[2023.12.16] NICK CHEUNG WANTS BOX OFFICE SUCCESS MORE THAN AWARDS

Isabella Leong (right) says working on BURSTING POINT opens her eyes.  She says that Nick Cheung (left) and Dante Lam are like twins while at work on the set

Dante Lam and Nick Cheung have worked together on 5 films and developed their chemistry long ago

Isabella Leong wants to work with Dante Lam on action films again

Isabella Leong plays a drug cook in the film and has many fight scenes

Nick Cheung plays a high ranking drug enforcement officer
courtesy of mingpao.com

Nick Cheung Ka Fai and Dante Lam Chiu Yin worked together again on the film BURSTING POINT (BAU LIT DIM) 9 years after THAT DEMON WITHIN (MOR GAING). Cheung Ka Fai said that his relationship with director Lam Chiu Yin has become even solid and with even more meaning. He was able to take the opportunity to lend a hand to the new director with potential Calvin Tong Wai Hon. BURSTING POINT was Lam Chiu Yin produced and chief directed. He lamented that being the producer for the first time he immediately had the door slammed on him. He had to knock on three doors before finding funding, but he was not too pessimistic about the future Hong Kong film market condition. He felt that it still had a lot of possibilities, hoped everyone would support it and felt that the need to pass the torch in the film industry. Cheung Ka Fai said that Hong Kong film has already experienced 10 years of difficulty. Acting would be his lifelong profession, so if it would be even more difficult he still would not give it up. Leong Lok Si worked with Lam Chiu Yin for the first time and praised his lack of temper. She also wanted to make action films again and felt that she was very tough.

Cheung Ka Fai revealed that 3 years ago attended director Benny Chan Muk Sing's funeral and thought his assistant director of many years Calvin Tong Wai Hon had a lot of potential, only needing some opportunities. Started as an assistant director himself, Lam Chiu Yin said that he sympathized and the Tong Wai Hon he knew was someone who worked seriously. He felt that he had a responsibility to pass the baton in this industry.

Cheung Ka Fai has directed 4 films, which he considered only as a hobby. He did not dare to compare himself with Lam Chiu Yin because of the impossibility of making high quality commercial films. Lam Chiu Yin joked, "Doesn't that mean you are very stubborn?" Cheung Ka Fai said, "I really made very stubborn. Lam Chiu Yin makes big productions. I am an actor and that's it." He said that as an actor he would he would do his part, trust every directors' judgment and arrangement. He would absolutely never with his directing experience kept giving suggestions to the director. "It's like after I got bullied, I wouldn't want to bully others." Lam Chiu Yin said that this Best Actor was known to be hard to tame, yet when they worked together they have been very comfortable. Perhaps because they have known each other for a long time, and have established a bond long ago. "15 years ago we worked together on THE BEAST STALKER. He has always wanted to make this genre, and he was also the one who gave me the confidence to make this type of movies; what he liked I liked too. He is crazy and so am I, so we have the feeling of brothers in arms." They also pointed that now with less film productions, big productions could also be counted in one hand. Thus when the team could get together to work, they had joy that they could not describe, and the value of existence of working hard together.

As the Hong Kong Film Award winning director, Lam Chiu Yin revealed that being a producer for the first time he had the door slammed in his face. He had to knock on three before finding funding. However he has not been too pessimistic with the Hong Kong market condition, feeling that it still had many possibilities. "Finding financing has always been hard, having an idea but no funding isn't viable. Maybe later it would be even harder, having to knock on 10 doors. However I feel someone would always answer. I hope everyone would support Hong Kong film. (Would you make more Hong Kong films?) I would, next year I would be come. Hong Kong film productions at best would use several dozen people, mainland productions basically several hundred people. However for me who is used to making Hong Kong films, several hundred people or several dozen people aren't too different. Coming back to make movies, I am familiar with the environment and has a sense of familiarity. It's great." Cheung Ka Fai said that Hong Kong films have already experienced 10 years of difficulties, but he treated acting as his lifelong profession. Even if it would become tougher he would not give up. "If I have to predict the future film market, I feel it would be pretty much like it is now. Would it be so bad that no one would have any movie to make? I believe it wouldn't."

Active in the film industry again, Leong Lok Si said that at work Cheung Ka Fai and Lam Chiu Yin were like twins. Working on BURSTING POINT this time, she felt like her eyes were wide open. She witnessed all the shocking scenes but was not scared off, because before the production began she was already mentally prepared. She has been in contact with the "demon director" Lam Chiu Yin and the very crazy Cheung Ka Fai, she liked their methods and atmosphere in particular. She even praised Lam Chiu Wai for his lack of temper and hand on approach, never seeing him yell at anyone on the set. In addition the team had a lot of love, and she hoped to work with them again next time. "I want to work on another action film, I am very tough!" Lam Chiu Yin welcomed Leong Lok Si into their ilk. "Some filmmakers after working with me would be scared off, she actually liked this atmosphere and work format." Cheung Ka Fai suggested adding a human ghost romance next time for Leong Lok Si to work with, because he has already experienced Lam Chiu Yin's hardcore style. This time in the film he had to witness the death of many. Speaking of Cheung Ka Fai winning the Hong Kong Film Award Best Actor with THE BEAST STALKER (JING YUN) and UNBEATABLE (GIK JIN), both were Lam Chiu Yin directed. Was he confident that he would win again? He said, "May what you say come true, but this time I want the cash prize. I hope more people would support the film, so it would receive great box office return." BURSTING POINT opened on the 8th in Hong Kong and the mainland simultaneously, currently its Hong Kong box office was around HK$ 2.8 million and 80 million RMB in the mainland.

Leong Lok Si pointed out that Cheung Kai Fai and Lam Chiu Yin were light and humorous during he interview, but actually on the set they were very serious because the story was very heavy. "Each time on the set when I saw Cheung Kai he looked very down." Cheung Ka Fai said that at work not much fun happened, so he rather enjoyed drowning in the serious atmosphere. "On the set we rarely chatted, because we focused our energy on exploring the characters. Outside the shoot we would meet for dinner and chat." Lam Chiu Yin revealed that his wife was jealous of Cheung Ka Fai. "When my wife saw me on the phone for so long, she would ask if I was talking to Cheung Ka Fai." Did they have a lot of heart to heart chats? Cheung Ka Fai joked, "Mostly about the movie, and some ugly negative human nature topics. I normally am rarely on the phone, the person I call the most is Lam Chiu Yin. (Has your wife Esther Kwan Wing Ho complained?) When I performed in the mainland and took a photo with Lam Chiu Yin, I showed it to my wife. She did not say anything, then said we were a couple!"