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Cinema

Cinema
Views, news, and reviews of films, from the latest releases to classic oldies.
Illustration: Mario Rivera
Hong Kong culture

Opinion | What Hong Kong cinema can take away from a popular Chinese war film

If productions need not be set in China to be seen as Chinese, why must Hong Kong films rely on language or place as proof of identity?

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Fame and celebrity

Meet Slow Horses star Gary Oldman’s wife, Gisele Schmidt

American cinema

Why Oliver Stone’s Snowden remains a terrifying surveillance warning 10 years on

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Books and literature

New book peeks behind the scenes of Sofia Coppola’s 2006 cult classic Marie Antoinette

Photographer Andrew Durham documents life on and off the lavish set of Sofia Coppola’s Oscar-winning cult classic, shot on location at the Palace of Versailles.

Making Marie Antoinette by Andrew Durham is a new book covering the 2006 film’s shooting on location at the Palace of Versailles, with Kirsten Dunst playing the film’s lead character. Photo: Handout
Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

From Cheng Pei-pei to Michelle Yeoh, Hong Kong’s history of action heroines

Hong Kong studios embraced female action stars long before Hollywood. Here’s how some of the biggest triumphed in wuxia and kung fu films.

Fame and celebrity

Meet Cillian Murphy’s lookalike son, Aran

The Oppenheimer star’s youngest child made his screen debut in 2022’s Lola and has three releases lined up, including one with Amy Adams and Jenna Ortega.

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What to do in Hong Kong

5 of the best things to do in Hong Kong this weekend, September 18-20

A rooftop market, a free mini music festival and an all-you-can-eat pizza block party are among our picks this weekend in Hong Kong.

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The pizza block party will happen on September 19.
Fame and celebrity

Meet Anthony Ippolito, who stars as Sylvester Stallone in I Play Rocky

From playing a young Adam Sandler in Pixels to Al Pacino in The Offer, Ippolito continues his streak of portraying Hollywood’s biggest names.

Academy Awards

Oscars body champions emerging film talent at Toronto International Film Festival

Hosted at the Toronto International Film Festival and supported by Rolex, the awards connect a new generation of filmmakers with the global industry.

Crime

Rob Reiner’s son Nick won’t face death penalty in trial for parents’ killing

The Hollywood icon and his wife Michele Singer were found stabbed to death at their home in an affluent Los Angeles neighbourhood.

Nick Reiner appears during his arraignment in Los Angeles County Superior Court in February. Photo: Reuters
Fame and celebrity

The next 007? Slow Horses’ Jack Lowden is Gary Oldman’s tip to be the new James Bond

The Scottish actor is married to Saoirse Ronan and has appeared in films including Dunkirk and Mary Queen of Scots – but will he succeed Daniel Craig?

Jack Lowden has been heralded for his roles on stage and screen, but could he be about to land one of the biggest roles in all of cinema? Photo: @dior/Instagram
Get to Know

Meet Lee Pace, who plays Ian Wright in Practical Magic 2

The actor, who is married to a Thom Browne executive, boasts an impressive list of fantasy credits, including The Hobbit trilogy and The Twilight Saga.

Martial arts

Why are Chun-Li’s thighs so big? All about the Street Fighter character

We look at the Chinese martial artist’s backstory, sexualised design, the actors who played her – and a bizarre Jackie Chan cosplay moment.

European cinema

Best movies from the 2026 Venice Film Festival, including Possible Love and Musk

Indie dramas and documentaries, rather than big Hollywood productions, took the spotlight at this year’s festival. Here are 10 of the best.

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Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk walks to the stage to speak alongside Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign event at the Butler Farm Show, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Butler, Pa. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
European cinema

Review | Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom is a hilarious horror spoof

Aardman Animations’ latest is a horror-infused celebration of slapstick and sly film references sure to delight viewers of all ages.

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A still from Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom (category I), directed by Steve Cox and Matthew Walker.
LGBTQ

‘Authentic’: Chinese-Canadian director’s queer love story starring Joan Chen

Xiaodan He opens up on ‘Montreal, My Beautiful’, in which an immigrant Chinese wife falls in love with a younger Quebecoise woman.

Venice Film Festival

‘Woman Unknown’ wins Gold Lion at Venice Film Festival

Danish filmmaker May el-Toukhy was the only woman directing a feature film in the main 21-strong film line-up.

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Asian cinema

Review | Let Us Through, Dear Ancestors: Lav Diaz’s gruelling colonial epic

Director Lav Diaz’s latest film explores colonial terror, faith and resistance in a perilous 17th century jungle in the Philippines.

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Christian Bables (centre) in a still from Let Us Through, Dear Ancestors.
K-drama news

Profile | Who is Nana, star of Netflix K-dramas The Scandal and Mask Girl?

Nana’s rise in the industry has been a journey of talent, resilience and reinvention, going from singer and model to bona fide actress.

On Our Radar

HKLGFF: 37 years of queer cinema, from Leslie Cheung to RuPaul

Asia’s longest-running international LGBTQ film festival invites Hong Kong audiences on an emotional, cinematic ride, with a revamped programming featuring six distinct ‘moods’.

Fame and celebrity

Meet Sandra Bullock’s children, Louis and Laila

The Blind Side actress’ adopted son and daughter make a surprise cameo in her first film since 2022, which co-stars Nicole Kidman, Joey King and Maisie Williams.

Sandra Bullock at the world premiere of Practical Magic 2 in August (left) and with daughter Laila (now aged 13) when she was a toddler. Photos: AP; @sandrabullock/Instagram
Asian cinema

Review | A Bit of Light: Iranian drama about Tehran doctor strikes melancholic chord

Ali Asgari’s Tehran-set drama about an aggrieved doctor who decides to end it all as war looms is well acted but never fully bursts into life.

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Missagh Zareh in a still from A Bit of Light, directed by Ali Asgari and co-starring Sadaf Asgari and Forouzan Jamshidnejad. Photo: Seven Springs Pictures
Hong Kong society

‘Rest in eternal peace’: veteran horror actor, filmmaker Simon Loui dies at age 62

Long-time friend, fellow actor Frankie Ng reveals to reporters on Friday that Loui lost his battle with gastric cancer earlier this week.

Hong Kong celebrities and icons

Profile | How Cantopop lyricist Wyman Wong became a cultural force in Hong Kong

Songwriter for the stars, fashion journalist, LGBTQ activist – Wong’s impact on modern Hong Kong culture cannot be overstated.

Asian cinema: Hong Kong film

On This Day | Deanie Ip scores first best actress win for Hong Kong in Venice – SCMP archive

Ip’s portrayal of an ageing domestic servant in Ann Hui’s film won her the prestigious Volpi Cup, the first for a Hongkonger.

Actress Deanie Ip poses with her Volpi Cup. File photo: AFP
Asian cinema: Chinese films

Review | Once Upon a Time in the Middle East: Shen Teng leads anti-war blockbuster

Full of roaring action and heart-wrenching tension, this mainland China hit delivers a message of peace through Chinese cooking appreciation.

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Shen Teng in a still from Once Upon a Time in the Middle East (category IIB; Chinese, English, Arabic), directed by Wen Muye. Jiang Qiming and Omar Sherif co-star.
American cinema

Review | Practical Magic 2: Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman reunite for dull sequel

Joey King, Maisie Williams and Lee Pace also feature in this boring follow-up that falls short of the spellbinding 1998 original.

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Asian cinema: Korean films

The making of Na Hong-jin’s sci-fi spectacle Hope, most expensive Korean film

The director talks about tension, timelines, sequel potential and a clash of tastes at Cannes as Hope gears up for US and Hong Kong releases.

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