The next morning, Lin Chaoyang appeared at Tung Ying Building in Tsim Sha Tsui. He came today to see the finished film of "The Truman Show."
The post-production of "The Truman Show" has been completed for some time, and Xu Anhua had informed him about it before.
Knowing that Lin Chaoyang was going to watch a movie today, Xu Anhua and Xu Guanwen both ran over.
Lin Chaoyang is the original author and screenwriter. They both wanted to hear Lin Chaoyang's views on the finished film.
The two of them put a lot of effort into this movie, and their urgency is understandable.
In the dark projection room, only the projector's beam hit the screen.
After the logos of several production companies flashed, the first shot of the movie was a close-up shot of the director played by Bao Fang being interviewed by the camera.
"We are tired of watching movies with fake performances and fancy stunts. "The Truman Show", you can say it is fake, but Truman himself couldn't be more real.
This program has no script and no cue cards. Although it may not be a masterpiece, it is definitely a fake..."
A close-up shot is the closest viewing distance in a movie, and every subtle expression and emotional change of the character will be captured by the camera.
Bao Fang's lines are pronounced clearly and have his own unique rhythm, and his voice is also very charming. This advantage is infinitely amplified in close-ups.
He did not wear makeup when filming this scene, and his face, which is over fifty, is covered with fine wrinkles. Every time he opens his mouth, these wrinkles seem to have become part of his acting skills.
In particular, his sunken eye sockets and sharp eyes make him look both scheming and scheming in the camera lens, and he also has a feeling that everyone is drunk and I am alone, which instantly makes the director's character's contradictory temperament of paranoia and sophistication coexist.
showed it.
Lin Chaoyang was attracted by the first shot, not because of how stunning the shot was, but because Bao Fang's performance was beyond his expectation.
The face that has been tempered by time is placed in the camera, full of a sense of story.
The camera switched and Truman, played by Xu Guanwen, appeared.
He looks much younger in the movie than in real life. That is the effect of makeup.
Xu Guanwen has always been known as a cold-faced comedian in Hong Kong, but in "The Truman Show", his performance is neither "cold-faced" nor "smiling", and his performance is very relaxed.
And in this relaxation, there is also brightness and warmth.
This is of course the background of the character "Truman" in the early stages of the movie. It allows the audience to feel the background, which is enough to prove that Xu Guanwen's performance is successful.
This movie is a one-man show of "Truman". As the plot continues to advance, the character of Truman becomes more and more fleshed out, and Lin Chaoyang can't help but compare Xu Guanwen with Jim Carrey.
Compared with Jim Carrey's performance, Xu Guanwen's acting skills are more restrained and lack the confidence and sunshine that Americans deliberately pursue in life.
But this restraint is not entirely a shortcoming, especially when the movie progresses into the second half.
How restrained Truman was at the beginning, and how exciting his every resistance in the later period was.
Not only the false "audiences" in the movie are concerned about him, but also the audience outside the screen.
When Truman finally stood in front of the long door leading to freedom, he finally laughed wildly and said that classic line.
"If I never see you again, I wish you good morning, good afternoon, and good night!"
After that, he turned and left, as high-spirited as a young man!
The movie ended and the credits rolled on the screen. Xu Guanwen stood up and turned on the lights. His eyes fell on Lin Chaoyang.
"Chaoyang, how is it? How is it?"
A dignified actor, he behaves like a primary school student waiting for praise from his teacher after his test results come out.
At this time, Xu Anhua's eyes turned to Lin Chaoyang, with some hidden expectation.
Lin Chaoyang said with a smile: "The degree of completion is very high, very good!"
Xu Anhua is the kind of director who is very stable in her performance. It is difficult to give the audience a stunning movie-watching experience, but she rarely misses. Her performance in "The Truman Show" is as stable as ever.
This is not to say that Xu Anhua's performance is not excellent, it can only be said that the story setting of "The Truman Show" itself is amazing enough.
