TIFF Red Carpet: first-time director Keanu Reeves talks villainy at the premiere for Man of Tai Chi
TIFF Red Carpet: first-time director Keanu Reeves talks villainy at the premiere for Man of Tai Chi
By Chris Hampton | September 11, 2013
By Chris Hampton | 09/11/2013
Keanu Reeves has embarked on a whole new kind of excellent adventure, making his directorial debut at TIFF with yesterday’s opening of Man of Tai Chi . The kung fu flick stars Matrix stuntman and martial artist extraordinaire Tiger Chen (who, even in his red carpet best, showed off his stock-in-trade) as a tai chi master lured into the high-stakes world of underground fighting. A scruffy-faced Reeves hit the Ryerson Theatre to talk about playing the film’s big baddie. “I enjoy playing bad guys,” he said. “Bad guys have a really uncomplicated passion. They just need, want, give. It’s fun.” And this from an actor who has made “vacant” a patented emotional pose. At any rate, we bet the fight scenes are stirring.
234453 Keanu Reeves at <em>Man of Tai Chi</em> (Image: Christopher Drost) TIFF Red Carpet: Man of Tai Chi TIFF Red Carpet: Man of Tai Chi https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/tiff-2013-man-of-tai-chi-red-carpet-01-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/tiff-2013-man-of-tai-chi-red-carpet-01.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/tiff-2013-man-of-tai-chi-red-carpet-01.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/culture/tiff-2013-red-carpet-man-of-tai-chi/slide/tiff-2013-man-of-tai-chi-red-carpet-01/ tiff-2013-man-of-tai-chi-red-carpet-01 0 0
(Image: Christopher Drost)
234458 Tiger Hu Chen at <em>Man of Tai Chi</em> (Image: Christopher Drost) TIFF Red Carpet: Man of Tai Chi TIFF Red Carpet: Man of Tai Chi https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/tiff-2013-man-of-tai-chi-red-carpet-06-e1378923647790-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/tiff-2013-man-of-tai-chi-red-carpet-06.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/tiff-2013-man-of-tai-chi-red-carpet-06.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/culture/tiff-2013-red-carpet-man-of-tai-chi/slide/tiff-2013-man-of-tai-chi-red-carpet-06/ tiff-2013-man-of-tai-chi-red-carpet-06 0 0
(Image: Christopher Drost)
234459 Keanu Reeves at <em>Man of Tai Chi</em> (Image: Christopher Drost) TIFF Red Carpet: Man of Tai Chi TIFF Red Carpet: Man of Tai Chi https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/tiff-2013-man-of-tai-chi-red-carpet-07-e1378923662978-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/tiff-2013-man-of-tai-chi-red-carpet-07.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/tiff-2013-man-of-tai-chi-red-carpet-07.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/culture/tiff-2013-red-carpet-man-of-tai-chi/slide/tiff-2013-man-of-tai-chi-red-carpet-07/ tiff-2013-man-of-tai-chi-red-carpet-07 0 0
(Image: Christopher Drost)
234460 Keanu Reeves and Tiger Hu Chen at <em>Man of Tai Chi</em> (Image: Christopher Drost) TIFF Red Carpet: Man of Tai Chi TIFF Red Carpet: Man of Tai Chi https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/tiff-2013-man-of-tai-chi-red-carpet-08-e1378923676186-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/tiff-2013-man-of-tai-chi-red-carpet-08.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/tiff-2013-man-of-tai-chi-red-carpet-08.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/culture/tiff-2013-red-carpet-man-of-tai-chi/slide/tiff-2013-man-of-tai-chi-red-carpet-08/ tiff-2013-man-of-tai-chi-red-carpet-08 0 0
(Image: Christopher Drost)
