Category: Feature

Marvel Movies: How will the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase Four unfold?

When Robert Downey Jr donned his now-iconic red-and-yellow armour in 2008’s Iron Man, few could have imagined that his successful portrayal of “genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist” Tony Stark would spawn a cinematic franchise the likes of which the world had never seen before. Indeed, since this opening instalment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) – the massive movie franchise run by Marvel Studios, based off of characters from Marvel Comics – cinemagoers across the globe have fallen in love with Iron Man and his merry band of superhero friends, The Avengers.

Marvel Cinematic Universe - Phase 4

Much of this ‘Marvel-lous’ world’s success lies in its deft ability to blend jaw-dropping action scenes, poignant storylines and irreverent humour, which have pretty much become the calling card of the Marvel movie-going experience, infecting even the most cynical critics with Marvel Fever and causing them to root for such out-of-this-world protagonists as a gamma ray-infused rage monster (The Hulk), an interchangeably-sized ex-con (Ant-Man), a talking tree (Groot of Guardians of the Galaxy), and everything in between.

It is precisely this magic formula that has allowed Marvel to far outstrip any studio competitor, leading it to spin one collective story across 22 movies and three separate phases in what is colloquially known as The Infinity Saga. This superlative success has also translated into lucrative financial gains, with the Marvel Cinematic Universe having grossed over US$22 billion worldwide to date.

Marvel Cinematic Universe - Iron Man

However, now, with Iron Man dead, Captain America seeking post-retirement bliss and Spider-Man caught in a web of disputes that may see him exiting the MCU forever, it’s safe to assume that the recently-announced Phase Four line-up will be a very different beast from the 22-instalment saga that preceded it. While the films are almost all still in preproduction, Marvel fans the world over are already abuzz about what to expect. Kevin Feige, the franchise’s executive producer, has also added to the anticipation by dropping a few spoilers as well. So what, exactly, can we expect?

First, as confirmed by Marvel, we can expect nine different instalments – a mix of feature films and TV series – which will run from 2020 to 2022. The studio has already promised to bring back some familiar faces, including Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow, Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange, Chris Hemsworth’s Thor and Tom Hiddleston’s Loki, in addition to introducing several brand new characters. There have also been less-than-subtle hints that this will be the most inclusive line-up in MCU history, with its first Asian superhero, first openly-queer character and first deaf superhero, all soon to finally get their fair share of the spotlight.

Marvel Cinematic Universe - Black Widow

The most well-known of the next slate may well be Black Widow, set for release on 1 May 2020 as the debut Phase Four outing. Given that Natasha Romanov (aka the Black Widow) forfeited her life in the fight against supervillain Thanos, the upcoming prequel will undoubtedly indulge in Marvel’s penchant for time-travelling shenanigans, transporting audiences back to a time when she was hale and healthy. If rumours are to be believed, the movie will take place between the events of Captain America: Civil War and Avengers: Infinity War. A glimpse of the confirmed cast / character list, meanwhile, reveals that we will get a more in-depth look at the Red Room, the Russian superspy programme that spawned Romanov. Scarlett Johansson, reprising her role as the assassiness-turned-hero, will be joined by David Harbour (Stranger Things), and Academy Award, BAFTA and Laurence Olivier Award winner Rachel Weisz.

The God of Thunder also looks set to break with his traditional trope in Thor: Love and Thunder, the fourth instalment of the Thor series, which is slated for release on 5 November 2021. While the return of its star, Chris Hemsworth, and Ragnarok director Take Waititi were all but expected, the news that Natalie Portman (who acted as Jane Foster, Thor’s love interest, six years ago) would not only be reprising her role, but would take over the mantle of Thor from Hemsworth caused much uproar. Add to this the fact that Valkyrie, last seen becoming the new King of Asgard, will be looking for her Queen, and this is one movie that surely has everyone at the edge of their seats.

Marvel Cinematic Universe - Thor

Meanwhile, the Sorcerer Supreme – ably portrayed by an American-accented Benedict Cumberbatch – is also set to return to theatres in Doctor Strange: Multiverse of Madness (7 May 2021). While its plot is yet to be revealed, the movie presents an exciting opportunity to introduce the MCU to the multiverse – where many universes coexist simultaneously. However, in a marked shift from the norm, Marvel has already announced that this will be the franchise’s first-ever horror film, so expect a higher-than-normal dose of spine-tingling thrills, all courtesy of the main villain, the chillingly-named Nightmare.

From here, the Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase Four line-up gets more murky, with little real information available as yet. What we do know, however, is that – come 12 February 2021 – Marvel’s first Asian superhero will be getting his very own feature film in the form of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, starring Simu Liu of Kim’s Convenience fame as the titular character. The superhero, also known as The Master of Kung Fu, is pegged to come up against the real Mandarin (portrayed by Hong Kong’s very own Tony Leung), the villain falsely embodied in Iron Man 3 by Ben Kingsley and Guy Pierce.

Marvel Cinematic Universe - Dr Strange

Another somewhat-new introduction is The Eternals, starring A-listers like Angelina Jolie, Selma Hayek and Kit Harrington. It also features the first deaf superhero, Makkari, to be portrayed by The Walking Dead’s Lauren Ridloff. While these mythical characters have been hinted at in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they haven’t been explicitly name-checked until now. According to the comic books, though, the Eternals are a race of superpowered beings created by a group of space gods called the Celestials. Thanos, the supervillain at the heart of the franchise to date, was an Eternal, and the upcoming movie will introduce others still.

Interestingly, nearly half of Marvel’s Phase Four line-up consists of small-screen series. While the studio has had TV outings before, they’ve never been a part of its cinematic universe so far. Now, though, thanks to a partnership with the newly-announced Disney+ video on-demand service launched by Marvel’s parent company, Disney, fans can expect several of their MCU favourites to hit the small screen post-Endgame. The first of these series, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, is set to release in  the autumn of 2020, and follows the adventures of the new Captain America, Sam Wilson, and Bucky Barnes. Loki (Tom Hiddleston), Thor’s brother and the God of Mischief, will also get his own spin-off  show, which follows his adventures upon escaping with the Tesseract to an alternate dimension. Two other TV shows, one featuring Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye and the other with Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch and Paul Bettany’s The Vision, round out the list.

