Anna Magdalena

Infobox Film
name = Anna Magdalena


image_size =
caption =
director = Yee Chung Man
producer = Claudie Chung Chun (executive producer)
Golden Harvest [ [http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=1:174149 Allmovie] ]
United Filmmakers Organization (UFO) [ [http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=1:174149 Allmovie] ]
writer = Ivy Ho
narrator =
starring = Kelly Chen
Takeshi Kaneshiro
Aaron Kwok
music = Chiu Tsang-Hei [ [http://www.chinesecinemas.org/anna.html chinesecinemas.org] ] [ [http://www.lovehkfilm.com/reviews/anna_magdalena.htm lovehkfilm] ]
cinematography = Peter Pau
editing = Maurice Lee Ming-man [ [http://www.chinesecinemas.org/anna.html chinesecinemas.org] ]
distributor =
released = 1998
runtime = 98 min [ [http://www.hkcinemagic.com/en/movie.asp?id=160 hkcinemagic] ]
country = flagicon|Hong Kong Hong Kong
language = Cantonese
budget =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website =
amg_id = 1:174149
imdb_id = 0159251

"Anna Magdalena" (zh-t|t=安娜瑪德蓮娜) is a 1998 Hong Kong film starring Kelly Chen, Takeshi Kaneshiro and Aaron Kwok. It was the directorial debut of production designer Yee Chung-Man.

Title

The title refers to the keyboard piece Minuet in G by Johann Sebastian Bach, from the 1725 "Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach" [ [http://www.chinesecinemas.org/anna.html chinesecinemas.org] ] . Anna Magdalena was Bach's second wife. The music attracts the attention of Chan Kar-fu and Yau Muk-yan as Kelly Chen's character plays it on her piano. The film score uses this theme repeatedly.

ynopsis

The film structure loosely follows that of the minuet: four "movements", which are announced by titles: two themes, a duet, and a set of variations [ [http://www.chinesecinemas.org/anna.html chinesecinemas.org] ] . 1- Chan Kar-fu's (Takeshi Kaneshiro) introduction 2- Yau Muk-yan's (Aaron Kwok) effect on his life 3- Mok Man-Yee's (Kelly Chen) effect on their lives 4- Chan Kar-fu's literary vision of love. [ [http://www.dragonsdenuk.com/reviews/anna_magdalena.htm dragonsdenuk] ] This fourth "movement" (Variations) is a wild fantasy on the previous material, based on the novel written by Kaneshiro's character: "The XO Pair" [ [http://www.lovehkfilm.com/reviews/anna_magdalena.htm lovehkfilm] ] .

Unemployed aspiring writer Yau Muk-yan (Aaron Kwok) moves into the apartment of Chan Kar-fu (Takeshi Kaneshiro), a shy piano tuner. Both will soon fall in love with their new neighbor Mok Man-Yee (Kelly Chen).

Cast includes

* Kelly Chen - Mok Man-Yee
* Takeshi Kaneshiro - Chan Kar-fu
* Aaron Kwok - Yau Muk-yan
* Jacky Cheung - Policeman
* Leslie Cheung - Editor
* Anita Yuen - Assistant Editor
* Josie Ho - Cindy, Yau Muk-yan's former girlfriend
* Leo Ku - Client in restaurant (cameo)
* Eric Tsang - Building watchman (cameo)
* Wei Wei - White-haired piano teacher
* Chung Chun

Filming locations

* Hong Kong
* Vietnam for the fantasy scenes [ [http://www.chinesecinemas.org/anna.html chinesecinemas.org] ]

Reception

The film grossed 7.8 million HK$ in Hong Kong. [ [http://www.hkcinemagic.com/en/movie.asp?id=160 hkcinemagic] ]

It was nominated at the 18th Hong Kong Film Awards [ [http://www.lovehkfilm.com/reviews/anna_magdalena.htm lovehkfilm] ] :
* Nominated - Best Cinematography (Peter Pau Tak-Hei)
* Nominated - Best Art Direction (Poon Chi-Wai)
* Nominated - Best Costume Design (Ng Lei-Lo)
* Nominated - Best Original Score (Chiu Tsang-Hei)

1999 Hong Kong Film Critics Society Awards: "Film of Merit"

ee also

* List of Hong Kong films

References

External links

* [http://www.hkcinemagic.com/en/movie.asp?id=160 hkcinemagic entry] (includes trailers)
* [http://www.lovehkfilm.com/reviews/anna_magdalena.htm lovehkfilm entry]
* [http://www.chinesecinemas.org/anna.html chinesecinemas.org entry] (detailed review)
* [http://www.dragonsdenuk.com/reviews/anna_magdalena.htm dragonsdenuk] (includes several pictures of the movie)
* [http://www.hkcinema.ru/filmarticle.phtml?film_id=433&article_id=441 Russian film review] (includes pictures)
* [http://www.brns.com/pages/drama4.html brns entry] (more pictures)
* [http://www.soundtrackcollector.com/catalog/soundtrackdetail.php?movieid=56537 Soundtrack listing]