if he does. "These things are hard to predict. I never thought i would win [the Golden Horse]. Life remainsthe same; nothing has changed," says Tse, who is repeating his award-winning role in another stage run of thhe Mad Phoenix at the Academy of Performing Arts. "When you have the chance to [act in] a good film and other people give you recognition for it, it's not that big a deal. "The award hasnot changed my priorities. If there is a role that I like and if thetime is right, I'll take it. I don't mind too much about the money."While Tse says success has not changed him, there have been some media reports that the actor has become a little arrogant. "I remember hearing something like that," Tse admits readily."I think that was when I refused to have some pictures taken with Lunar New Year posters. I find having that kind of picture taken veryembarrassing, so I refused. However, the reporters were not to bedaunted. Somehow they found out where I was going and ambushed me witha whole bag of the posters. I had to have the pictures taken anyway !"he adds with a laugh. While many actors may find it difficult to return to the less glamorous world of stage productions after the glitter of films, Tse insists that is where his interest remains. After graduating in acting at the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts, Tse joined the Hong Kong

Repertory Theatre and moved up to become one of the group's principalactors. During his time with the HKRT, Tse starred in productions such as Cyrano De Bergerac, 72 Tenants and I Have A Date with Spring. Last year, he signed on with new theatre/film co. Springtime Productions, which produced the award-winning sleeper film hit I HaveA Date With Spring and The Mad Phoenix, and also the more recent stage musical, Pygmalion. Contrary to popular belief that Tse joined Springtime to make the transition form stage to celluloid, the 34-year-old says that his contract was only forr the stage productions. "It's not that I don't like making films - or making money," he says, "but[if] I have to ask myself which is closer to my heart, it's the stage. I don't believe that you can put something like this aside fora few years and tell yourself that you'll go back to it later. It is very difficult. If I put theatre aside now, I would not be able to goback." Instead, Tse has thrown himself back into the theatre world. After The Mad Phoenix, he will start work on The Umbrella Story for which he will be the lead as well as the director. At the end of the year,he will star in another stage classic, The Lover. In the meantime, hehas also finished two films, one of which is King Of Hangzhou, aboutanother legendary character. Tse is most excited about The Umbrella Story since it will be the first time that he will be directing , a skill which he hopes to be able to focus on in future. In the long run, Tse knows that directing will give him a longer career lifespan." I still like acting but I hope I will be able to do more directingtoo. If I could direct one project a year, which I don't have to starin , it would be ideal. It would also help me look at the plays from another perspective," he says. "There are too many things to worry about as an actor. You worry whenyou're tired because you must look good. You have to remember your lines. The director uses his mind; he sits there and observes and manages." He hopes to achieve this next year after Springtime Productions signson a few more full-time actors for its productions. At the moment, Tseis the only contracted actor on their books. Next year, Tse will staropposite veteran film actress Chan Po-Chu, who will be making her stage debut, as well as her big comeback after more than two decadesout of the limelight. "I'm not nervous about that at all; the attention will all be on sister Po-chu," he says with glee, glad to have the responsibility off his shoulders. After so many years, Tse has full confidence in his acting skills, which he describes as "well-rounded". "On stage, this is true," he says. "If I said I was not [good], I would be lying." It does not mean that he is unaware of his shortcomings, he adds. "Singing and dancing," he says soberly. "Those are my weak points, unless I can turn it into a parody. If we're talking about serious singing and dancing, I couldn't do it." Although Tse lists comedian Stephen Chiau Sing-chi as one of his idols, film comedy is another genre that Tse is reluctant to try even though he concedes that he has a good grasp of comic timing."Nowadays there are no top-rated comedies anymore. And film comediesare difficult; it's not the same as the stage. "In films, a lot depends on the individual. You have to have that rapport with the audience," he says. "The audience has to be able to think of the actor as a friend. And it isn't something that you can achieve with just one or two movies. A lot of comedy film stars come from television work."By the time the present run of The Mad Phoenix ends on April 25, Tse will have acted in more that 100 performances of the play. Little wonders that he is tired of the character. Although the character hasbeen his major claim to fame, he is not too worried that he will be typecast forever as the mad, brilliantly eccentric writer. "I can't help it if people want to stereotype me. I have a lot of work [lined up] after this. Personally, I don't think I will be typecast. It's just that the film is very popular and the character is so special." 这篇是讲南海的东西！如需翻译，请说一声!

这个网站！！！！不知各位有没去看过！http://www.geocities.com/dramanatic/intro.html

楼上那个网站东西很全！新人应该去看一下，基本君豪所有的戏，从舞台到银幕！还有广播剧剧==的介绍！

忘记了！还有报刊杂志的内容！！当然不是近几年的，不过都是过去香港的！

网站就是戏剧狂人,内地进不到....我已经传了一部分的新闻,放在百度啦~~http://post.baidu.com/f?kz=155063879http://post.baidu.com/f?kz=154368139http://post.baidu.com/f?kz=155062376

这个网站，果然很全

好久没这么大篇幅的看英文了,算不算是个锻炼考验啊?^0^

好大篇幅的英文哦...

有人需要翻译吗?

I think Haibian need translate~

海边其实你可以把“金山词霸”打开再看，很方便的！

晕~~~