Marvel Cinematic Universe - Civil War

In all, while Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe will likely retain many of the facets that have made its movies such box-office hits, it is refreshing to see it move away from the tried-and-tested style of its predecessors. Be it through a wider array of characters or the use of mixed-media channels, it could be that this experimental style could yield even bigger profits for the studio. While it will be seven months before we can begin to see the results of this gambol, we can, in the meanwhile, contemplate the many Marvel-lous possibilities…

Text: Tenzing Thondup
Photos: AFP

Autumn / Winter 2019-20: Part 1 of this season’s hottest looks

With the onset of cooler weather offering a welcome reprieve from the sweltering summer heat, a refreshing array of svelte designs has been served up by the world’s much-loved high-end fashion brands to help femme fashionistas to heat up their wardrobes during the coming months. From shimmering eveningwear and elegant overcoats to evocatively experimental ensembles, there’s something here to appeal to every modern woman. Without further adieu, let’s dive into Part 1 of our coverage of the hottest haute couture looks of Autumn / Winter 2019…

Autumn Winter Fashion

Bottega Veneta

“I like real clothes. I think there’s a need for a return to elegance and sophistication,” Daniel Lee, Bottega Veneta’s creative director, opined before his Autumn / Winter collection hit the catwalk. Indeed, his new women’s line places firm emphasis on wearability and comfort, albeit with an experimental streak, ranging from everyday chic – think sweaters and pants – to more outré offerings like loud leopard-print overcoats, bold black-and-blue cut-out dresses and shimmering evening gowns. Judicious use of leather – an undeniable Bottega signature – underscores every look, be it the form-fitting leather trousers, sleek boots or eye-catching handbags.  

Burberry

For his sophomore Burberry collection, its Italian chief creative officer Riccardo Tisci apparently drew inspiration from the “contrasts in British culture and weather”. It is a study in contrasts indeed, as short, flirtatiously fringed dresses and shimmering sequined gowns vie with rigidly-shouldered coats and silhouette-hiding vests for attention. An aura of defiance against the tense socio-political pre-Brexit atmosphere is wholly perceptible throughout, while Tisci’s affinity for streetwear also makes an appearance in the form of puffy bomber jackets, layered rugby shirts and unambiguously utilitarian footwear.

Chanel

Haute couture maison Chanel bid farewell to its iconic creative director, the late and much-lamented Karl Lagerfeld, by celebrating his final creations – its Autumn / Winter 2019 line – in a majestic, winter-wonderland fashion. Fittingly imbued with the sense of irreverent playfulness that marked so many of his works, the collection celebrates femininity in all its multifaceted glory, be it the classically-elegant wide-legged trouser suits of the modern working woman, the princess chic of a snow-white miniskirt or the unassailable magnetism of an eye-popping all-purple ensemble. Blending tradition with modernity in a flair all his own, it is a fitting finale for one of fashion’s all-time greats.

Chloé

Chloé’s newest seasonal looks are a riot of patterns, fabrics and textures, all intertwined with asymmetrical hemlines, morphing silhouettes and the occasional splash of colour. An apt homage to the ever-evolving nature of haute couture, creative director Natacha Ramsay-Levi has interspersed her more sober offerings – denim jeans and a tee, a billowing overcoat over tweed trousers – with a touch of edginess evident in the wispy floor-length gowns, evocative see-through tops and lacy skirts. Throughout, her only allowance for consistency lies in the talismanic accessories that accentuate most outfits, taking each perfectly-tailored ensemble to new heights.

Dior

Feminism, sisterhood and the rise of womankind – these are the unquestionable themes shaping Dior creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri’s latest looks. Inspired by Britain’s Teddy Girls – the bold working-class vixens who rejected post-WWII austerity and embraced head-turning, gender-bending garments as their call-to-action – the models are garbed in loud hues and strong checkered patterns in aggressively cut yet undeniable feminine lines. Interspersed with these more dominant designs are form-fitting dresses in a whirl of translucent sequins, ruffled taffeta and seductively high hemlines, proclaiming that in today’s enlightened age, a woman can indulge her delicate side and still remain powerful.

Dolce & Gabbana

The staggering 127-look parade that encompasses Dolce & Gabbana’s new seasonal line is a visual smorgasbord to say the least. Dubbed the Eleganza collection, the mammoth anthology is divided into 11 wholly separate sections – Masculine, Colour Block and Tweed, to name but three – each representative of a signature style developed by its two founders over the last 36 years. Advocating a “return to classicality”, the duo have presented an eye-popping array of sophisticated day-tonight wear, from androgynous tweed suits and pants to soft and dreamy “Sleepwear”. Elsewhere, bold leopard prints and beautifully-tailored portrait-print pieces gift the collection with a sense of the outré.

Fendi

Another swansong collection by the late Karl Lagerfeld, Fendi’s Autumn / Winter 2019 show exemplifies the very best of his signature looks. Dominated by warm beige, yellow and orange hues, the boxy cuts and structurally austere lines of the mainly formal offerings have been given a dash of playful accents, be it the oversized bowtie that adorns a square-shouldered leather coat, the Fendi logo-printed leggings or the geometrically intricate gauzy leather dress. The pièce de résistance of the collection is an airy and flirtatiously sheer buttercup-yellow dress worn by model Gigi Hadid to close the show.

Givenchy

Deftly demonstrating that formalwear can be fun and exuberant, Givenchy’s creative director Clare Waight Keller has freely experimented with varying volumes, layers and patterns while still delivering a wholly sophisticated ladieswear collection – themed as “the winter of Eden” – this season. The most profound of her explorations are to be found in her study of shoulders and sleeves. From ’40s-era square cuts to the ’90s’ shrunkenly sloped lines, from sculpturally rounded styles to a slinky off-shoulder design with a puffed sleeve, Keller ably showcases her undeniable tailoring genius and innate vision with each design.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of our Autumn / Winter 2019-20 coverage…

How Hong Kong’s love of afternoon tea stems from a bloody 19th-century conflict

What truly defines Hong Kong? As a clue, it’s not finance, food or even fashion. Indeed, if contemporary Hong Kong has been shaped by anything, it’s tea. Hongkongers, of course, love every manifestation of their favourite brew, be it the more homely street-side bubble variety or the posher five-star-hotel afternoon incarnation. This is perhaps a reflection of just how deep-rooted the city’s entanglement with tea actually is, with the (Brooke) bonds in question dating back several centuries.

Tea-ing off…

As with so many local traditions, it all started with the British, those quintessential lovers of all things tea. Surprisingly, while tea was a China-wide tipple some 2,000 years ago, it took the Brits a further 1,700 years to cotton on, with the Sceptred Isle not getting its first cuppa till the 17th century, courtesy of the East India Company (EIC), one of the world’s first true conglomerates. Quickly securing royal endorsement, Catherine of Braganza, the wife of King Charles II, championed its adoption by the aristocracy of the day, ensuring it was soon both a coveted and costly commodity.

