The nomination list for the 32nd Hong Kong Film Awards 2013 had been announced a month ago. Usually, I didn’t catch up with this awards presentation that honours the best in Hong Kong film industry for the past year annually which is equivalent to US’ Academy Awards or UK’s BAFTA Awards. Usually, most of the nominated films are those much complex and are more into ‘artistic’ value which is always being perceived as boring. That wouldn’t be suitable for me. However, for this year’s nomination list, most of the films that made it are of action or thriller category. Something surprising.
Here’s below is the official nomination list for the 32nd Hong Kong Film Awards 2013 which would be held in April 2013. That is quite far from now, which allows a long time of speculation on who will win the top honours offered. Right after the list of each category, I would provide some of my brief comments. Some categories came with no comments. The Bullet Vanishes and Cold War lead the nominations (and I didn’t watch both).
Best Picture
Vulgaria <低俗喜劇>
Motorway <車手>
The Bullet Vanishes <消失的子彈>
The Viral Factor <逆戰>
Cold War <寒戰>
Comment: Out of these five films, I have only watched ‘The Viral Factor’ since most of the film took place in my city, Kuala Lumpur. It’s a film full of action that stars Nicholas Tse from Hong Kong and Jay Chou from Taiwan, two very popular artists. But I don’t think it would win. Instead, I think movie like ‘Cold War’ would take this award.
Best Director
Cheang Pou Soi (Motorway)
Pang Ho Cheung (Love in the Buff)
Law Chi Leung (The Bullet Vanishes)
Dante Lam (The Viral Factor)
Longman Leung and Sunny Luk (Cold War)
Comment: Usually if the director of a particular film win this, then the film itself would grab the best picture. So, I vote for Longman Leung and Sunny Luk for Cold War. Actually, The Viral Factor’s director, Dante Lam deserves very much too due to his impressive directing effort in The Viral Factor.
Best Screenplay
Pang Ho Cheung, Luk Yee Sum, and Lam Chiu Wing (Vulgaria)
Pang Ho Cheung, Luk Yee Sum (Love in the Buff)
Law Chi Leung, Yeung Sin Ling (The Bullet Vanishes)
Longman Leung, Sunny Luk (Cold War)
Alan Mak and Felix Chong (The Silent War)
Best Actor
Nick Cheung (Nightfall)
Chapman To (Vulgaria)
Sean Lau (The Bullet Vanishes)
Tony Leung Ka Fai (Cold War)
Tony Leung Chiu Wai (The Silent War)
Comment: Out of these five nominees, four had won this award before respectively. Only Chapman To didn’t. He had contributed so many years to Hong Kong film industry but his effort is not much seen as he usually goes into comedic role. But I think now should be the time for him to win this. He totally deserved it. Sometimes, it’s not easy to portray a funny role. He did it brilliantly well.
Best Actress
Zhou Xun (The Great Magician)
Miriam Yeung (Love in the Buff)
Sammi Cheng (Romancing in Thin Air)
Elanne Kong (Love Lifting)
Zhou Xun (The Silent War)
Comment: Please give this to Sammi Cheng, one of my idols. She had been nominated for many times in previous years but didn’t make it eventhough she is so famous and had made much achievements in singing career. Eventhough Romancing in Thin Air is a boring film, but Sammi performed exceptionally amazing as a mostly sad character in this one. It’s time for her to get this. Zhou Xun is always a big competitor to Sammi (she won this award in the year when Sammi had high chance for her performance in Everlasting Regrets several years ago). What? Elanne Kong is in the nomination? What a big surprise.
Best Supporting Actor
Ronald Cheng (Vulgaria)
Liu Kai Chi (The Bullet Vanishes)
Gordon Lam (Cold War)
Chapman To (Diva)
Alex Man (The Bounty)
Comment: If Chapman To didn’t get best actor, then at least give this to him. His contribution should be credited. Other nominees should be looked down too.
