Cinemas are closed, so I stayed home to watch The Story of Xi Bao, an old movie adapted from a novel written by Yi Shu.
The novel has been made into a movie more than once. The version I watched had Amber Kuo Tsai-chieh in the lead female role and Chang Kuo-chu as the male lead.
It's about a romance between a poor girl and a super tycoon who is decades older than her.
The storyline might seem hackneyed by today's standards, but the movie is enjoyable as it has beautiful scenes, pretty costumes and refined acting.
The director kept the plot moving at a lively tempo too, which made the production not disappointing at all overall.
Xi Bao is a woman who is beautiful and intelligent. (As to whether an actress is adequate in portraying such a role, you may have as many answers as the people you ask.)
Tycoon Xu Cunzi, meanwhile, is a character who wields great political and commercial power and stands head and shoulders above the crowd.
The role is one that requires talent and depth.
Finely attired in an outfit that includes a silk scarf, Chang portrays the character well, delivering his lines with the natural authoritative air of the helmsman of a business empire who must not be abrasive, but assertive, and exuding power through subtle gestures and expressions.
The veteran actor captured the essence of such a figure, and I think he must have studied and rehearsed meticulously for the role.
Watching Chang play Xu Cunzi gave me a feeling of familiarity, reminding me of someone I know well.
However, I couldn't quite put my finger on who that person was right away.
Those who are interested should watch the movie and find out for themselves if they have the same feeling I did, and if they can identify the real life person the fictional tycoon resembles.
Siu Sai-wo is publisher of Sing Tao Daily