As to how we get from a Stuart monarch’s preferred bevvy to the forming of a habit across Hong Kong, well, that’s again down to the EIC. Swift to realise the profit potential of the tea trade, it was soon buying up China’s surplus stocks by the barrel load. The sheer scale of this operation, however, soon led to a massive trade imbalance in China’s favour, with Britain having little on offer that mainlanders wished to acquire. In a bid to restore balance, the EIC began cultivating tea in India’s Darjeeling and Assam regions, with the superior flavours of these varieties soon ousting the China-grown alternative from the affections of the discerning English folk. This, though, didn’t suffice to stem the EIC’s commercial aspirations and it soon set about clandestinely importing India-sourced opium to China.

These illicit narcotics swiftly drained China’s national coffers, leading to the bloody Opium Wars. Ultimately defeated, China was then obliged to sign an agreement in 1842 ceding Hong Kong to the British Empire. And so it remained until 1997, when it finally returned to the motherland, bringing with it a ragbag of British legacies, including an insatiable love for tea.

afternoon tea

A time for tea

 One of the most pervasive of all such traditions is the enduring popularity of afternoon tea. Indeed, it would be a hardy Hongkonger who could decline a cuppa and sweet treats in the afternoon. In fact, this particular ritual has become so ubiquitous that the ceremonial serving of afternoon tea remains a staple of hotel hospitality across the city, with pretty much every establishment – from The Ritz-Carlton to The Rosewood –offering its own take. In fact, so fond are Hongkongers of this particular pre-handover hangover that queuing for seats at some of the more favoured venues begins up to an hour before afternoon tea is served. One particularly popular destination is The Peninsula, the city’s oldest hotel. Indeed, according to Florian Trento, the hotel’s group executive chef, it was this very hotel that hosted Hong Kong’s first-ever afternoon tea event. Says he: “After The Peninsula opened in 1928, its tea lounge quickly became the place to meet and be seen. While we’re not sure as to exactly when afternoon tea was first served here, we do know the hotel was offering it well before anyone else in Hong Kong.” Inevitably, its pioneering approach played a major role in establishing the hotel as the locale of choice for the glamorous high society of Hong Kong.

afternoon tea

Stirrings across Hong Kong…

 Over the ensuing decades, while the city has gone through a series of transformations, Hong Kong’s love of tea has persisted and, indeed, evolved. Today, it is not uncommon for leading interior designers, renowned lifestyle brands and eminent dessert chefs and chocolatiers to collaborate with upmarket hotels and restaurants to create new afternoon tea offerings.

Accordingly, The Ritz-Carlton recently collaborated with Italian haute couture brand Giuseppe Zanotti to concoct an exquisite afternoon tea offering to celebrate the marque’s FW19 collection. Similarly, the InterContinental Hong Kong worked with the French skincare brand Caudalie on the creation of its Anti-oxidant Afternoon Tea, which is available until the end of this month. Meanwhile, The Murray also hosted a pet-friendly afternoon tea set, Paws for Tea, especially for dog owners and their furry friends. While such innovations have a ready market, there are some true classics that are also keenly sought out. The Big Three here would have to be the Mandarin Oriental’s Opera Cake, the special blue flower tea available only at The Conrad and the Wedgewood speciality teas that come courtesy of The Langham Hong Kong. So, let’s tea off in style, we say!

Text: Suchetana Mukhopadhyay
Photos: The InterContinental Hong Kong, The Murray, The Peninsula

Voltswagons: A what’s Watt of the latest luxury electric hypercars

Once, when seeking the ultimate high-octane high, car enthusiasts would assuredly opt for the throaty petrol-powered roar of a V12 engine as it purred below the bonnet of one of the world’s super-specced supercars – a Ferrari, a Bugatti or, perhaps, a Lamborghini. Now, though, for many, such beasts are relics, with their gas-guzzling prowess deemed more sinful than salutary. In this very different era, fuel efficiency trumps Formula One flirtations and a low carbon footprint tops a stylish carbon fibre chassis. This, then, is the age of the highly environmentally-attuned electric hypercars.

Newest electric hypercars

In truth, Electric Vehicles (EVs) are far from a new invention. The first-ever battery-powered vehicle actually hit the streets of Scotland around 1837, the product of the fertile mind of Robert Anderson, a local inventor. While other innovators followed his lead, revising and refining his concept, none resolved the short battery life / restricted mileage issues that saw this current-powered conveyance swiftly overtaken by its petrol-reliant counterparts.

Electric Hypercars - Original Tesla Roadster 2008, the first highway-legal lithium ion-battery powered EV
The original Tesla Roadster 2008, the first modern all-electric supercar

Fast forward the best part of two centuries though, and EVs are once more seen as the future of rapid, reliable, personal transportation. The lead here was initially taken by such doughty Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs) as the Toyota Prius, a car that combined conventional automotive technology with planet-preserving alternatives. Of late, though, it is the more pure-play, all-electric contenders that have begun to surge to the fore.

As a sure sign that the sector is maturing, many luxury motoring marques have eschewed the utilitarian look and feel of earlier models, opting instead to bring a luxury ambience and aggressive performance to hitting the road without negatively impacting the biosphere. Of the many contenders keen to remain sleek and mean, while still unashamedly green, four electric hypercars, in particular, stand out as the clear frontrunners…

Electric Hypercars - Volkswagen ID.R

Volkswagen ID.R

Among the current crop of super-speedy EVs, one particular model truly towers above the pack – the Volkswagen ID.R. As initially conceived, its highly-innovative design was geared to deliver on one very specific goal – setting a new world record at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, an insanely-challenging 20.8km track in Germany. It’s a target it achieved back in June, when it recorded the fastest lap time ever for an all-electric car, beating the previous record holder by a truly impressive 40 seconds. The ID.R then burnished its already impressive reputation by smashing two more records within a year, both at the Peak International Hill Climb in Colorado and at southern England’s Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Although the ID.R is undeniably the flagship of Volkswagen’s new all-electric ID range, it remains a prototype and has never been produced commercially. The German motoring marque has, however, announced plans to incorporate much of its top-line tech into the 20 electric-powered vehicles that are scheduled to arrive in showrooms over the next few years.

Electric Hypercars - Pininfarina Battista

Pininfarina Battista

If the ID.R’s record-breaking performance is to be topped any time soon, it may well be Munich-based Automobili Pininfarina that does the topping. A well-established manufacturer of luxury EVs, its much-anticipated, high-specced Pininfarina Battista is set to roll off the production line later this year. When first unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show back in March, its promised performance inspired oohs and aahs all around – 0-100kmph in under two seconds, a top speed in excess of 350kmph and an impressive per-charge range of 450km.

