TIFF Red Carpet: first-time director Keanu Reeves talks villainy at the premiere for Man of Tai Chi

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.