Best Supporting Actress
Susan Shaw (Vulgaria)
Dada Chen (Vulgaria)
Jiang Yiyan (The Bullet Vanishes)
Elaine Jin (The Viral Factor)
Mavis Fan (The Silent War)
Best New Performer
Zhang Lanxin (CZ12)
Joyce Feng (The Last Tycoon)
Jayden Yuan (Tai Chi 0)
Alex Tsui (Cold War)
Sammy Shum (Lan Kwai Fong 2)
Comment: Out of these five, I find Sammy outshines the others. But Sammy’s nomination is a last minute call after June Lam is disqualified.
Best Cinematography
Andrew Lau and Jason Kwan (The Last Tycoon)
Chan Chi Ying (The Bullet Vanishes)
Kenny Tse (The Viral Factor)
Jason Kwan and Kenny Tse (Cold War)
Anthony Pun (The Silent War)
Best Editing
Yau Chi Wai (CZ12)
David Richardson and Allen Leung (Motorway)
Chung Wai Chiu (The Viral Factor)
Kwong Chi Leung and Ron Chan (The Bullet Vanishes)
Kwong Chi Leung and Wong Hoi (Cold War)
Best Art Direction
Yee Chung Man and Eric Lam (The Last Tycoon)
Yip Kam Tim (Tai Chi 0)
Lau Sai Wan (The Guillotines)
Silver Cheung and Lee Kin Wai (The Bullet Vanishes)
Man Lim Chung (The Silent War)
Best Costume Design and Make-Up
Yee Chung Man and Jessie Dai (The Great Magician)
Yip Kam Tim (Tai Chi 0)
Dora Ng (The Guillotines)
Stanley Cheung (The Bullet Vanishes)
Man Lim Chung (The Silent War)
Best Action Choreography
Jackie Chan and He Jun (Chinese Zodiac)
Sammo Hung (Tai Chi 0)
Chin Ka Lok and Wong Wai Fai, Ng Hoi Tong (Motorway)
Dante Lam, Chin Ka Lok, Wong Wai Fai, Ng Hoi Tong (The Viral Factor)
Chin Ka Lok and Wong Wai Fai (Cold War)
Comment: Obvious 100% vote to The Viral Factor. A film full of great action as I remembered.
Best Original Film Score
Chan Kwong Wing and Yu Peng (The Last Tycoon)
Teddy Robin and Tommy Wai (The Bullet Vanishes)
Peter Kam (Cold War)
Eman Lam and Veronica Lee (Diva)
Chan Kwong Wing (The Silent War)
Best Original Song
定風波 (from The Last Tycoon)
刀鋒偏冷 (from The Guillotines)
DoReMi (from Romancing in Thin Air)
戀無可戀 (from Lan Kwai Fong 2)
追風箏的風箏 (from Diva)
Comment: Sammi Cheng’s DoReMi won Golden Horse Awards last year for best original song. Hope she can continue her win here too. A very simple, little yet emotional song.
Best Sound Design
Kinson Tsang (The Guillotines)
Benny Chu and Steve Miller (Motorway)
Phyllis Cheng (The Bullet Vanishes)
Kinson Tsang (The Viral Factor)
Kinson Tsang (Cold War)
Best Visual Effects
Han Young Woo, Victor Wong, Patrick Chui, and Seong Ho Jang (CZ12)
Chas Chau, Kim Ho, Ng Yuen Fai, and A Law (Tai Chi 0)
Victor Wong (The Guillotines)
Law Wai Ho and Hellowing Cheung (Motorway)
Cecil Cheng (Cold War)
Best New Director
Chow Hin Yeung (Nightfall)
Brian Tse (McDull: The Pork of Music)
Fung Chih Chiang (The Bounty)
Best Film of Mainland and Taiwan
Back to 1942 <一九四二>
Gf*Bf <女朋友。男朋友>
Love is Not Blind <失戀33天>
Painted Skin: The Resurrection <畫皮II>
Love <愛Love>
(Image and information in this post are from the following source: http://www.jaynestars.com/movies/2013-hong-kong-film-awards-cold-war-and-the-bullet-vanishes-lead-nominations/)
