Nicholas Tse hopes to capture ‘spirit of HK cinema’
All his life, Nicholas Tse has loved action films and has headlined several, from New Police Story (2004) to Raging Fire (2021).
And now, for his latest movie, Customs Frontline, the Hong Kong actor-singer has also choreographed the punches.
The Herman Yau-directed film marks Tse’s debut as an action choreographer. Tse also plays a customs officer and, in one scene, hangs from a car suspended in the air, pulled along by a helicopter. In another sequence, he battles assailants armed with metal pipes.
Currently showing in Singapore cinemas, Customs Frontline follows a team of Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department officers who encounter a mysterious container ship carrying the bodies of dead crew members and a huge cache of arms. That puts them on a collision course with a ruthless arms dealer, which sets the scene for gunfire, explosions, car chases and fight scenes.
On his first time as an action choreographer, Tse said in a Zoom interview with Singapore media on July 9 that the experience was “not bad”.
The 43-year-old – who has two sons aged 16 and 14 with his ex-wife, Hong Kong actress Cecilia Cheung – reflected: “I just hoped to capture the spirit of Hong Kong cinema, and not have to rely on post-production to present some scenes.”
Juggling double duty proved challenging at times, he said. “When filming some scenes, there was no way for me to see how they were turning out because I was acting in them.”
And although he has a fear of heights, he admitted his greater fear was that the scenes would not come out well.
But Tse’s biggest challenge was the low temperatures. Filming 12 to 13 hours a day in Hong Kong’s December weather while wearing a thin customs officer’s uniform meant he often felt very cold.
But it was all worth it, as the adrenaline-fuelled Customs Frontline allowed him to live out his passion for action films.
He said: “In action movies, we tell the story using body language instead of expressions and words. Being familiar with different weapons and martial arts is like being able to speak in different languages. They all convey emotions and create a movie’s feel.”
Tse has a lifelong love of the genre that boasts classics such as Hong Kong action comedies Project A (1983) and Police Story (1985), and he grew up admiring the work of Asian action legends such as Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee.
He is also a fan of China-born actor Jet Li, who portrayed folk hero Wong Fei-hung in the first three films of the Once Upon A Time In China series, which were released between 1991 and 1993.
Tse, who grew up in Vancouver, Canada, said: “When I saw the reverence that foreigners had towards Asian action stars, it made me hold them in high regard.”
In Customs Frontline, he got the chance to work closely with Hong Kong Heavenly King Jacky Cheung, 63, who plays his colleague on-screen.
They have appeared in the same movies, such as historical action flick Bodyguards And Assassins (2009) and romantic comedy Hot Summer Days (2010), but this is the first time they are sharing scenes.
Tse said: “I have always been impressed by Jacky’s acting skills and he has the physical ability of an actor 20 years younger. He often just needs to watch how the scene is done once, and can mimic the actions. His memory is so good. Filming with him was a breeze.”
For example, Yau, 62, had set aside eight hours to film one particular scene, but Cheung completed it in about half the time.
The co-stars also collaborated on the movie’s theme song, A Far Off Place – Tse wrote the melody and Cheung sang.
Tse tailored the track for the famed God of Songs, explaining: “Jacky’s character has bipolar disorder, so the song’s melody is supposed to reflect his mental state. There are some quiet portions with no accompaniment, as well as some explosive sections.”
Cheung did not suggest any changes to Tse’s arrangement or composition. Instead, he invited Tse to sing the song with him, but the latter declined. Tse said with a smile: “It was written for Jacky. It suits him, not me.”
- Customs Frontline is showing in cinemas.
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