“A TENSE AND RIVETING PIECE OF ACTION CINEMA… IMPRESSIVE FIGHT SEQUENCES… BONE-CRUSHING VIOLENCE.” – TWITCH.
Winner of eight honours at the prestigious Hong Kong Film Awards ceremony, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Action Choreography, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Costume and Make-up Design and Best Original Film Score, and the winner of the Best Actor (Wang Xueqi) and Best Supporting Actor (Nicholas Tse) prizes at this year’s Asian Film Awards, the epic, period action movie Bodyguards And Assassins is a dramatic fictionalized retelling of the suspenseful events of 1906 that eventually led to the 1911 Xinhai Revolution and the founding of the Republic of China.
Directed by Teddy Chan (The Accidental Spy) and featuring an impressive cast of Hong Kong and China’s biggest stars, including Donnie Yen (Ip Man; Kill Zone), Leon Lai (An Empress And The Warriors; Seven Swords), Xueqi Wang (Forever Enthralled; Warriors Of Heaven And Earth; The Red Suit), Tony Leung Ka Fai (Missing; The Myth), Nicholas Tse (Dragon Tiger Gate; New Police Story; The Medallion) and Simon Yam (Ip Man; Triangle), Bodyguards And Assassins is a sumptuously staged, action-packed blockbuster, full of political intrigue, tragedy and drama that will appeal as much to lovers of quality cinema as it will to martial arts aficionados.
On October 15th 1906, the man destined to become the Father of Modern China, Dr. Sun Yat-sen, is due to arrive in the British Colony of Hong Kong to discuss plans to overthrow the corrupt Qing Dynasty with a group of leading anti-Qing revolutionaries. Aware of Sun’s intentions, the Qing Court dispatches an elite army of assassins to the port where Sun is due to arrive, with orders to see to it that he never makes it to his appointment and does not leave the colony alive.
Receiving news of the proposed assassination, a newspaper editor and a local tycoon, both sympathetic supporters of the revolution, take it upon themselves to protect Dr. Sun at any cost. To help ensure his safety they recruit a motley band of fellow sympathisers, friends and acquaintances, all skilled in martial arts combat to act as Sun’s bodyguards. Additionally, they devise a risky plan to secretly replace the assassins’ target with a human decoy in an attempt to lead the killers away from their quarry.
As Sun arrives on the fateful day, the stage is set for a bloody confrontation in which a small group of selflessly courageous men and women will risk their lives fighting against hundreds of adversaries in a conflict that will determine the fate of millions.
Cleverly taking his time to establish his characters, their back-stories, motives and sub-plots in the deliberately paced first half of the film, director Chan expertly unleashes a barrage of non-stop, action set-pieces in a final hour that will leave viewers breathless.
Among the many standout sequences in a film that manages to be as emotionally involving and moving as it is exciting are a brilliantly directed sequence that echoes Brian De Palma’s homage (from “The Untouchables”) to Eisenstein’s famous Odessa Steps sequence from “Battleship Potemkin”, an extended free-running duel involving Donnie Yen and Cung Le, and a ‘man versus horse’ confrontation that is nothing short of jaw-dropping.
Bodyguards And Assassins will be released on DVD (£12.99) and Blu-ray (£19.99) by E1 Entertainment on 31st May 2010.
The EU’s cyber security agency, ENISA, has issued its final report on the first Pan-European cyber security exercise for public bodies, 'Cyber Europe 2010'. The report underlines the need for more cyber security exercises in the future, increased collaboration between the Member States and the importance of the private sector in ensuring IT security. ENISA has also released an online video clip to support the report.
Supporting EU-wide exercises concerning cyber-security preparedness is a priority for the EU within its 'Digital Agenda for Europe', in order to ensure that businesses and citizens are secure when they are online.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/prne/enisa/48902/
With the running boom continuing to evolve, 2010 marks a very special anniversary for the running world. The marathon, the most notable race of all time, celebrates this year, all over the world and especially during the Athens Classic Marathon this October, the 2,500th birthday of the legendary run of the Greek soldier-runner from Marathon to Athens (490 BC). As a brand whose footwear is favoured by the majority of marathon runners worldwide, ASICS takes its research heritage very seriously. Using the results from its latest study, ASICS aims to explain why and how this 42.195km race has become the icon it is today.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/prne/asics/46288/
Installing child restraints can frustrate even the most capable of parents. A system called Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children is supposed to make things easier by standardizing attachment hardware, but a new study shows that many automakers aren’t paying attention to the key factors that make LATCH work. Only 21 of the 98 top-selling 2010-11 model passenger vehicles evaluated have LATCH designs that are easy to use. This is the main finding of joint research conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI).
Nespresso, the pioneer and reference for premium portioned coffee, officially opened its largest boutique in the Southern Hemisphere on December 2nd, 2010. The Sydney boutique, fronting the prestigious redeveloped Pitt Street Mall, is the fifth Nespresso flagship boutique to open this year. With new flagships in Brussels, Miami, New York SoHo, Munich and now Sydney, each flagship combines signature Nespresso style while reflecting the distinct identities of the global cities each serves. More than just a retail space, each flagship and boutique plays a vital role in connecting and energising local Nespresso lovers into a vibrant brand community.
To view Multimedia News Release, go to http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/prne/nespresso/46316/
London Restaurant Festival is a citywide celebration of eating out, designed to showcase London's extraordinarily diverse and exciting range of restaurants and drive footfall.
From 4-18 October 2010 food lovers can explore some of the capital’s finest cooking, from its high-profile Michelin-starred restaurants to coveted neighbourhood bistros.
For more information, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/45092-Visit-London/
IMI students celebrate Swiss soccer success stories from U17 Soccer National team fighting for first place in Nigeria and Swiss National team soon playing SouthAfrica WC 2010 - Chum Bring en Hai. Study where world champions live, study at IMI University Centre in Switzerland
