Wei Zhao

A drama that charts ten years in a transgender woman's relationship with her lover. The movie highlights ten years in the life of a literature teacher named Laurence who transforms himself into a woman after years of concealing his feelings. Her tremulous relationship with her family is further complicated by revealing herself to them while she struggles to find comfort with her significant other Frédérique. Though others may not initially accept or understand Laurence in her true form, those who knew her before her transformation still know her as Laurence, anyways. —~mEp A decade in the relationship of Laurence Alia and Frédérique Bellair is presented. This phase of their story begins in 1989 Montréal when he, a college literature professor, writer and budding novelist, and she, an up and coming filmmaker on the brink of having her first feature film opportunity, have long been in a loving, committed relationship. That outward perfection is shattered when he tells her that he has long felt like a woman trapped in a man's body, and wants to make the gender transition. Beyond the issues of the transition itself which she will gauge herself in how quickly she wants to make them, Laurence will have to prepare herself for the reactions both by people she knows and by those she doesn't, who may be confused, ignorant and/or angry about the gender fluidity she exhibits especially in the early days as she tests the proverbial waters. The transition will add an extra layer of complexity in the already strained relationship she has with her parents, the issues with her mother different than those with her father. As the news comes out of left field for her, Fred, besides Laurence, is arguably the person most affected. Fred still loves her husband but admits that part of what she loves about Laurence is that he is a man. Fred's feelings on the matter, including whether she will stay with Laurence in light of the transition, ebbs and flows over time, if she stays which will also mean she having to deal with the external reactions for which she may be ill-prepared. —Huggo

A Chinese emissary is sent to the Gobi desert to execute a renegade soldier. When a caravan transporting a Buddhist monk and a valuable treasure is threatened by thieves, however, the two warriors might unite to protect the travelers. North of the vast 8th century Tang dynasty Chinese empire, the commercially and culturally priceless silk route is controlled by 36 friendly Buddhist kingdoms. Their are threatened by Turkic nomad tribes, the caravans also by brigand bands. Japanese scholar Lai Qimay not return home until the emperor is satisfied with his missions to retrieve refugees from the barren border lands. The last is competent imperial lieutenant Li, who was proscribed for refusing to execute Turkic prisoners. He now lives among fellow warriors for hire as caravan escorts. Lai Qi and Li reach a gentleman's agreement to postpone their lethal duel till after the safe arrival of a caravan including a young Buddhist monk and his mysterious freight. When Turkic warlord Khan's daughter's hand seals an alliance with brigand sword master An, the only way out is trough the grimly dry Gobi desert. —KGF Vissers The film is set in western China in 700AD during the Tang Dynasty, and revolves around two protagonists, the first of whom is Lieutenant Li of the Chinese army. Li's refusal to kill Göktürk women and child prisoners is classed as a mutiny, leading him to be expelled from the army and to become a fugitive, traveling through the Gobi Desert. Years later, he is saved by the survivors of a caravan which carries a powerful, mystical relic accompanied by a Buddhist monk. Li protects the caravan from Göktürks as well as the overlord of the region, Master An, who is hired by the Göktürk Khan to seize the relic. The second protagonist, a Japanese emissary, Lai Xi, is ordered by the emperor of China to kill the fugitive, Li. In a twist of fate, Lai Xi discovers that the caravan is on a mission and helps Li to defend it, to ensure that it arrives at the capital safely. They promise to fight each other only after their duty is done, although that battle never comes to pass. —Richard Lee

A conflict of interest between two high-kicking assassin sisters is complicated as they're pursued by the criminals who hired them and an equally high-kicking female cop. The giant computer company owned by brothers Chow Nunn and Chow Lui faces a crisis when a powerful computer virus rapidly wipes out their computer network. At the last minute a cyber-friend arrives to join the battle. The mysterious 'Angel.com' battles the virus and saves the company. Invited by Chow Lui for a visit in person, Angel.com arrives in the form of the beautiful Lynn, a professional assassin with amazing high-tech and kung fu skills. She kills Chow Lui with cyanide hidden in a pair of sunglasses. She's aided by her sister Sue, who operates the pair's World Panorama surveillance system, which allows them to tap into any video security system in the world. Young cop Kong Yat Hong and her partner Mark are put on the case. Hong has a brilliant mind and immediately senses she's dealing with a killer with very special skills. Realizing they are facing a tough adversary, Lynn and Sue become fascinated with Hong as well. Lynn runs into Yan, the cousin of an old friend who died. Lynn and Yan shared an unspoken love in the past which is now rekindled in the open, and Lynn begins to question whether she wants to continue to be an assassin. Chow Nunn was behind his older brother's death. He hired Angel.com to kill Lui because Lui opposed Nunn's business plans, and also because Nunn is carrying on a secret affair with Lui's wife. But when Hong's investigation starts to point to Nunn, Nunn becomes worried and decides to hire Angel.com for another hit ^Ö only so he can double-cross them, wipe them out and prevent them from leading the police back to him. Yan tells Lynn he loves her and wants to marry her. After battling an attack by robbers with her amazing martial arts skills, she tells Yan her family's history. Her father invented the World Panorama for use by the authorities, but was turned down. Suspiciously, word of the device got out to the underworld and both parents were brutally killed in front of the girls' eyes by criminals eager to get their hands on the invention. Bereft at the loss of their parents and disillusioned with the law, the sisters turned professional assassins, killing criminals for other criminals. Lynn tells Sue she wants to stop their criminal life and get married, so she won't accept Chow Nunn's order for the second killing. But Sue, angry and feeling abandoned by Lynn, decides to carry out the killing herself. Lynn realizes what's happening and rushes to save Sue, who doesn't have the skills to carry out the hit. They are attacked by Chow's men but escape. Now the assassin and the cop must join forces--so Sue can avenge her sister's death and Hong can prove her innocence in a spectacular confrontation at Chow Nunn's headquarters. —<christian_wong2002@yahoo.com>