So much so that when watching, people will subconsciously ignore the director's audio-visual language scheduling and be completely immersed in the story.
In fact, in a sense, this is also a manifestation of the director's skill.
Listening to Lin Chaoyang's comments, Xu Anhua and Xu Guanwen's expressions became relaxed.
"With your words, I feel relieved." Xu Guanwen said.
As senior filmmakers, both he and Xu Anhua have their own judgments, but people are like this, the more they value something, the more they worry about gains and losses.
"The Truman Show" carried too many expectations from Xu Guanwen from the beginning. It was difficult for him to view the finished film from a completely rational perspective. He could only constantly revise his feelings through feedback from others.
After watching the finished film, several people talked about participating in the film festival.
Last month, Gilles Jacob was jointly invited by Li Hanxiang and Hu Jinquan to come to Hong Kong to review the film.
As the film selection director of the film festival, Gilles Jacob has a great say in the selection of films into the main competition unit.
But after all, this kind of thing is not something he can make alone. Before leaving Xiangjiang, Gilles Jacob did not make any promise to Jiahe who entertained him.
Seeing that there is still just over a month left before the opening of this edition of the Cannes Film Festival, the day when the finalists for the main competition units will be announced is getting closer and closer.
Er Xu is like a prisoner waiting for trial, and one can feel their anxiety whenever this matter is mentioned.
"Will the shortlist be released in the next two days?" Lin Chaoyang asked.
Xu Anhua said, "In previous years, it was one month before the opening, and it was only these two days."
Lin Chaoyang comforted the two of them with a relaxed expression, "With the quality of The Truman Show, it will be no problem to be shortlisted. You have to have confidence."
"Of course I have confidence. But no one can say for sure about things like the film festival. I'm afraid of accidents."
Xu Anhua is a director of literary films, and he has a lot of inside knowledge of film festivals in various countries. In many cases, there are too many factors involved in film festival awards, and it is not just the quality of the film that is a reference dimension.
"Aren't you worrying unfounded and putting more pressure on yourself? Don't think so much, the shortlist will be announced in the next two days anyway.
Being shortlisted for the main competition means you are qualified, and God will do the rest."
Xu Anhua nodded, but his expression was not relaxed. Lin Chaoyang could only smile when he saw this.
The next day, Lin Chaoyang suddenly received a call from Di Long.
"Chaoyang, a new play is opening in Xinyi City, and they want me to be the leading actor. I said it was your recommendation."
Di Long's tone on the phone was a little excited. Shaw Brothers graduated last year and he has not started working for more than a year.
During this period, Ti Lung also contacted many film companies that had offered him an olive branch when he was popular, but these companies were very realistic.
In the past two years, the traditional Shaw Brothers martial arts movies have gradually declined, and Ti Lung, a star who was trapped in the image of a "hero", is no longer as popular as he used to be.
After more than a year of troughs and cold reception, someone suddenly contacted him and told him that they wanted to cast him as the leading actor in a new film, and it was also a modern gunfight-themed film. Naturally, Ti Lung was ecstatic.
When he originally wanted to leave Shaw Brothers, a big reason was that he felt that his acting career was limited by period martial arts movies.
What makes Di Long even more happy is that the movie he filmed was actually invested by New Art City.
New Arts City is an upstart in the Hong Kong film industry. It has become very popular in recent years. Almost every movie they produce is a hit.
Even though they suffered a slight decline in the competition with Golden Harvest last year, it did not hinder their strong position in the film industry.
Given Dillon's current sluggish situation, being able to connect with New Art City is a great blessing for him.
The person who contacted Ti Lung was Shi Nansheng. She also mentioned to Ti Lung on the phone that the reason why they invited Ti Lung to star in the new film was mainly because of Lin Chaoyang's recommendation.
Dillon was filled with emotion after receiving this news.
He never expected that when he reached middle age and his career was bleak, it would be Lin Chaoyang, a friend he had known for more than a year, who would finally give him a lift.