Its headline appeal, though, lies in the enormous thrust delivered by its 120kWh lithium-ion battery pack. All told, the Battista is said to be blessed with 1,900bHp, making it the most powerful road-legal car ever to go into production. Putting that figure into perspective, it’s almost a third more than the 1,341bHp that established the Koenigsegg Agera RS as the fastest production car back in 2017. Lovingly crafted from ultra-lightweight carbon fibre and with a production run of just 150, this four-wheel-drive sensation comes with 1969lb-ft of torque as standard and all the latest on-road technology from Rimac, Pininfarina’s sportscar-focussed stablemate. Speaking of which…

Electric Hypercars - Rimac C_Two

Rimac C_Two

When Rimac Automobili burst onto the super-luxury EV scene with its C_One electric hypercar back in 2013, it seemed the proverbial overnight success story. Spun out of the workshop of Mate Rimac, the brand’s Croatian founder, the C_One’s truly innovative design outshone the works of countless other more famous – and well-funded – marques. What’s more, thanks to this, the services of Rimac Technology are now regularly sought out by other would-be EV supercar brands.

Not one to rest on its laurels, though, the company is expected to launch its follow up – the C_Two – any day now. With an unprecedented 1,914bHp coming as standard, this upgrade is said to go from 0-60mph in just 1.85 seconds, while having a top speed in excess of 250mph. Sleek, streamlined and boasting an eye-catching matte carbon fibre finish, it is to be released in a limited edition of just 150.

Electric Hypercars - Tesla Roadster 2020

Tesla Roadster 2020

No list of the world’s finest electric hypercars would be complete without a Tesla, with the soon-to-be-released 2020 Tesla Roadster more than meriting inclusion in its own right. With its name a nod to the 2008 model that first saw Tesla gain international recognition, hopes are high for this new addition to its roster.

While there’s no word yet as to its likely horsepower, Tesla’s prerelease publicity promises 0-60mph in 1.9 seconds and a top speed of more than 250mph. If these figures have a ring of familiarity, it’s probably because they are very similar to the specs of both the Pininfarina Battista and the Rimac C_Two. Although neither manufacturer is willing to confirm it, for many, it’s clear that the new Musk-driven EV hypercar is seen as very much the one to beat.

Electric Hypercars - Tesla Roadster interiors

However, Musk still has one or two secret bonus features planned that could yet ensure it proves a true gamechanger. Most notably, there is the SpaceX thruster package, a refinement that has been the subject of several of the inventor’s most intriguing tweets. With the world’s foremost EV entrepreneur going as far as to hint that this under-wraps thruster technology could even see the new vehicle one day zoom skywards, it may be that the battle for supremacy amongst environmentally-friendly electric hypercars may truly be about to take off like never before.

Text: Tenzing Thondup
Photos: Volkswagen, Automobili Pininfarina, Rimac and Tesla

The 4Cs of Cricket: Factors that make the game a multibillion dollar business

Valued at US$5 billion in India alone, cricket attracts corporates and the corrupt in equal measure…

When the English cricket team lifted the World Cup trophy last month at the Lord’s Stadium, it wasn’t just the fans of the winning team who were cheering. With cricket currently the second-most-popular spectator sport in the world – and with more than 100 nations now paid-up members of the International Cricket Council (ICC) – every party concerned, whether sponsors, advertisers, regulators or players, was chortling all the way to the ATM.

The corporate cash cow that cricket has become is, however, very different from the sport that was first played in England in the 16th century, a time when parish teams competed with one another, co-opting farm tools as make-do bats, tree stumps as wickets and anything vaguely spherical as a ball. From this seed, over the course of 500 years, cricket has bloomed into an international phenomenon, but it is its popularity in South Asia – mainly India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka – that has truly transformed it into a booming multibillion-dollar business.

cricket

Its success, of course, is driven by the almost-fanatical level of support it occasions. According to the ICC, some one billion people follow the game with a feverish intent. In addition, as there are only around a dozen nations that play the game at the highest level, this means the stratospheric sums involved are actually divvied up between a very small number of stakeholders.

Indeed, at the end of the day, just 4Cs control the world of cricket – the Cup, the Cricketers themselves, the Country Leagues and the Corrupt. Having an in with just one of them would be more than enough to make you very rich indeed…

The Cup

cricket

The World Cup – especially the men’s edition – is the biggest event on the cricketing calendar. Taking place every four years, billions of dollars are generated through sponsorships, TV rights, advertising and related merchandising. This year, the tournament’s global broadcast partner, Star Sports, made more than US$140 million from its coverage. The ICC also signed up 20+ brands as official partners, with each one swelling the coffers considerably. Even allowing for the fact that US$10 million had to be given away as prize money, there was still an awful lot left to be divvied up between the fortunate few involved. Ostensibly as a way of promoting the game, but also, no doubt, with an eye on the piggy bank, the ICC has launched a raft of additional tournaments over the years, including the ICC Champions Trophy and the ICC Super Series. About 10 years ago, it also gave the go-ahead to the T20 – 20-over games whose comparative brevity have made them more spectator-friendly than the more traditional test matches and 50-over games. A huge success, the T20 format has now been imported into dedicated – and hugely profitable – leagues by many of the world’s leading cricketing nations.

The Cricketers

cricket

Those most obviously well-placed to capitalise on cricket’s success are, of course, its professional practitioners. However, as the cash rewards have increased, so too have the levels of disparity. While the world’s foremost cricketers can earn up to US$1 million from turning out for their national side alone, it’s a sum that varies considerably depending on where your home country ranks in the sport’s hierarchy. So, while Steve Smith, the captain of the Australian team earned US$1.47 million in 2018, Graeme Cremer, his Zimbabwean counterpart, slouched home with just US$86,000 for his trouble. Such match fees, though, come on top of the huge sums high-profile cricketers can command from sponsors. Sachin Tendulkar, one of the game’s most successful-ever batsmen, for instance, is worth US$118 million, with much of that accruing from endorsement deals. Similarly, Virat Kohli, the current captain of the Indian team, has stashed away US$144 million, with sponsors having again stumped up the lion’s share. Such bounty, however, seems to be distributed on a boys-only basis. Not only are lady-cricketers less famous, their pay cheques tend to have rather fewer zeros at the end. Here, at least, some things might be about to change, with the English women’s cricket team having been awarded a 40% bonus after their impressive World Cup performance.

The Country Leagues

cricket

Recognising the huge potential of the T20 format, domestic leagues focusing solely on this abbreviated version of the game have sprung up over the years. This has seen all-star T20 clubs – owned by high net-worth individuals or major corporate concerns – face off against each other in a number of high-profile tournaments, notably the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Australia Big Bash League, the England NatWest T20 Blast League and the South Africa Ram Slam T20 League. As an indication of the mega-profits to be made from such tournaments, Star India, a 21st Century Fox-owned TV network bought the worldwide broadcasting and digital rights to the IPL for a five-year period for US$2.55 billion back in 2017, fending off rival bids from 23 other organisations – including Facebook – in the process. As the IPL season is quite short, with only 60 matches played per year, this means that the US$8.5m broadcasting cost per game is four times more than that of North American National Basketball Association matches.

