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By now we’ve all heard tales of the humility and warmth of the otherwise bitterly attractive Keanu Reeves, so I feel a personal hope that his authorial and directorial debut, Man of Tai Chi, turns out well and finally gives him something to be happy about (while eating a sandwich on a park bench).
This new proof of concept video gives me reason to be optimistic. Demonstrating the fascinating IRIS system from engineering studio Bot & Dolly, the motion-controlled camera seems to offer the cinematographic dexterity of CG along with the visual authenticity of film. Imagine the nimble camera of the Matrix sequels’ fight scenes without the perceptively smooth visual style that renders the films as uncannily off-putting in aesthetic as in plot.
Man of Tai Chi will film (at least partially) in China, with Reeves playing its villain, and could be a revolutionary breakthrough in martial arts films. Or at least validation of the increasingly artistic-looking Reeves’ unrecognized genius.
[via Twitch]