He said a lot of words of thanks on the phone, but that was not enough, so he added: "I will be the host tomorrow and treat you to a meal with everyone."
Less than half a day after the two talked, Yue Hua also called Lin Chaoyang.
Lin Chaoyang couldn't help but sigh that Shi Nansheng's efficiency was really high!
He also called to express his gratitude. Compared with Di Long's excitement, Yue Hua's mood was much more stable.
The reason for this is that Ti Lung still has great expectations for his acting career, otherwise he would not have been pursuing a transformation.
What's different about Yue Hua is that he became famous too early and was already out of fashion by the mid-to-late 1970s.
Nowadays, he doesn't choose whether he casts a leading role or a supporting role, or whether it's a movie or a TV series.
With this state of mind, when faced with a supporting role in a movie, his heart was naturally calm, and calling to thank him was just a courtesy.
The next night, Wan Chai, Fulinmen Restaurant.
Di Long hosted a dinner party and invited all the friends he and Lin Chaoyang knew together.
Di Long received a call from Shi Nansheng yesterday and met with her today to negotiate a contract.
At this time, receiving a role in a modern gunfight starring a male lead was definitely a timely help for Ti Lung, who had been longing for a transformation in the past two years, and his gratitude to Lin Chaoyang was beyond words.
Everyone didn't know the reason for Dillon's treat before they came, and they couldn't help but be surprised after hearing Dillon explain the situation.
These people have been in the film industry for many years and are considered veterans of the Hong Kong film industry, but they can't guarantee that they can help their friends find a suitable and important role.
Lin Chaoyang has only been in Xiangjiang for a year, but he has such energy, which is really surprising.
But what everyone appreciates more about this incident is Lin Chaoyang's loyalty. He really thinks about his friends when good things happen.
Who wouldn't want to be his friend?
With Ti Long and Yue Hua as background, Lin Chaoyang became the absolute protagonist tonight.
While everyone was talking and laughing, the phone that Cai Lam placed on the table rang. He got up to answer the phone. No one paid attention to it and just chatted to themselves.
When Cai Lan answered the phone and came back, his face was relaxed and a little happy.
Li Hanxiang asked: "Seeing you so happy, what's the good thing?"
Cai Lan smiled and said: "It's not me who has good things, it's Chaoyang who has good things."
Everyone was confused after hearing this, and Di Long asked: "What's the good thing?"
Cai Lan shook the Big Brother phone in his hand and said, "I just received a tip that "The Truman Show" has been shortlisted for the main competition unit of the Cannes Film Festival!"
The atmosphere on the table suddenly exploded.
The largest financier of "The Truman Show" is Jiahe, and Cai Lam is Jiahe's senior producer and Boss Zou's right-hand man.
The movie also has the participation of Lin Chaoyang, Xu Guanwen and Li Hanxiang, so everyone present is very familiar with the situation of the movie.
Although the film has been aiming for awards since its inception, who can guarantee that it will be successful?
Moreover, Xiangjiang Film has done well in commercialization in recent years, but in terms of artistry and awards, it is not very good.
Why does Li Hanxiang have such a high status in the Hong Kong film industry and even the Chinese film industry?
Isn't it because he won several international awards in the early 1960s?
This includes being shortlisted for the main competition of the Cannes Film Festival twice in 1960 and 1963. Although it did not win a heavyweight award, it was already a rare honor for the Chinese film industry in that era.
Now that "The Truman Show" is released, it is the peak of Li Hanxiang back then. How can this not shock everyone present?
While everyone was busy discussing, Xu Guanwen's big brother also rang, also informing the Cannes Film Festival that the list of shortlisted films for the main competition had been announced.
"The Truman Show" is on the list!
Di Long raised his glass and said loudly: "Today is a double blessing. Let's all have a drink!"
Everyone raised their glasses together, and after finishing the glass of wine, they were still excitedly discussing the fact that "The Truman Show" was nominated for the Cannes Film Festival.
