Edward Norton impressed with professionalism of Chinese movie crews

HONG KONG (AP) - American actor Edward Norton says he was impressed with the professionalism of Chinese movie crews when he made "The Painted Veil" in China.
"I've been to some other countries where you make a film and you can tell the local film crews are not so experienced but here you go to make a film and Chinese film crews are very, very professional, so the tradition of making films you feel it, even when you work here, because the crews really know what they're doing," Norton said in an interview with the Chinese news website Sina.com.

Footage of the interview was posted on Sina.com Friday.

"The Painted Veil," also featuring Naomi Watts, Chinese actor Xia Yu and Hong Kong's Anthony Wong, is about a love triangle in 1920s China adapted from the novel by W. Somerset Maugham. The movie is now showing in the U.S. and China.

Norton said he also admired the ability of Xia and Wong to juggle Chinese and English dialogue.

"I was very impressed by Anthony (Wong) and Xia Yu both working in two languages. I thought it was amazing," he said.

Norton described himself as a Chinese film fan who enjoys the work of directors John Woo, Wong Kar-wai, Ang Lee, Chen Kaige and Zhang Yimou.

Of Chen's and Zhang's movies set in mainland China, Norton called them "masterful," adding, "They seemed very exotic, but they were so well made."

Norton said after making "The Painted Veil," he shot "Pride and Glory," about police corruption in New York City, and that he hopes to direct a mystery set in the 1950s next.

© The Canadian Press, 2006