The Corruption

cricket

While once renowned as the game of gentlemen, cricket has become synonymous with corruption over the years. Despite the ICC’s avowed commitment to root out any and all instances of malpractice, incidences of spot-fixing and match-rigging remain all too common. This was thrown into sharp relief back in 2000 when it transpired that the then-South African captain, Hansie Cronje, had accepted payments to throw a test match against England. Barely had the aftershocks subsided across the cricket world when, 11 years later, three Pakistani players were found guilty of match tampering. Although all three of them were subsequently banned from the game for life and also served lengthy prison sentences, cricket’s reputation took a knock it has yet to recover from. Indeed, fair play seemed off the agenda yet again at the recently-concluded World Cup, with allegations that the all-powerful Indian cricket board had railroaded the ICC into allowing fewer teams to play in the tournament. This then allowed the Indian team to play a greater number of matches, leading to higher viewership in India and a massive advertising / sponsorship windfall. While, in the short term, such tactics may keep the cash rolling in, such transparent avarice may ultimately see the sport’s popularity crumble. After all, it’s just not cricket, now, is it?

Text: Suchetana Mukhopadhyay
Photos: AFP

Flawed restorations that have marred the world’s best-loved monuments

Just over three months ago, one of France’s most iconic buildings – the Notre-Dame de Paris – was almost lost forever as flames threatened to consume this truly great cathedral. One of the most recognisable structures of the Parisian skyline, it wasn’t the first time the 900-year-old landmark had been minutes from disaster. During its long history, several blazes had scarred a number of its sections, while over-enthusiastic peasants, emboldened by the French Revolution, had once set about ransacking a vestibule or two.

Flawed restorations Notre-Dame de Paris on fire
Notre-Dame de Paris on fire

Response to this latest calamity was swift and unremittingly generous, with many of France’s richest families – including the billionaires behind the LVMH Group, Kering and L’Oreal – pledging millions for its restoration. Despite there being no shortage of available funds, as yet there is no consensus on how best to return the building to its former glory. Indeed, the French Senate’s only rather vague guideline is that the rebuilt Notre-Dame really ought to resemble the “last visual statement” of its pre-conflagration incarnation. Meanwhile, Emmanuel Macron, the French President, has insisted that any restoration must be completed by 2024, the year the Olympic Games will be Paris-bound.

Flawed restorations - Original form of the Notre-Dame
Original facade of the Notre-Dame

With its future form as yet unsettled, those tasked with resurrecting Notre-Dame would be well advised to learn from the monumental mistakes made by others who played fast and loose, resulting in flawed restorations of once-lost landmarks…

Flawed restorations - Sistine Chapel

The Sistine Chapel

Back in the ’80s and ’90s, the ceiling of the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel underwent something of a controversial refurb. Originally completed in 1512, this 10,000sq.ft space was the work of Michelangelo, that most legendary of Italian grandmasters, but – almost 500 years on – its biblical frescoes were somewhat diminished by a decidedly non-divine array of peels, cracks and faded paintwork. Backed by funds from a Japanese TV corporation, a team of Italian and international art experts duly set about what, at the time, was billed as “the 20th century’s most extensive restoration project”.

The restoration soon became mired in remonstration, with critics claiming the first phase of the work had done more harm than good, as many original features – including plaster work, facial details and subsidiary figures – had been erased alongside the centuries of accumulated soot, smoke and grime. While the flawed restorations were ultimately grudgingly credited with reviving some of the ceiling’s original colouring, to many, what remained was a pale shadow of Michelangelo’s original artistic vision. Fail.

Flawed restorations - Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal

India’s most must-visit monument, the Taj Mahal, was built by Shah Jahan, the Mughal emperor, as the final resting place for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who had died mid-childbirth at the age of just 38. Completed in 1653, some 22 years after her death, this repository is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its white marble mausoleum, minarets, reflection pool and gardens attracting more than three million tourists every year.

Time, though, has not been kind to the 240ft Taj. Nor has the high level of pollution in nearby Agra. The locals’ enthusiasm for burning all things dungy and surplus-to- requirements nearby hasn’t done it any favours either. With its once-gleaming white walls now dulled, India’s Supreme Court was finally prompted into action, insisting that the government either “shut down the Taj, demolish it or restore it”.

The authorities naturally plumped for renovation. Accordingly, a lengthy restoration process is now underway, one that will see the mausoleum enclosed in a head-to-toe mud mask. It will then emerge, butterfly-like, from its cleansing cocoon with gleaming white walls and the kind of minarets you could eat your dinner off. Hmm, frankly, the jury is still out on this one… Judgement pending.

Flawed restorations - Abu Simbel
Abu Simbel sets a gold standard in landmark restorations

Abu Simbel

Arguably, the greatest restoration success story of all time relates to the 1964 dismantling and reassembly of Egypt’s 3,000-year-old Abu Simbel temple complex. Originally carved into the mountains of the Nubian Valley during the reign of Ramesses the Great (1279– 1213 BC), as a monument to himself and Nefertiti, his consort, the structure gazed out across the Nile for countless centuries as civilisations rose and fell around it. At least, it did until 1959.

That was the year when construction of the Aswan Dam was given the go-ahead – a massive structure that would reduce the risk of floods, boost water conservation and provide much-needed hydroelectric power. In fact, the only downside of the project was that it would see one of Egypt’s best-preserved heritage sites submerged 83ft below the surface of Lake Nasser, the vast reservoir that would subsequently be created.

Flawed restorations - Abu Simbel reconstruction
Painstaking reconstruction of Abu Simbel

Unwilling to perpetrate such an act of desecration, the Egyptian government of the day enlisted the help of UNESCO. Thus began an unprecedented collaborative venture that saw the whole of the temple painstakingly rebuilt on a new site, one that was some 65m higher, 200m further inland and likely to be a whole lot drier over the long term.

