Two of China’s box office queens, Fan Bingbing and Zhang Ziyi, lead the country’s two entries in the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Fan Bingbing (One Night Surprise, Buddha Mountain, X-Men: Days of Future Past) shakes things up as Li Xuelian, a woman from a small town who was wronged by her ex-husband in this adaptation of I Am Not Madame Bovary, a novel by Mao Dun Literature Prize winner Liu Zhenyu. Here, Li Xuelian embarks on a long legal journey—from her small town all the way to the capital—just to clear her name after her husband accused her of adultery.
On the other hand, Zhang Ziyi (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, House of Flying Daggers, Hero) stars in The Wasted Times, an edgy film noir set during the Sino-Japanese war in the 1930s. The movie’s twists and turns weave a tangled web of intrigue and betrayal, but the slick dialogue and the off-kilter sense of humor as previewed on the trailer are something film fans can look forward to.
Both films feature internationally renowned lead actresses who are not afraid to tackle hard subjects. I Am Not Madame Bovary’s star Fan Bingbing sheds the glamorous persona (she is almost unrecognizable in some scenes) and steps into the shoes of an ordinary woman to highlight social issues through satire. Meanwhile, the Wasted Times’ cinematography and glamorous costumes will surely captivate the viewers, but the plot will definitely keep the audience on the edge of their seats.
Both are part of the Special Presentations of the Toronto International Film Festival that run from September 8 to 18, 2016. I Am Not Madame Bovary will be released in China on September 29, 2016, while The Wasted Times will have its theatrical release on December 23, 2016. Check out both trailers below.
