Hong Kong movie star Tony Leung Chiu-wai’s
soulful eyes will soon gaze upon Fort Greene from the BAMcinematek
screen during a 12-film retrospective, beginning Dec. 1.
With those orbs, Leung gets possibly his best performance out
of his mute character in Taiwanese master Hou Hsiao-hsien’s "A
City of Sadness" (1989; plays Dec. 11). Even when playing
against his nice-guy type as a slick pimp/poet in the strange
and gorgeous Vietnamese drama "Cyclo" (1995, Dec. 16),
they’re inky pools of guilt and self-loathing.
In BAM’s "Hard Boiled & In the Mood" series, there’s
arguably too much of arthouse favorite Wong Kar-wai. Five of
the director’s six movies with Leung swallow almost half the
series, and all have had plenty of local exposure (i.e., "In
the Mood for Love," 2000, Dec. 17). Still, they’re exquisite,
so if you haven’t seen them, don’t fumble your hundredth chance.
The pulp, crowd-pleasing side of Leung’s career is on display
in treats like the 2000 action-comedy "Tokyo Raiders"
which screens on Dec. 4.
"Hard Boiled & In the Mood: Tony Leung" runs Dec.
1-18 at BAM Rose Cinemas, 30 Lafayette Ave. at Ashland Place.
For a complete schedule and more information, call (718) 636-4100
or log on to www.bam.org.
