Maturing East Asian screen icons re-emerged at the 38th Tokyo International Film Festival with darker and more serious roles than before. The event, held from Oct. 27 to Nov. 7, featured their latest works, which rely on style over substance and are unlikely to win over fans or boost careers.
At the festival's opening ceremony, Chinese star Fan Bingbing brought glamour to the red carpet alongside Malaysian director Chong Keat Aun and fellow cast members from “Mother Bhumi,” which screened in competition. Hong Kong director Peter Ho-Sun Chan also attended to promote his film “She Has No Name,” a Gala Selection entry headlined by Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi.
Taiwan-based Japanese leading man Takeshi Kaneshiro appeared in Juno Mak’s “Sons of the Neon Night,” another Gala Selection film at TIFF. Fan, Zhang, and Kaneshiro are among the most recognizable faces of their generation. After their film and television debuts in the 1990s, they collaborated with major directors like Wong Kar-wai and Ang Lee and undertook a dizzying array of brand sponsorships ranging from Armani to Cartier.
Fan Bingbing, Zhang Ziyi, and Takeshi Kaneshiro stepped into their darkest roles yet—but the stories didn’t rise to meet them. These latest works, with a reliance on style over substance, are unlikely to provide a major boost to their careers.