As in previous decades, the boom time of the late-80s and 90s saw Hong Kong cinema produce a plethora of stars with the allure of Hollywood's Golden Age. Screen queens included the deadly glamourous Lin Ching-hsia; the athletic action star Michelle Yeoh/Kwan; the sour beauty Anita Mui; and the sophisticated and stylish Maggie Cheung. Richard James Havis reports.

Cheung has appeared in over 70 films since her debut in 1984, and, in true Hong Kong style, has crossed genres with abandon. She's done comedy, romance, science fiction, fantasy - and still found time to showcase her acting in a number of artistically inclined movies. One of these, Stanley Kwan's Actress (aka Centre Stage), saw her win Best Actress at the Berlin film festival in 1992. She recently appeared swathed in rubber and playing herself in Irma Vep (France, 1996), which was written specially for her by director Olivier Assayas.

Miss Hong Kong

Born in Hong Kong in 1964, Cheung grew up in England, returning to Hong Kong after High School. Winning the Miss Hong Kong beauty pageant in 1982 provided her entrance into the world of showbiz. She first moved into TV, and then features. Her sophisticated image won her many fans in a territory where prettiness is a virtue, and her acting skills were soon spotted by serious directors. The fans noticed, too: "I used to admire her because of her beauty," says one long-time female fan, "but now I admire her acting as well."

Cheung's presence can lift even the most commercial of features, and good roles allow her to shine. Tour-de-force performances turn up in Stanley Kwan's Actress/Centre Stage (1992) and Ann Hui's The Song Of The Exile (1990). Actress saw her taking on the role of tragic Chinese movie star, Ruan Lingyu, and included documentary style interviews with her about the character. Song Of The Exile saw her recreate the director's relationship with her mother in Ann Hui's autobiographical movie.

Break

Cheung has also appeared in a slew of commercial projects. She hammed it up perfectly for the science fiction The Heroic Trio and its sequel The Executioners (both 1993) and was delectably sensual as a fishy character in Tsui Hark's fantasy Green Snake (1993). She was also good value as the inn-keeper in Tsui's remake of the King Hu classic (New) Dragon Gate Inn (1992).

Cheung recently took a two-year break from local pictures, returning to Hong Kong cinema with the hit Comrades - Almost A Love Story. The film, which paired her with singing star Leon Lai, saw her once again praised for her restrained acting. She was to appear in Wong Kar-wai's Buenos Aires Affair, but was written out before she reached the camera. She's currently slated to play a transexual in Stanley Kwan's Twin Sons, Twin Mothers, although, again, there is some doubt whether schedules will see her perform in the film. Richard James Havis