234455 Keanu Reeves at <em>Man of Tai Chi</em> (Image: Christopher Drost) TIFF Red Carpet: Man of Tai Chi TIFF Red Carpet: Man of Tai Chi https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/tiff-2013-man-of-tai-chi-red-carpet-03-e1378923606555-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/tiff-2013-man-of-tai-chi-red-carpet-03.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/tiff-2013-man-of-tai-chi-red-carpet-03.jpg 667 1000 [] https://torontolife.com/culture/tiff-2013-red-carpet-man-of-tai-chi/slide/tiff-2013-man-of-tai-chi-red-carpet-03/ tiff-2013-man-of-tai-chi-red-carpet-03 0 0
(Image: Christopher Drost)
234454 Keanu Reeves at <em>Man of Tai Chi</em> (Image: Christopher Drost) TIFF Red Carpet: Man of Tai Chi TIFF Red Carpet: Man of Tai Chi https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/tiff-2013-man-of-tai-chi-red-carpet-02-e1378923590391-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/tiff-2013-man-of-tai-chi-red-carpet-02.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/tiff-2013-man-of-tai-chi-red-carpet-02.jpg 416 624 [] https://torontolife.com/culture/tiff-2013-red-carpet-man-of-tai-chi/slide/tiff-2013-man-of-tai-chi-red-carpet-02/ tiff-2013-man-of-tai-chi-red-carpet-02 0 0
(Image: Christopher Drost)
234456 Keanu Reeves at <em>Man of Tai Chi</em> (Image: Christopher Drost) TIFF Red Carpet: Man of Tai Chi TIFF Red Carpet: Man of Tai Chi https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/tiff-2013-man-of-tai-chi-red-carpet-04-e1378923619921-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/tiff-2013-man-of-tai-chi-red-carpet-04.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/tiff-2013-man-of-tai-chi-red-carpet-04.jpg 416 624 [] https://torontolife.com/culture/tiff-2013-red-carpet-man-of-tai-chi/slide/tiff-2013-man-of-tai-chi-red-carpet-04/ tiff-2013-man-of-tai-chi-red-carpet-04 0 0
(Image: Christopher Drost)
234462 Keanu Reeves at <em>Man of Tai Chi</em> (Image: Christopher Drost) TIFF Red Carpet: Man of Tai Chi TIFF Red Carpet: Man of Tai Chi https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/tiff-2013-man-of-tai-chi-red-carpet-10-e1378923733500-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/tiff-2013-man-of-tai-chi-red-carpet-10.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/tiff-2013-man-of-tai-chi-red-carpet-10.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/culture/tiff-2013-red-carpet-man-of-tai-chi/slide/tiff-2013-man-of-tai-chi-red-carpet-10/ tiff-2013-man-of-tai-chi-red-carpet-10 0 0
(Image: Christopher Drost)
234457 RADiUS-TWC’s Tom Quinn, producer Lemore Syvan, Tiger Hu Chen, Keanu Reeves and RADiUS-TWC’s Jason Janego at <em>Man of Tai Chi</em> (Image: Christopher Drost) TIFF Red Carpet: Man of Tai Chi TIFF Red Carpet: Man of Tai Chi https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/tiff-2013-man-of-tai-chi-red-carpet-05-e1378923633787-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/tiff-2013-man-of-tai-chi-red-carpet-05.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/tiff-2013-man-of-tai-chi-red-carpet-05.jpg 1000 667 [] https://torontolife.com/culture/tiff-2013-red-carpet-man-of-tai-chi/slide/tiff-2013-man-of-tai-chi-red-carpet-05/ tiff-2013-man-of-tai-chi-red-carpet-05 0 0
(Image: Christopher Drost)
234461 Tiger Hu Chen at <em>Man of Tai Chi</em> (Image: Christopher Drost) TIFF Red Carpet: Man of Tai Chi TIFF Red Carpet: Man of Tai Chi https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/tiff-2013-man-of-tai-chi-red-carpet-09-e1378923691352-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/tiff-2013-man-of-tai-chi-red-carpet-09.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/tiff-2013-man-of-tai-chi-red-carpet-09.jpg 667 1000 [] https://torontolife.com/culture/tiff-2013-red-carpet-man-of-tai-chi/slide/tiff-2013-man-of-tai-chi-red-carpet-09/ tiff-2013-man-of-tai-chi-red-carpet-09 0 0
(Image: Christopher Drost)