A World Without Thieves - anyone heard of this?

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 25 Jan 2005, 13:07

I found this up on CD-WOW, does anyone know it? It looks like a mainland film, and quite interesting.

Taken from CD-WOW -

[b][color=Red]Certificate: PG13[/color][/b]

[b][color=Red]Category: Action & Adventure

No. of Discs: 2

Running Time: 113 minutes

Year Produced: 2004

Region: 0 (Worldwide)

Audio: Mandarin - Dolby 5.1 Surround EX
Cantonese - DTS 6.1

Subtitles: English, Chinese

Aspect Ratio: 1.85 (Widescreen)

Anamorphic: Yes

Encoding: NTSC[/color][/b]

[color=blue]Interactive Features:
Interactive Menus, Scene Selection, Theatrical Trailer, Making Of Feature, Featurette

Review:

Over 0.1 billion box-office in China and Hong Kong total

Wang Bo (Andy Lau) and Wang Li (Rene Liu) should have made the perfect Bonnie and Clyde: the former a seasoned con man and master pickpocket from Hong Kong, the latter a grifter femme fatale from Taiwan. Partners in crime and passion, the couple swindle their way across China, until one fine day Li suddenly decides to call it quits, both to her egregious lifestyle and to her entanglement with Bo. It is at this crossroad in their lives and relationships that they run into Fu Gen in a train station, an encounter that will alter their fate forever.

Director: Feng Xiaogang

Starring:

Andy Lau (Infernal Affairs, 3, Savior Of The Soul, 2, God Of Gamblers, A True Mob Story, Shanghai Grand, Running Out Of Time, Fulltime Killer, Full Throttle, The Moon Warriors, Jiang Hu, Days Of Being Wild, As Tears Go By, A Moment Of Romance, Island Of Greed, Running On Karma, House Of Flying Daggers, Needing You, Yesterday Once More)
Rene Liu (20. 30. 40.)
Ge You
Fu Biao

Special Features: (Subtitle TBC)

The Story
Deleted Scenes
Making Of
Theatrical Trailer
Cast & Credits
Over 200pcs Photo Gallery
Trailers[/color][/b]

[Edited on 25-1-2005 by grim_tales]

thelostdragon · Post by **thelostdragon** » 25 Jan 2005, 13:36

I pre-ordered it, because as you might know, I collect Asian movie soundtracks and when I got this, it sounded really good. Plus it has Andy Lau and I just went for it. Hope it's good.

blade · Post by **blade** » 26 Jan 2005, 00:23

I missed this at the movies but it is supposed to be good. Did well in China.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 27 Jan 2005, 09:41

Hey,

Here are the proper specs posted on Asian DVD Guide, it seems there are versions of the film in both Cantonese and Mandarin, and English subs are only available if you select the Mandarin version (?)

Specs
[color=red][b]

Disc 1 - Film (DVD-9)
Letterboxed and 16x9 enhanced
Audio
Cantonese (Dolby Digital EX)
Cantonese (DTS-ES discrete 6.1)
Mandarin (Dolby Digital EX)
Mandarin (DTS-ES discrete 6.1)
Subtitles
Cantonese Version
Traditional Chinese
Simplified Chinese

Mandarin Version
Traditional Chinese
Simplified Chinese

English

Disc 2 - Extras (DVD-5)
The Story
Deleted Scenes
Making Of
Trailer
Cast & Credits
Cast & Staff Listing
Biography/Filmography of Producer/Director/Cast
Photo Gallery (over 200 photos)
More Attractions
Seoul Raiders
Initial D
Infernal Affairs Box Set Ad Magazine
[/color][/b]

memetic · Post by **memetic** » 27 Jan 2005, 11:42

I saw this a few weeks ago and I wanted to really like it but just couldn't - it just wasn't very good. Rene Liu is excellent as is Andy Lau and, while the kid farmer character was really irritating, I found him convincing and considered his character to be realistic.

I found the movie to be quite padded, there was barely enough material to string the scenes together and I found the end to be a bit unsatisfying too. While it did have something to say, mostly the movie had the pretention of substance, but ultimately there was not much there.

