[2011.09.09] ANDY LAU BUYS A SIMPLE LIFE ROLE

courtesy of singtao.com

Andy Lau Tak Wa at the Venice Film Festival accepted a press conference and unveiled that he was not the first choice for A SIMPLE LIFE (TOH JEH), but he offered his services.  In addition he revealed that at first he had some reservations about the script and wrote another version, but the new version never saw the light of day so far; Yu Dong even said that A SIMPLE LIFE's next two targets would be the Golden Horse and the Hong Kong Film Awards.

Lau Tak Wa at the film festival interview revealed that in the beginning the role of Roger was not his.  He said, "In the beginning it wasn't me, (the film) only got (Deanie) Ip Tak Han.  After reading the script I asked people at the company, 'Am I playing the male lead?' They said, 'Would you possibly play it?'  I said, "Of course I can!' (Ann) Hui On Wa also said that she hoped to have 10 million for the production, I said, only as long as I am performing would the production budget reach 10 million."

In addition, when he first received the script, Wa Jai kept having doubts and even deliberately wrote another version.  "That version I wrote came from Roger's point of view, but many people after reading it it was 'too brutal'.  Maybe in three or five years I would publish it as a book."  Reporters asked when he would direct?  Wa Jai said, "I still am not ready yet.  Every time I wanted to direct, someone would say, 'If your movie doesn't pass 200 million, what would you do then?'  The pressure is too much."  Speaking of the line that made fun of Aaron Kwok Fu Sing and Lynn Xiong (Hung Doi Lam) in A SIMPLE LIFE, Wa Jai joked that he thought this was how ordinary person talked.  He believed Kwok Fu Sing would not mind.

Some said that while making Johnnie To Kei Fung's films, he would constantly received scolding from the director.  Yet Wa Jai pointed out that he indeed went through this period.  However he did not suffer.   Instead To Kei Fung suffered more.  He even detailed how they were at odds.  "Because I threw a tantrum at him too.  At the time I had to wear a helmet for the film, when I took it off I fixed my hair.  He yelled, 'Stars like you care so much about your image!' Then in another shot I was fixing my hair again, he just directly yelled, 'Cut'."  Later I went to blow out my hair out of spite.  Three months later, I worked with To Kei Fung on another movie in the Mainland.  Once he suddenly asked me, 'Why aren't you fixing your hair now?'  I said that I didn't totally like to fix my hair.  Later we had more understanding and we began to understand each other."

A SIMPLE LIFE director Hui On Wa was asked whether the film had shades of herself?  Hui On Wa joked, "Sure, Sister Peach and I are the same.  We both want face, but I don't know how to cook."  Did she feel Wa Jai and Ip Tak Han would have a chance to win an award?  She said, "I hope so, I don't dare to say.  I still have to check out the competition."  In addition, producer Yu Dong said that A SIMPLE Life's next goals would be Taipei's Golden Horse Award at the end of the year, then the Hong Kong Film Awards in April next year.