This was one immense restoration undertaking. Not only did it require the careful dissection and relocation of hundreds of 20-30-tonne rock structures, but the whole complex also had to be reconstructed exactly as it was before. In the end, the process took five years to complete and cost about US$182 million in today’s currency. It was money well spent, however, and Abu Simbel remains the gold standard for any restoration work, with those tasked with rebuilding Notre-Dame advised to follow its playbook, rather than the flawed restorations of the Not So Great Wall or the Stop and Desistine Chapel… 

Text: Tenzing Thondup
Photos: AFP

Maid in Hollywood: TV darling Elisabeth Moss head to the big screen

It’s the TV series that, whether by luck or by design, has seemed most zeitgeisty in the #MeToo world, a post-apocalyptic, satirical, shot-from-thehip, righteous screech of anger at never-shouldhave- been male domination. Or, as the TV guides preferred to bill it, The Handmaid’s Tale. Based on the 1985 dystopian novel of the same name by Margaret Atwood, the multi-award winning Canadian writer, the programme – already in its third season – caught the imagination of a generation, embodying and taking to the extreme the eternal battle of the sexes, leaving women angry and emboldened, and any male with a tad of self-awareness shamefaced and contrite.

Although the timeliness of its debut – its first episode was broadcast shortly before the downfall of Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein sent the #MeToo movement global – undoubtedly played a huge role in its success, its enduring popularity is also down to the stunning performance of Elisabeth Moss, the Los Angeles-born actress who brought to life the pivotal role of Offred, the eponymous handmaid whose tale is told.

Elisabeth Moss
Born in July 1982 to two musicians, it’s safe to say a love of performing has always flowed through her veins. Although, at the age o f just eight, she moved New York City to train as a ballerina, her acting abilities soon eclipsed her fancy footwork and saw the young actress cast in Lucky Chances, a 1990 NBC miniseries. Her big break, though, didn’t come for another nine years when she was ultimately cast as Zoey Bartlet, the fictional daughter of Martin Sheen’s equally-fictional US president in the critically-acclaimed The West Wing. It was a character she was to play for the next seven years, while also finding time for guest appearances in a number of other high-profile TV shows of the time, most notably Grey’s Anatomy and Medium.

Elisabeth Moss
Elisabeth Moss as Peggy Olson in AMC series Mad Men

Then, in 2007, she was cast in a role that would ensure she would be far more than a one-hit wonder. This was the role of Peggy Olson, a frumpy and overly eager secretary in Mad Men – a sustained riff on the glories and grotesqueries of the US advertising industry in the ’60s – which arguably allowed her a wider pallet than her West Wing days. As her role evolved, Moss went on to be recognised with both Emmy and Golden Globe nominations.

Despite this acclaim and Mad Men’s demanding schedule, she still found time for a number of other high-profile roles, most notably as Robin Griffin in Top of the Lake, a gritty Sundance / BBC drama – a role that took her some 12,000km away from Tinseltown to the far-distant city of Queenstown in New Zealand. Playing a detective specialising in sexual assault cases assigned to investigate the disappearance of a pregnant 12-year old girl, it was the performance that saw Moss win her first Golden Globe for ‘Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television’.

Elisabeth Moss
Playing her Golden Globe and Emmy-winning performance as Offred in The Handmaid’s Tale

While she couldn’t put a foot wrong on stage or screen, away from the greasepaint and critical adoration, things were a little less steady. Her marriage to actor and former star of Saturday Night Live, Fred Armisen, lasted just eight months. It was a disaster somewhat mitigated by Armisen publicly confessing the couple’s subsequent divorce had been largely down to him. Not one to duck to such a PR gift, Moss then went on record saying: “One of the greatest things I heard someone say about Fred is: ‘He’s so great at doing impersonations’. The greatest impersonation he does, though, is that of being a normal person”.

Moss herself, however, has not been immune to accusations of not being normal, with many such jibes centring around her lifelong commitment to Scientology, a cult-like religion that has had frequent run-ins with various US authorities over many, many years. Indeed, perhaps because her career has been quite so scandal-free, it’s the Scientology issue that the more dogged / less imaginative journos have returned to time and again, with many suggesting that her allegedly misanthropic religion is wholly at odds with her feminist credentials.

Eventually driven to try and end these seemingly interminable intimations, Moss ultimately took to her Instagram account to state: “Religious freedom and tolerance and understanding the truth and equal rights for every race, religion and creed are extremely important to me” – a declaration that, almost certainly, did absolutely nothing to stem such accusations.

Elisabeth Moss
Elisabeth Moss with Melissa McCarthy and Tiffany Hadish in the upcoming film The Kitchen

A more robust defence of her feminist allegiances, of course, has come courtesy of her role in The Handmaid’s Tale, arguably her most high-profile and heartfelt performance to date. For three seasons now, she has wowed viewers as the series’ heroine, a woman constrained by the dictates of a society more male dominated than even ’60s Madison Avenue. With reviews of the series having remained more or less positive throughout, Moss proved a popular winner of the 2017 Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series. The series also saw her win her second Golden Globe, this time as Best Actress in a Television Series Drama.

The Kitchen will see Elisabeth Moss share top billing with two other actresses who have graduated from the small to the big screen – Melissa McCarthy and Tiffany Hadish. Whether her own role – as an Irish mobster’s wife who, herself, ultimately embraces the dark side – marks her formal ascension to movie stardom or proves just another intriguing digression in her TV-centric career will rather depend on just how much kerching she brings to the box office.

Text: Bailey Atkinson
Photo: AFP

How to spot a nouveau riche person? Here are five signs…

Money talks but, all too often, with a giveaway accent. While the refined, public-schooled tones of those born into wealth are synonymous with old money and generations of entitlement, the rougher, less-polished speech of those whose fortunes were more recently made betray the speaker as someone for whom prosperity is an awkward mantle, someone still transitioning from a have-not to a most-definitely-have.

nouveau riche

Typically, these more recently-monied men and women are dismissed as the ‘nouveau riche’ or, more disparagingly still, ‘the nouveaus’. It is a term freely bandied by those with generations of family wealth behind them, along with whispered critiques of the fashion faux pas and errors in elementary etiquette of those whose style and manners remain at a far lower level than their bank balances.

Despite its currency, the concept of mocking the suddenly affluent goes back a long way. The Ancient Romans, for instance, coined the term ‘novus homo’ (literally ‘the new man’) as a way of differentiating between those of a noble lineage and those who made their fortune as merchants or something equally grubby. For better or worse, it’s a form of social stratification that has endured over countless centuries and one that has gained fresh impetus in the Digital Age. Such transgressions, though, are not restricted to the cyber-realm, with the sheer volume of their cash-loaded lifestyles spilling on to real life. But how to detect them and how to avoid being inadvertently perceived as one of their number? Well, there are five giveaway signs to bear in mind…

Bling it on…

nouveau riche

One of the first indicators that an acquaintance has recently skipped several pay grades and is now a debutante member of the monied classes is their sudden acquisition of an array of designer accessories, inevitably coupled with an inability to flaunt them judiciously. We’re not talking a discreet Bulgari Serpenti bag or an occasional whiff of Coco Chanel here. No, the said recently-minted mate will instead invest in a head-to-toe haute couture makeover, complete with designer outfits, expensive imported footwear and limited-edition personal luggage. Some of their ensembles may even match.

