It's a movie star's worst nightmare. 　

 

Promoting her new film The Banquet at the Venice Film Festival on Sunday, Zhang Ziyi wore the same polka-dotted low-cut dress that fellow Chinese actress Xu Jinglei wore two months ago.

 

 　　

 

The Hong Kong entertainment press, known for being harshly critical of Zhang, pounced on the apparent slip-up Monday.

 

"Zhang Ziyi wears Xu Jinglei's old dress," the headline read in Apple Daily's entertainment section. 　　

 

Xu wore the dress at a press conference in Hong Kong in July to promote the upcoming film Confession of Pain, directed by Andy Lau and Alan Mak of Infernal Affairs fame. 　　

 

A headline in Oriental Daily News said, "Zhang Ziyi, who occasionally fumbles her wardrobe, wore the same outfit that Xu Jinglei wore at a press conference earlier. What a big mistake." 　

 

Hong Kong media is traditionally critical of Zhang, accusing her of bad fashion taste, poor English and bad habits. 　　

 

Zhang rose to international fame after appearing in the martial arts hit Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Her Hollywood credits since then include Rush Hour 2 and Memoirs of a Geisha.

 

(CRI September 6, 2006)