"Golden Leg" Fung (Ng Man-Tat), a Hong Kong soccer star, beats and berates his teammate Hung (Patrick Tse) when the latter offers him a check to lose the game, claiming to be the middleman. Fung takes the check in the end and throws the game. Angry spectators beat him and break his leg. Twenty years later, Fung walks with a limp and is the mistreated lackey of Hung, now a successful businessman. When Fung asks to coach Hung's soccer team, Hung mocks him and reveals he tricked him with a bad check and hired those who broke his leg. Hung owns Team Evil which has won the league for 5 years straight now. While drinking his sorrows in the streets, Fung comes across Sing (Stephen Chow), a Shaolin Kung Fu master who wants to promote the practical benefits of the martial art to the world. Sing says that with Kung Fu people can perform common tasks such as parallel parking their cars, trimming the hedges and recovering from a slip on the banana peel much better. No one takes Kung Fu classes from Sing, however, as he is dirty and poor. He steals Mantou from Mui (Zhao Wei), a woman with severe acne who uses Tai chi to make the food. At first disdainful, Fung soon discovers the power of Sing's leg and offers to coach him in soccer. Fung sees firsthand that a soda can kicked by Sing ends up demolishing a brick wall a far distance away. Then Fung sees Sing fighting a gang of ruffians and defeating them with his kicking skills. Compelled by the idea of promoting Kung Fu through soccer, Sing asks his former Shaolin brothers to join his team. The winning team in the National SuperCup Tournament earns one million dollars. Sing's brothers include Iron Head (Wong Yat-Fei) (His style of Kung Fu utilizes his immensely hard head, and he specializes in headers during matches. He was employed as a waiter at a bar), Hooking Leg (Mok Mei-Lam) (As the team's full-back, Hooking Leg's Shaolin skills resemble ground tumbling boxing, which he uses to keep the ball away from the opponent and confuse them. He is employed as a dishwasher), Iron Shirt (Tin Kai-Man) (As the team's full-back, Iron Shirt can absorb blunt force attacks without injuries, as well as hold and propel the ball with his abdomen. He is a successful businessman), Empty Hand (Danny Chan Kwok-Kwan) (Empty Hand resembles Bruce Lee to the point of wearing his yellow and black jumpsuit from Game of Death. As the team's goalkeeper, his fast hands and powerful arms allow him to instantly and accurately catch objects thrown at him. He is unemployed), Light Weight Vest (Lam Chi-Chung) (He is the team's winger. Despite his illness, he is capable of utilizing his style of Kung Fu to leap incredible heights, giving the illusion of flight. He is employed at a retail store as store attendant). The brothers were trained by the same Shaolin master, and they had promised the master that they would help teach others the art of Kung Fu. As a test, Fung arranges a game with Team Rebellion known for vicious cheating led by their captain (Fung Min-Hun). The thug team gives the Shaolin team a beating. Fung explains to Sing that soccer is war and that Sing has to figure out a way to win. When all seems lost, the Shaolin team members reawaken their powers and utilize them to defeat the other team. The thugs ask to join Sing's team. Sing takes Mui to try on expensive dresses at a high-end department store after hours and offers to buy her one as thanks. Sing tells Mui that she is beautiful and that she should have the confidence to believe in herself. She gets a makeover to impress him, though the team and her boss mock her exaggerated '80s look. When Mui hints at her feelings for Sing, he tells her he only wants to be friends. She disappears after her boss fires her. Sing is told by the boss that Mui's buns were no longer sweet but salty. Sing realizes that the buns were salty due to the salt from her tears that were falling into the dough. Team Shaolin enters the open cup competition in Hong Kong, where they see ridiculously one-sided victories due to their powers. They only meet their match in the final against Hung's Team Evil, who have superhuman strength and speed due to an American drug. The goalkeeper of Team Evil (Cao Hua) can stop all shots at his goal with one hand inside his pocket. Sing's best and most powerful shots are also unable to move the goalkeeper even a tiny bit. The referee has also been bought out by Hung. Team Evil badly injures two of Team Shaolin's goalkeepers; the powerless members of Team Shaolin flee. As the team is about to lose by default, Mui, who has shaved her head, reappears to be their goalkeeper. When Team Evil's striker kicks the ball with flaming force towards Mui, she stops it with Tai Chi. She and Sing combine their skills and rocket the ball downfield. The ball blows through Team Evil's goal while hurling along all its players, scoring the sole and winning goal. Later, Hung is imprisoned for doping, while the Team Evil players receive lifetime bans. Sing goes out for a jog and is pleased to see people around him using Kung Fu in their everyday lives, his lifelong dream having become a reality. A large ad on the side of a building shows that Sing and Mui, a famous couple, have won the world championship in bowling, among other things.