Coming from someone whose favourite genre is dramas, I'm sad to say this one is worth a skip.

memetic · Post by **memetic** » 27 Jan 2005, 11:46

[quote]Here are the proper specs posted on Asian DVD Guide, it seems there are versions of the film in both Cantonese and Mandarin, and English subs are only available if you select the Mandarin version (?)[/quote]
There are both Cantonese and Mandarin versions - the Cantonese is a dub. Mandarin is the original lanaguage for this film, so the subtitle choice makes sense.

grim_tales · Post by **grim_tales** » 27 Jan 2005, 14:22

OK, thanks

Thanks for your opinion

I'm not really a drama person TBH but am willing to explore genres I dont watch much of.

Ricochan38 · Post by **Ricochan38** » 28 Jan 2005, 07:18

I have all andy lau movies, and i pre-ordered this one also, and i even liked magic kitchen, jiang hu and yesterday once more, and i am sure this one is not (much) worse, and i heard more positive then negative about it..

A World Without Thieves (December 2004)

When you' re the leading mainstream director in the world' s most populous nation, there isn' t much incentive to make films that travel. Nonetheless, China' s box office champion Feng Xiaogang is breaking into overseas markets with his latest film, A World Without Thieves.

The US$5m action drama is already Feng' s biggest film after less than two weeks on release, grossing US$9m (RMB75m) in mainland China. In comparison, his previous blockbuster, Cell Phone, grossed US$6.7m over December last year.

While A World Without Thieves hasn' t been quite so huge outside China, it' s grossed much more than Feng' s previous international release, Big Shot' s Funeral, and has garnered strong reviews in every territory. In Hong Kong, the film topped the box office in its opening week and had grossed US$549,400 after two weeks. In Malaysia it took US$108,000 over the same period and in Singapore raked in US$128,000 in its opening week.

Based on a short story by Chinese writer Zhao Ben Fu, the film revolves around a Bonnie-and-Clyde couple - played by Hong Kong' s Andy Lau and Taiwanese actress Rene Liu - who come across a naïve country bumpkin on his way home with a bundle of hard-earned cash. Rather than seize on this unexpected windfall, the couple take pity on the greenhorn and end up protecting him from a gang of ruthless thieves.

The story, which unfolds on a train in Western China, is much broader in scope that Feng' s previous films. Moving away from his traditional stomping ground of Beijing, the director has incorporated dialogue and themes which are universal. "It' s a simple story that everyone can relate to," says Feng. "I' m just trying to enlarge on the idea that there are good points to human nature, even in bad people. A thief can be moved to do something good."

Renowned for their understanding of the commercial side of filmmaking, Feng and mainland producers Huayi Brothers decided to cast Lau - one of Asia' s biggest stars - along with a Taiwanese actress and Chinese star Ge You. They've also teamed up with Hong Kong' s most outward-looking production and distribution outfit, Media Asia, to give the film a leg-up outside China. So far the partnership has proved successful. In addition to Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia, Media Asia has also sold the film to Taiwan, Japan and Indonesia amongst other territories.

"They' re fairly new to mainland China, but they' ve made huge improvements to filmmaking in Hong Kong," says Feng of his new partners. "They' ve achieved artistic as well as commercial success and they' re not just focused on the Hong Kong market."

[Edited on 28-1-2005 by Ricochan38]

memetic · Post by **memetic** » 29 Jan 2005, 03:07

[quote][i]Originally posted by Ricochan38[/i]
I have all andy lau movies, and i pre-ordered this one also, and i even liked magic kitchen, jiang hu and yesterday once more, and i am sure this one is not (much) worse, and i heard more positive then negative about it..[/quote]
Well if you're collecting Andy Lau movies, then by all means get it, but to me actors don't make a movie good. As I mentioned before, the acting by all three of the main characters is excellent, but the movie still isn't very good (but it's not too much worse than Jiang Hu if that helps).

thelostdragon · Post by **thelostdragon** » 29 Jan 2005, 10:29

You have ALL Andy Lau-films?

Have you got "Armageddon"? Uhm... have you got "On the Wrong Track"?

He he he!

Just testing...!:P

Ricochan38 · Post by **Ricochan38** » 01 Feb 2005, 12:40

i have had those, but not anymore, so i should say, i have seen all his movies...

a world without thieves is already sent out by cd-wow , so when it arrives i will watch it, and tell u what i thought of it..

[Edited on 1-2-2005 by Ricochan38]

Ricochan38 · Post by **Ricochan38** » 14 Feb 2005, 08:10

i thought it was better then expected, not great but surely enjoyable 3 out of 5