Luxury Car (film)
Encyclopedia
Luxury Car is a 2006
film directed
by Wang Chao
. The film was produced by China's Bai Bu Ting Media and France's Rosem Films, and in association with Arte France Cinéma.
Luxury Car premiered on May 22, 2006 at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival
, where it won the side competition for the Prix un certain regard.
to search for his missing son, who his dying wife has requested to see one last time. In Wuhan, he meets his daughter, a karaoke bar escort who introduces him to an old police officer who offers to help. It soon becomes apparent to both the father and the policeman that the mobsters running the daughter's karaoke bar and the son's disappearance are linked.
(2001) and Day and Night (2004). The concept for the film and its focus on parents who have become disconnected from their children, came about, according to Wang, after he discovered that his mother had contracted cancer. Wang has also stated what his socially-conscious intentions were behind the film:
in central China's Hubei
province. Director Wang Chau noted that Wuhan represents to him, a "very typical Chinese city," in particular its mix of urban and rural, modern and traditional.
The main cast in addition, were all locals from the city, including the actors playing the father, the police officer and the daughter.
s Dwayne Byrge, for example, after seeing the film at Cannes praised Luxury Car's cast, in particular Wu Youcai as the father and Chinese pop star Tian Yuan
in the role of the daughter, but overall found the film "predictable and narratively uninspired."
On the other hand, Variety's
Derek Elley showered only praise on the film, emphasizing the performances of Tian and Wu, and noting that the film is "tightly written and beautifully played."
2006 in film
- Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2006...
film directed
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
by Wang Chao
Wang Chao (director)
Wang Chao is a Chinese film director and screenwriter, sometimes considered part of the loosely defined "sixth generation." Wang began his career serving as an assistant director to the fifth generation auteur, Chen Kaige, working with the elder director on epics like Farewell My Concubine and...
. The film was produced by China's Bai Bu Ting Media and France's Rosem Films, and in association with Arte France Cinéma.
Luxury Car premiered on May 22, 2006 at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival
2006 Cannes Film Festival
The 2006 Cannes Film Festival ran from May 17, 2006 to May 28, 2006. Twenty films from eleven countries were in competition for the Palme d'Or. The President of the Official Jury was Wong Kar-wai, the first Chinese director to preside over the jury....
, where it won the side competition for the Prix un certain regard.
Plot
The film follows an old man from the countryside who goes to WuhanWuhan
Wuhan is the capital of Hubei province, People's Republic of China, and is the most populous city in Central China. It lies at the east of the Jianghan Plain, and the intersection of the middle reaches of the Yangtze and Han rivers...
to search for his missing son, who his dying wife has requested to see one last time. In Wuhan, he meets his daughter, a karaoke bar escort who introduces him to an old police officer who offers to help. It soon becomes apparent to both the father and the policeman that the mobsters running the daughter's karaoke bar and the son's disappearance are linked.
Cast
- Tian YuanTian YuanTian Yuan is a Chinese singer-songwriter, actress, novelist and photographer. Born in Wuhan, China, she majored in English at Beijing Language and Culture University, and graduated in 2007.-Music career:...
, as Li Yanhong, a young woman from the countryside who has moved to the city in search of a better life. She finds herself, however, working as a prostitute in a karaoke bar instead. - Wu Youcai, as Li Qiming, Li Yanhong's father, an elderly schoolteacher who has come to Wuhan in search of his son.
- Li Yiqing, as a policeman, an aging detective who has agreed to help Li Yanhong in his search
- Huang HeHuang He (actor)Huang He is a Taiwanese actor. He is the first actor signed by the director Yee Chin-yen. He won the Best Actor of the Golden Bell Awards in 2007. In 2009, he starred in a Sweden/Taiwanese film, Miss Kicki. And in 2010, he starred in Juliet, a Taiwanese film inspired by the tragic love story Romeo...
, as He Ge the owner of the Karaoke bar and Li Yanhong's "boyfriend" - Li Li, as A Li, another prostitute and Li Yanhong's roommate.
Story
Luxury Car is the third film in Wang's informal trilogy on life in modern China following The Orphan of AnyangThe Orphan of Anyang
The Orphan of Anyang is a 2001 Chinese film from Sixth Generation writer-director Wang Chao. It is Wang's first feature film as director , and is based on a novel written by the director...
(2001) and Day and Night (2004). The concept for the film and its focus on parents who have become disconnected from their children, came about, according to Wang, after he discovered that his mother had contracted cancer. Wang has also stated what his socially-conscious intentions were behind the film:
Location
The film was shot and takes place almost entirely within the city of WuhanWuhan
Wuhan is the capital of Hubei province, People's Republic of China, and is the most populous city in Central China. It lies at the east of the Jianghan Plain, and the intersection of the middle reaches of the Yangtze and Han rivers...
in central China's Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
province. Director Wang Chau noted that Wuhan represents to him, a "very typical Chinese city," in particular its mix of urban and rural, modern and traditional.
The main cast in addition, were all locals from the city, including the actors playing the father, the police officer and the daughter.
Reception
Outside of the film festival circuit, Luxury Car remains little seen. For those audiences that have seen the film, the reaction has been muted praise. The Hollywood ReporterThe Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
s Dwayne Byrge, for example, after seeing the film at Cannes praised Luxury Car's cast, in particular Wu Youcai as the father and Chinese pop star Tian Yuan
Tian Yuan
Tian Yuan is a Chinese singer-songwriter, actress, novelist and photographer. Born in Wuhan, China, she majored in English at Beijing Language and Culture University, and graduated in 2007.-Music career:...
in the role of the daughter, but overall found the film "predictable and narratively uninspired."
On the other hand, Variety's
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
Derek Elley showered only praise on the film, emphasizing the performances of Tian and Wu, and noting that the film is "tightly written and beautifully played."
External links
- Luxury Car at the Chinese Movie Database