Camera (2014 film)
Camera | |
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Directed by | James Leong |
Written by |
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Starring |
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Cinematography | Basil Mironer |
Edited by | James Leong |
Music by | Shao Yanpeng |
Production company | Lianain Films |
Release date |
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Running time | 96 minutes |
Countries |
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Language | Cantonese |
Budget | $1 million[1] |
Camera is a 2014 Hong Kong-Singaporean science fiction thriller directed by James Leong and co-written by Ben Slater and Leong. It stars Sean Li as a surveillance expert who falls in love with his newest target, played by Venus Wong. It premiered at the 2014 Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival. It is Leong's first narrative film.
Plot[]
In near-future Hong Kong, Ming receives a cybernetic eye to replace his biological eye, which went blind in his childhood. He uses this replacement to record everything he sees. On his latest surveillance job, he falls in love the subject, a woman named Clare.
Cast[]
- Sean Li as Ming
- Venus Wong as Clare
- Calvin Poon as Dr. Chan
Po-Chih Leong, director James Leong's father, appears in a cameo as Ming's father.
Production[]
Prior to production, Leong received funding from the Network of Asian Fantastic Films in the form of the Puchon award.[2] Shooting took place during January and February 2012 in Hong Kong.[1]
Release[]
Camera premiered at the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival on July 19, 2014.[3][4]
Reception[]
Richard Kuipers of Variety wrote that the film fails to live up to its premise and does not expand enough on Hong Kong's futuristic timeline, though he said it "never becomes dull".[5] Bérénice Reynaud of Senses of Cinema criticized the Variety review, saying that it missed out on how the film addresses surveillance issues in modern Hong Kong.[6] Clarence Tsui of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "Beauty thrives but also distracts the director from his aspirations of fusing fiction with social commentary."[7] James March of Twitch Film wrote that the film "showcases the director's strong visual sensibility", but the dull screenplay causes it to fail to live up to its "intriguing premise".[8]
References[]
- ^ a b Frater, Patrick (2012-01-18). "Cameras now running for Camera". Film Business Asia. Retrieved 2016-03-29.
- ^ Frater, Patrick (2010-07-22). "Camera in focus at NAFF awards". Film Business Asia. Retrieved 2016-03-29.
- ^ Conran, Pierce (2014-06-29). "[Cine feature] Eclectic delights in store for 18th PiFan". The Hankyoreh. Retrieved 2016-03-29.
- ^ "BiFan | Program > Puchon Choice : Feature | Camera". Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival. Retrieved 2016-03-29.
- ^ Kuipers, Richard (2014-08-04). "Film Review: 'Camera'". Variety. Retrieved 2016-03-29.
- ^ Reynaud, Bérénice (2015-03-04). "AFI FEST-AFM 2014: Of the Good Use of Actors". Senses of Cinema. Retrieved 2016-03-29.
- ^ Tsui, Clarence (2014-08-08). "'Camera' ('Ngaan Gei'): PiFan Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2016-03-29.
- ^ Marsh, James (2014-07-24). "PiFan 2014 Review: CAMERA Has A Good Eye But Lacks Focus". Twitch Film. Archived from the original on 2016-04-15. Retrieved 2016-03-29.
External links[]
- Camera at IMDb
- Camera at Rotten Tomatoes
- 2014 films
- Cantonese-language films
- 2010s science fiction thriller films
- Hong Kong films
- Hong Kong science fiction films
- Hong Kong thriller films
- Singaporean films
- 2010s Cantonese-language films
- Films about security and surveillance
- Films set in Hong Kong
- Films set in the future
- Films shot in Hong Kong
- Hong Kong neo-noir films