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Johnnie To is a Actor, Director, Original Film Writer and Producer Chinois born on 22 april 1955 at Hong Kong (Chine)

Johnnie To

Johnnie To
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Birth name To Kei-fung
Nationality Chine
Birth 22 april 1955 (69 years) at Hong Kong (Chine)
Creator of Milkyway Image
Awards Medal of Honour, Hong Kong Film Award for Best Director

Johnnie To Kei-Fung (22 April 1955) is a Hong Kong film director and producer. Popular in his native Hong Kong, To has also found acclaim overseas. Intensely prolific, To has made films in a variety of genres, though in the West he is best known for his action and crime movies, which have earned him critical respect and a cult following (which include Quentin Tarantino, who once said that he really loves to watch To's gangster films).

To's biggest international successes include Breaking News, Election, Election 2 (aka Triad Election), Exiled, Mad Detective and Drug War; these films have multiple international film festival appearances, been distributed theatrically in France and the United States, and been widely sold to foreign countries.

His films, often made in collaboration with the same group of actors, screenwriters and cinematographers, frequently explore themes of friendship, fate and the changing face of Hong Kong society. Sometimes described as "multifaceted and chameleonic" due to his ability to switch tones and genres between movies, To is nonetheless seen as having a consistent style, which involves mixing subdued realism and social observation with highly stylized visual and acting elements.

To heads the Hong Kong-based production company Milkyway Image with his frequent co-director Wai Ka-Fai.

Biography

Né le 22 avril 1955 à Hong Kong, Johnnie To commence sa carrière à 17 ans au sein de la chaîne de télévision TVB où il produit et réalise de nombreuses émissions. En 1980, il réalise son premier long métrage de cinéma : The Enigmatic Case. C'est en 1989 qu'il remporte son premier succès en tant que réalisateur avec le film All About Ah-Long, pour lequel il sera nommé au titre de meilleur réalisateur, tandis que Chow Yun-fat remportera le prix du meilleur acteur, lors des Hong Kong Film Awards de 1990. Le film sera un gros succès au box-office.

En 1993, il se fait internationalement connaître avec The Heroic Trio. Une suite sera coréalisée la même année avec Ching Siu-tung, Executioners. Par la même occasion, les occidentaux découvriront le trio d'actrices Anita Mui, Michelle Yeoh et Maggie Cheung.

Johnnie To souhaite réaliser des films plus personnels, par conséquent moins rentables. La solution vient en 1996, et avec son compère Wai Ka-fai, auteur de nombreux scénarios et coréalisateur sur de nombreux films de Johnnie To, ils fondent la société de production Milkyway Image. C'est ainsi que pour pouvoir produire des films originaux comme Election ou Sparrow, il réalise des films à succès comme Needing You... ou Turn Left, Turn Right.

Au sein de la Milkyway Image, Johnnie To produit de nombreux polars qui ne sont pas signés de son nom mais portent sa marque : Beyond Hypothermia de Patrick Leung, The Odd One Dies, Expect the Unexpected et The Longest Nite de Patrick Yau.

The Mission, sorti en 1999, est le film avec lequel Johnnie To s'impose comme le nouveau maître du polar. Ce film, qui est le premier film du cinéaste distribué en France (en 2001), est considéré comme son meilleur film avec PTU et le diptyque Election. Dès lors, il est invité dans les grands festivals : en 2004, Breaking News fait partie de la Sélection officielle, hors-compétition, au Festival de Cannes, puis en 2005 Election participe à la compétition officielle.

Breaking News est remarqué pour le long plan séquence qui ouvre le film. Judo est un hommage au premier film d'Akira Kurosawa : La Légende du grand judo. Il décrit l'univers des triades dans Election et Election 2. Sorti en 2006, Exilé est un polar très stylisé qui est une variation autour de The Mission.

En 2011, il est membre du jury des longs métrages présidé par Robert De Niro lors du Festival de Cannes.

Usually with

Wai Ka-Fai
Wai Ka-Fai
(24 films)
Lam Suet
Lam Suet
(36 films)
Yau Nai-hoi
Yau Nai-hoi
(29 films)
Simon Yam
Simon Yam
(16 films)
Cheung Siu-fai
Cheung Siu-fai
(15 films)
Source : Wikidata

Filmography of Johnnie To (70 films)

Display filmography as detailed form
YearNameJobRoles
2015OfficeDirector, Producer
2015OfficeDirector, Producer
2014Don't Go Breaking My Heart 2Director, Producer
2013Blind DetectiveDirector, Producer
2013A Complicated StoryExecutive Producer
2012MotorwayProducer
2012Drug WarDirector, Producer
2011Don't Go Breaking My HeartDirector, Producer
2011PunishedProducer
2011Life Without PrincipleDirector, Producer
2009VengeanceDirector, Producer
2009AccidentProducer
2009NewsmakersOriginal Film Writer
2009Tactical Unit: Comrades in ArmsProducer
2008LingerDirector, Producer
2008Code Name: MelvilleActorSelf
2008SparrowDirector, Producer
2007Eye in the SkyProducer
2007Hooked on YouProducer
2007Mad DetectiveDirector, Producer
2007TriangleDirector, Producer
20062 Become 1Producer
2006Election 2Director, Producer
2006ExiledDirector, Producer
2005ElectionDirector, Producer
2004Throw DownDirector, Producer
2004Yesterday Once MoreDirector, Producer
2004Breaking NewsDirector, Producer
2003Turn Left, Turn RightDirector, Producer
2003PTUDirector, Producer
2003Running on KarmaDirector, Producer
2003Looking for Mr. PerfectProducer
2002Fat Choi SpiritDirector, Producer
2002Second Time AroundProducer
2002My Left Eye Sees GhostsDirector, Producer
2001Running Out of Time 2Director, Producer
2001Wu YenDirector, Producer
2001Love on a DietDirector, Producer
2001Fulltime KillerDirector, Producer
2000Needing You...Director, Producer
2000Spacked OutProducer
2000Help!!!Director, Producer
1999The MissionDirector, Producer
1999Running Out of TimeDirector, Producer
1999Where a Good Man GoesDirector, Producer
1998The Longest NiteDirector, Producer
1998A Hero Never DiesDirector, Producer
1998Expect the UnexpectedActor, Director, Producer
1997The Odd One DiesDirector, Producer
1997LifelineDirector
1997Final JusticeProducer
1997IntruderProducer
1997Too Many Ways to Be No. 1Producer
1996A Moment of Romance IIIDirector, Producer
1996Beyond HypothermiaProducer
1993The Heroic TrioDirector, Producer
1993The Heroic Trio 2: ExecutionersDirector, Producer
1993The Mad MonkDirector
1993The Bare-Footed KidDirector
1993A Moment of Romance IIProducer
1992Justice, My Foot!Director
1991The Royal ScoundrelActor, DirectorTaxi Driver
1991The BanquetActor
1991Casino Raiders IIDirector
1990A Moment of RomanceProducer
1990The Fun, the Luck & the TycoonDirector
1989All About Ah-LongDirector
1988The Big HeatDirector
1988The Eighth HappinessDirector
1986Happy Ghost IIIDirector