Center Stage

@ International superstar Maggie Cheung embodies tragic screen siren Ruan Lingyu, known as the “Greta Garbo of China,” in this unconventional biopic by Hong Kong New Wave master Stanley Kwan. Praised for her moving and emotive onscreen presence, Ruan’s private life, which was frequent fodder for the vicious Shanghai tabloids, began to mirror the melodramas which brought her fame, culminating in her suicide at age 24. Kwan and Cheung paint a kaleidoscopic yet intimate portrait of the ill-fated actress, deftly blending lush period drama, archival footage, and metatextual documentary sequences of Cheung reflecting on Ruan’s legacy. The result is, much like the films of Ruan Lingyu themselves, “tender, vivid and almost overwhelmingly moving” (Time Out). “Cheung’s acting is beautifully subtle and intricate, the cinematography is gorgeous, and the production and costume design conveys an earlier era of film elegantly.” -MovieJawn “The self-aware drama moves at the hypnotic pace of an elusive dream-above all, in spectacularly staged musical scenes, set in a night club, merging sinuous and languid dances with high-stakes emotional battles.” -Richard Brody Center for ContemporaryArts Add to calendar Google Calendar iCalendar Outlook 365 Outlook Live