Sassy on social media…

nouveau riche

Far from sated by merely flaunting their fecund finances to those in immediate proximity, such novice nouveaus will inevitably chronicle every minute of their willfully extravagant existence on every possible social media feed. They’ll Instagram their tastelessly-indulgent décor, Facebook their foreign shopping sprees and WeChat a wanton night where the wine bill alone might have bankrupted one of the world’s poorer nations. When you have that much lucre lurking in your current, after all, how could anything really be fun if it’s not instantly shared with your 200,000 online followers? The fact that every single one of them hates you and your vapid lifestyle is, of course, wholly immaterial.

Car-zy rich…

nouveau riche

Nothing says recently-acquainted-with-riches more than investing in an inappropriately expensive car. Ideally, it should be a day-glo limited edition, with a dashboard that has enough digital enhancements to shame a mid-moon launch Mission Control. While its spec – beyond its cost – is largely irrelevant, its chassis hue is of essential importance. Ideally, it should boast a bubblegum pink or canary yellow finish as, after all, it’s a vehicle that wasn’t purchased to efficiently convey you from point A to point B. No, its sole role is to make your wealth unmissable to any fellow motorist or sped-past pedestrian. To emphasize just how much cash you have to splash on fripperies, it’s also best to invest in personalised number plates, with the faux cool ones seemingly being the popular picks. For research purposes only, we have unearthed a few prime examples from the Internet – C13VER, PL4Y B8Y, LADY 55, B0NK3RZ. Not only will such a distinctive plate ensure your motor is easily distinguishable once parked, it will also pretty much guarantee that, every time you return to it, it has been well and truly keyed.

High-flying…

nouveau riche

Once you have your bright green Bugatti, then what next? In this case, the only way is up, with a private jet being the mark of a true high-flier. Alternatively, you could opt for a super-yacht. Or why not spoil yourself and have both? In truth, any self-respecting new-age billionaire has a fleet of luxury vehicles – cars, jets, yachts – at their beck and call as highly-visual means of establishing their status. Admittedly, they also come in useful when transiting to a private island or swiftly moving on, should the tax authorities come prowling. Wherever their destination, however, you can be sure that even in the most forsaken of wildernesses or on an icy plain stretching out beyond the horizon, you can be fairly sure that the trappings of luxury will not have been left behind. So, do your best to keep a straight face when any newly-affluent acquaintance ‘shares’ the difficulty of getting a really good pedicure when mid-Gobi.

OTT parties…

Taking their cue from The Great Gatsby playbook, a fabulously-over extravagant party is every newly-minted millionaire’s favoured means of announcing their ascension to wadded-walletdom. Indeed, once having arrived at such an enviable position, a flash-the-cash bash is obligatory when marking even the most mundane of milestones. Dog’s 100th day and still not fallen victim to one of the 4WDs? That’s a marquee for 120 close chums and bespoke bone-shaped canapés all-round. 10 years since the Financial Tsunami ravaged the global banking system? Gathering of 200 or so valued colleagues on a fleet of swan-shaped gondolas, dress code: monetarily distressed. No event is too trivial to pass up a chance to party, while each shindig, of course, has to be far more lavish than its predecessor. Putting being judgemental aside for the briefest of moments, it has to be said that the one upside of someone in your social circle suddenly finding stratospheric success is that there’s a fair to middling chance that you’ll instantly find yourself invited to a better class of parties. And, darlings, those foie gras profiteroles are just to die for…

Text: Suchetana Mukhopadhyay

Seoul suppliers: From fast fashion to top tunes, South Korea is Hong Kong’s go-to locale

While cinema-goers around the world gaped in slack-jawed amazement at the computer trickery employed by director Steven Spielberg in Jurassic Park, 1993’s summer blockbuster, a canny group of South Koreans were gripped by a different emotion. That sentiment was shock – more specifically, shock that the money made by this Hollywood fare exceeded the total sales value of 1.5 million Hyundai cars. The fact that the company was the country’s leading motoring marque and a source of national pride only added to their discomfort.

As this realisation reverberated upwards, Kim Young-sam, the country’s then-president, sensed an opportunity and the idea of Korean culture as a highly-lucrative, eminently-exportable commodity began to take root. The South Korean Ministry of Culture was soon mandated to develop the country’s media and entertainment sector and, within a decade, Korean culture was sweeping across Asia and making inroads into Europe and North America. Hong Kong, just 2,000km away, was one of the first places the Korean Wave made landfall.

Embracing what came to be termed as hallyu – the Chinese word for the popularity of all things Korean – the city got its initial taste of Seoul-sourced drama in the late 1990s, courtesy of the soap operas screened on ATV and Christmas in August, the South Korean romance that was the country’s first cinematic success in Hong Kong.

After that, the floodgates were well and truly open, with post-Handover Hong Kong keen to be culturally experimental after 99 years as a British chattel and South Korea intent on using the Fragrant Harbour as a platform for a wider dissemination of its artistic endeavours. Since then, Korean culture has permeated deep into Hong Kong society, manifesting itself in four particular sectors…

K-Entertainment

 K-culture

It’s no coincidence that Psy, the internationally-feted South Korean rapper, chose Hong Kong as one of the stops on his 2012 tour as he looked to capitalise on the global success of Gangnam Style, the first K-pop single to truly transcend every boundary. Nor was he the only Korean performer that prioritised a stop-off in the city that year, with Yoona, a member of the all-girl Girl’s Generation group, mobbed by keen K-pop fans the moment she arrived at Hong Kong airport. Since then, several generations of South Korean musical exports – the likes of SHINee, T-ara, 2AM, Exo, Monsta X and Wanna One – have ensured that Hong Kong’s K-pop connoisseurs remain wholly enamoured. The popularity of South Korean pop has, if anything, been matched by the city’s growing demand for K-drama – a body of operatic works that spans everything from heavy historical dramas to contemporary rom-coms.

K-Beauty

 K-culture

Along with Korean music, TV and movies, Korean cosmetics have also conquered the Hong Kong market over the last 10 years. Inevitably, their emphasis on pristine, youthful looks resonate deeply with the many age-obsessed Hongkongers who see perfect, poreless skin as the ultimate beauty prerequisite. The sheer number of options on offer has also proved part of their charm, with brands such as Etude House targetting teens, while natural-ingredients-only Innisfree serves a more superannuated clientele. According to market research company Nielsen, Korean cosmetic products have ousted their Japanese counterparts as Hong Kong’s beauty treatments of choice, with many local

consumers backing them as long-term favourites. Overall, eight out of 10 Hong Kong millennials are happy to vow allegiance to Korean skincare regimes. With this pattern being repeated across Asia and beyond, it’s no wonder that global sales of Korean cosmetics are tipped to top US$7.2 billion by 2020.