For Xiangjiang films that rarely have the opportunity to appear at international film festivals, being shortlisted for the Cannes Film Festival is definitely an honor. The two main creators of the film, Lin Chaoyang and Xu Guanwen, have also become the focus of discussion.
Li Hanxiang looked at the two of them and was a little bit amused. If he had been asked to direct this movie, he would be the one shortlisted for the Cannes Film Festival now.
Xu Anhua is really lucky!
"You will be on the headlines tomorrow's news again!"
"The headlines in the gossip newspapers don't matter. It's been shortlisted for the Cannes Film Festival. The film won't have to worry about being sold. It might make a lot of money!"
Cai Lan's words attracted everyone's approval.
After all, movies are still a business. Of course, being shortlisted is a good thing, but winning an award is a small probability event after all.
Don't worry about whether "The Truman Show" can win the award. After being shortlisted, there will be a wave of news and public attention. The box office should not be too bad by then. The most important thing is that it can still sell the copyright. It can be said that it is
Gain fame and fortune!
Listening to Cai Lam's words, Li Hanxiang felt a little better. After all, he was also one of the investors in "The Truman Show."
I didn't get the fame, but I got the profit anyway.
The already lively atmosphere of the party became even more lively because the organizing committee of this year's Cannes Film Festival announced the list of shortlisted films for the main competition unit. Everyone gathered until late at night before they dispersed.
Early the next morning, the news that ""The Truman Show" was shortlisted for the main competition of the Cannes Film Festival" appeared in many newspapers in Hong Kong. After the news was published in the newspapers, it quickly became the focus of heated discussions among the citizens of Hong Kong.
The Hong Kong film market has been booming in recent years, and people are willing to pay attention. Many people felt honored when they saw the news.
After all, this is one of the three major European film festivals with international influence. Xiangjiang Film has not been shortlisted many times in these years!
If I win another award, it will be a record!
With the news fermenting, "The Truman Show" became a hit before it was released, and Jiahe naturally would not miss such a good publicity opportunity.
The main creative staff of the film crew were mobilized, and interviews and reports about the film appeared in newspapers, magazines, television, and radio.
That evening, Lin Chaoyang came out of the study and Tao Yumo was watching TV attentively.
"Brother-in-law, do you think Maggie can become a big star in the future?"
"Isn't he already a star now?"
"I'm talking about big stars, very popular ones."
"How popular does it mean? She is also famous now." Lin Chaoyang said while looking at Maggie Cheung on TV.
Tao Yumo said: "It's even more popular than Zhong Chuhong, Brigitte Lin and others!"
Lin Chaoyang laughed, "You really dare to think about it. Even if you are good sisters, you can't be so flattering without a bottom line, right?"
"What I praised her for, she said it herself."
Lin Chaoyang glanced at Maggie Cheung on TV. Her baby-fat face had a bright smile, and her heartless look was comparable to that of Tao Yumo. No wonder the two of you could become good friends.
Tao Yumo and Maggie Cheung had known each other for more than half a year and had gone shopping together several times. Probably because their brain circuits tended to be the same, they soon became good friends who talked about everything.
Currently playing on TV is TVB's "Happy Tonight". "The Truman Show" has become quite popular in recent days, and Maggie Cheung, as the second female lead in the film, has also appeared in several announcements.
Tao Yumo asked Lin Chaoyang again: "Brother-in-law, what do you think, if "The Truman Show" is selected for the main competition of the film festival, can Maggie win an award?"
The more she asked the questions, the more she went off track. Lin Chaoyang asked: "Is this what she told you?"
"No. I just imagined that if she wins the Best Supporting Actress at the Cannes Film Festival, she might become a big star."
Tao Yumo was suddenly overjoyed as she spoke, "With her acting skills, I'm afraid she will never win an award in her lifetime."
Lin Chaoyang looked at his sister-in-law with a smile, you are still too young!
As the saying goes, life is impermanent, and the large intestine wraps around the small intestine.
