◎English Name: Ten Perfections and Nine Beauties
◎Film Name: Shi Quan Jiu Mei
◎Year: 2008
◎Country: China
◎Category: Romance/Comedy/Period Drama
◎Language: Mandarin
◎Subtitles: Chinese
◎File Format: XviD + MP3
◎Video Dimensions: 656X336
◎File Size: 2CD
◎Length: 92 Min
◎Director: Yuelun Wang
◎Cast: Yi Huang (as Tang Xiaodie)
Leon Jay Williams (as Zhu Xiaotian)
Hua Liu (as Hong Gaitian)
Han Wang (as Wang Han)
Xiang Li (as Li Xiang)
◎Synopsis:
In the Ming Dynasty, Crown Prince Zhu Xiaotian (played by William Lee) is passionate about carpentry and dreams of becoming a top-notch craftsman like Lu Ban. In order to achieve this dream, he secretly leaves the palace in search of Lu Ban's lost carpentry masterpiece, "The Book of Lu Ban." Legend has it that whoever possesses this book will suffer misfortune—ranging from moral deficiency to physical disability or even death. Either way, disaster seems inevitable for either oneself or one’s family. Thus, the book is also called "The Missing Art."
On his journey, Zhu Xiaotian meets Tang Xiaodie (played by Huang Yi), and together they find Jiang Nanghe, a descendant of the Lu family, who is confined by a tavern owner (Fang Xiting) and a bartender (Li Yu). Before his death, Jiang Nanghe reveals a secret to the two.
Meanwhile, imperial spy Hong Gaitian (Liu Hua) is tasked with investigating the loss of the royal tomb map. Under the misguided leadership of the governor, he mistakenly pursues Zhu Xiaotian and Tang Xiaodie as grave robbers, leading to further confusion.
Zhu Xiaotian and Tang Xiaodie discover that the real grave robbers are the bartender and the tavern owner hidden in Longmen Town, so they head there too. Along the way, the two support each other, developing deep feelings. However, Zhu Xiaotian is accidentally hit by a thrown embroidery ball from Nan Gong Ao's daughter, Nan Gong Yan (Deng Jiajia). At this moment, Hong Gaitian appears, sparking a tale of romance and intrigue set against the backdrop of a vibrant foreign land. Unbeknownst to everyone, Tang Xiaodie harbors another secret purpose beneath her gentle demeanor.
Behind-the-scenes anecdotes:
It is reported that in "Ten Perfections and Nine Beauties," Huang Yi not only effortlessly portrays a male role but also provides significant help to first-time period drama actor William Lee. During filming, she frequently instructs him on how to fan himself and how to carry himself as a young nobleman. Eventually, William Lee simply copies Huang Yi's portrayal of a man, humorously commenting, "Thanks to Huang Yi teaching me how to be cool."
The film was jointly produced by Beijing Happy Star Culture Communication Co., Ltd., owned by Li Xiang, and Zhejiang Giant Star Group, with an investment of 30 million yuan, directed by renowned music video director Yuelun Wang. The film features many popular stars from the entertainment industry: heartthrob William Lee, Huang Yi, and young actress Deng Jiajia, whose appearance resembles Zhou Xun. As a young actress personally selected by Li Xiang, Deng Jiajia has drawn much attention. Recently, in an online poll titled "The Actor You Look Forward To Most in 'Ten Perfections and Nine Beauties'," Deng Jiajia received nearly 80% of the votes, ranking first, demonstrating her immense popularity. With confidence, Li Xiang boldly declared: "Ten Perfections and Nine Beauties" is a hilarious summer blockbuster specifically tailored for post-80s audiences.
Although Li Xiang is investing in a movie for the first time, she is full of confidence in Chinese domestic films. "In recent years, domestic films have made great progress both in quality and market presence. Art films now hold a place on the international stage, and the market share of domestic commercial films is gradually increasing." Therefore, she stated that she would continue to invest in movies and collaborate with different directors and production companies, especially in commercial films. "I believe that Chinese directors can certainly make commercial films that Chinese audiences love." Regarding the news that "Ten Perfections and Nine Beauties" replaced "The Mummy 3" to enter the summer season, Li Xiang believed it was undoubtedly like a shot of adrenaline, boosting her confidence in the box office. It is understood that Li Xiang is currently preparing for her second film.
Deng Jiajia, known in the industry as "Little Zhou Xun," frankly discussed her first acting opposite Huang Yi in "Ten Perfections and Nine Beauties" and the subtle relationships between characters: "They both love the same man because they are attracted to the man before them, but due to their different personalities and backgrounds, the way they love the same man is different." Li Xiang repeatedly praised Deng Jiajia's performance in public: "The director was very satisfied with Deng Jiajia's performance, and I don't need to say more. If there is another opportunity to cooperate, I will still ask Deng Jiajia to be the lead actress; she is a high-quality actor with great potential."
Deng Jiajia's performance in "Ten Perfections and Nine Beauties" was highly praised by director Yuelun Wang and producer Li Xiang: "Deng Jiajia is a good actress, and her natural performance adds new highlights to the entire film."
Main Creative Team:
Huang Yi plays Tang Xiaodie, the successor of the carpentry master Lu Ban, who meets the Ming emperor Zhu Xiaotian (William Lee) by chance. Through a series of comedic and dramatic episodes, they experience a touching love story. In the first half of the film, Huang Yi mostly appears in male attire, with a handsome and spirited look that even outshines the male lead William Lee. From early works like "Marrying the Wrong Bride" and "The Princess Bride" to later roles like "Little Swallow," Huang Yi's portrayal of male characters in period dramas has always been highly praised, even being hailed by audiences as "the brightest female star in male attire since Lin Qingxia." Huang Yi herself is also fond of playing male roles: "Because my personality used to have more boyish traits, portraying males comes naturally to me. Additionally, male makeup is simpler and quicker, saving hours compared to female makeup."