K-Fashion

K-culture 

It’s perhaps no great surprise that the rise and rise of K-pop has had a knock-on effect on the world of fashion, with the Hong Kong-based fans of Korean tunesmiths understandably keen to sport the same styles as their favoured purveyors of South East Asian dance-floor fillers. This has led to the inexorable rise of outlets dedicated to Korean couture across the city, with the small mass-market stores that opened in Mong Kok and Tsim Sha Tsui representing the first wave of K-fashion to hit the Hong Kong market.  With its beachhead established at the lower end of the fast-fashion market, it wasn’t long before Korean couture found an equally warm welcome among the city’s more chic outlets and upmarket department stores. Now the sight of previously-obscure Korean clothing brands, such as D by D, YCH and General Idea, jostling for space on the racks of such high-end retailers as Harvey Nichols is no longer a cause for comment. Another K-brand to have committed to major investments in Hong Kong is MLB Korea, a distinctively Korean fashion label that now has outlets in several prime locations across the city, including Central, Tsim Sha Tsui and Causeway Bay.

K-Cuisine

K-culture

What better way to judge the popularity of any culture than by how keenly its cuisine is sought out on foreign shores? While a few Hongkongers may have proved immune to the allure of K-culture in all its sundry incarnations, surely none could resist its culinary aplomb. As apt testimony to this, it’s one of the few overseas cooking regimes to merit its own dedicated Hong Kong thoroughfare – TST’s Kimberley Street (a.k.a. Korean Street). Home to Korean emigres since the 1960s, every night, its huddle of authentic restaurants and dedicated grocery stores metamorphoses into mini-Seoul, complete with an endless selection of spicy stews and countless kimchi dishes.

However, as the locals tuck into their bowls of bibimbap clad head-to-toe in K-clobber, with the distant strains of Seoul-sourced synth-pop soundtracking the night, one can’t help but wonder if they pause to think if Asia’s supposed World City could well do with a similar culture top-up on its own soft-power front.

Text: Suchetana Mukhopadhyay

John Wikipedia: Keanu Reeves, the man behind the reluctant assassin…

Although gifted with a Hawaiian first name that loosely translates to “cool wind over the mountain”, life has been far from a breeze for Reeves, who turns 55 this September. His English showgirl-turned-costume-designer mother split from his Asian-American geologist father when he was just three years old, with Reeves Senior permanently exiting the picture 10 years later. At the age of 17, following a nomadic childhood and an early adolescence that saw him live as far afield as Sydney, New York and Toronto, he headed off to Hollywood with very little to lose. By then, much to the disappointment of the maternal grandparents who had largely brought him up, he had already been expelled from high school. To this day, he is yet to officially finish school.

Despite working on his thespianic credentials since the age of nine, having appeared in countless theatrical productions, he didn’t, however, register on the Hollywood star Richter scale until 1989, when he played the eponymous Ted in Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, a time travel comedy that remains a cult favourite and which, in 1991, gave rise to its own, equally lauded sequel, Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey. 

keanu reeves

It was while riding high as MTV’s 1993 Most Desirable Man that tragedy once again crossed his path, with his close pal and former co-star River Phoenix dying of an overdose at just 23. Clearly still feeling the shock waves more than 20 years later, Reeves told one interviewer in 2014: “River was a remarkable human being and actor. We got along very well and I miss him. I think of him often.”

To many, it seemed that Reeves threw himself into a series of even bigger projects in the wake of the tragedy, landing his most high-profile role to date in 1994’s action-drama Speed, however, just three year later he surprised the studio he turned down the role for the films sequel Speed 2. This, though, would come to be seen as a signature move by Reeves, as he has, since then, frequently ducked big-buck offers in favour of playing roles he coveted or working with actors he admired – notably Al Pacino in The Devil’s Advocate and Gene Hackman in The Replacements. It also led to him to negotiate a highly-unusual profit sharing deal for The Matrix and its sequels, which saw him take a pay cut to ensure the franchise’s special effects and costume designs remained cutting-edge, and later donating US$75 million to be shared between the production team as a sign of his appreciation.

keanu reeves
A young Keanu Reeves in Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure

 

While riding high on the acclaim occasioned by the first Matrix film, fate dealt Reeves another bitter blow when the daughter he was to have with Jennifer Syme, his production assistant girlfriend, was delivered stillborn. Not surprisingly, the subsequent grief put a huge strain on the couple’s relationship, which ultimately ended in Syme’s death two years later in a calamitous car accident. With blow piling on blow, that same year – 2001 – saw his half sister Kim diagnosed with leukemia, a condition that would take the best part of 10 years to overcome.

keanu reeves

Perhaps reflecting his own turmoil, the next decade saw Reeves increasingly drawn to playing complex, troubled men. In 2005, he took the title role in Constantine, an occult detective film based on DC Comics’ Hellblazer comic book series, while 2008 saw him memorably play an alien messenger in a remake of The Day the Earth Stood Still, a ’50s cult favourite. Reeves’ most ubiquitous role in the opening decade of the 21st century, however, was arguably Sad Keanu, a paparazzi-snapped meme that caught the then-middle aged actor alone and forlorn on a park bench, with just a half-eaten sandwich for company.

Then came 2013, the year Reeves took on the title role in John Wick, the film that arguably resurrected his career and saw him once again embrace the action hero mantle he had once so memorably discarded. Bringing the reluctantly unretired assassin to the big screen proved a natural fit with the actor’s innate stoicism and fondness for wry humour, with the casting proving to be box office gold.

Keanu Reeves as iconic Matrix character Neo

In addition to his natural affinity for characters with a dark side, many have speculated that Reeves’ own personal tragedies gifted his depiction of Wick with unusual depth. Seemingly confirming this in a 2006 interview, he said: “Grief changes shape, but it never ends. People have a misconception that you can deal with it and, one day, say: ‘It’s gone, and I’m better’. They’re wrong. When the people you love are gone, you really are alone.” As to whether his renewed success has lightened his load at all, that will have to remain a matter of conjecture. He has, however, green-lit a return to two of his greatest hits, with Bill and Ted 3 (apparently called Bill and Ted Go to Hell) already in production and rumours growing of a return of The Matrix sometime soon. And Speed 3? Well, even for the rejuvenated Keanu Reeves, it’s safe to assume that some things are just beyond redemption…

Text: Bailey Atkinson
Photos: AFP

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