Who would have thought that Maggie Cheung, whose acting skills were ridiculed by the entire film industry a few years before her debut, would transform into such an amazing person a few years later?
It's true that your good friend didn't win the Best Supporting Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival. She won the Best Actress award.
Lin Chaoyang really wanted to record his sister-in-law's unbridled laughter and give her a boomerang a few years later.
The news has been buzzing for more than a week, and the fact that "The Truman Show" was nominated for the Cannes Film Festival has finally disappeared from the media.
Before the popularity disappeared, Golden Harvest took advantage of the situation and announced that "The Truman Show" will be scheduled for May 24, which aroused the vigilance of many Hong Kong film companies.
"The Truman Show" stars Xu Guanwen and Zhong Chuhong. After it is released, it will definitely become a popular film in that period, squeezing the living space of other films.
If that's all it is, it's okay. "The Truman Show" is a literary film after all, and its audience is still not as big as that of commercial films.
But everyone is afraid that if it really wins an award, let alone a grand prize, even if it is a technical award, with the precedents of Li Hanxiang and Hu Jinquan, it may be enough to set off a huge wave in the Hong Kong film industry and movie audiences.
At that time, the audience's curiosity and sense of honor will be aroused. If it's a literary film or not, just watch it and it's over. I'm afraid everyone will have a hard time.
So what many people are looking forward to most right now is that "The Truman Show" will have no success participating in the film festival this time.
Time flies to early May, and an accident occurred at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Pripyat, Kiev Oblast, Soviet Union. In just a few days, it became front-page news in various countries and regions around the world.
The international news has been a mess these days, because the first time the accident occurred was April 26, the Soviet Union did not inform the international community, nor did it attract enough attention.
After the situation was discovered by Europe, these countries were furious, and their envoys rushed to the Soviet Union's Ministry of Justice to demand an explanation.
The official news media of various countries even criticized the Soviet government verbally and in writing, forming a huge wave of public opinion against the Soviet Union in the international community.
Recently, many elite-oriented newspapers in Hong Kong have been reporting on this matter in series, attracting the attention of many citizens.
But after all, this matter is too far away from Xiangjiang. The citizens can only talk a few words in the newspapers, and the days go by, singing and dancing.
One week before the opening of the 39th Cannes International Film Festival, the invitation letter sent by the organizing committee to Jiahe was sent to Xiangjiang.
Lin Chaoyang originally didn't want to go to the film festival, but Jiahe attached great importance to participating in the exhibition. Before the invitation letter was sent, he communicated with Lin Chaoyang and asked him to attend the film festival. For this reason, Lin Chaoyang went back to the mainland to organize a trip to France.
visa.
As a screenwriter, he could have gone or not, but the reason why Golden Harvest tried so hard to invite him was mainly because, according to Gilles Jacobs, the jury spoke highly of "The Truman Show".
The higher the evaluation, the higher the chance of winning the award. Although the jury did not promise anything, Jiahe would make up his mind if he couldn't stand it!
If "The Truman Show" really wins an award, it will definitely set off a tsunami of public opinion in the Hong Kong film industry.
At least this year, it will definitely destroy Xinyi City without any temper at all!
Lin Chaoyang, the original author and screenwriter, is one of the souls of the film and cannot be absent.
On May 7, the crew set off for France, a group of seven people. Boss Zou Wenhuai took Cai Lam, and there were five other crew members, namely director Xu Anhua, screenwriter Lin Chaoyang, actor Xu Guanwen, heroine Zhong Chuhong and second female lead Maggie Cheung.
Among them, Golden Harvest was responsible for the air tickets and accommodation for the four of Lin Chaoyang, while Chen Ziqiang arranged for Maggie Cheung to go to Cannes to attend the red carpet.
Zou Wenhuai personally participated, which shows how much Jiahe attaches importance to this Cannes Film Festival.
Cannes, also known as Cannes in Hong Kong, is a small city with a population of less than 70,000.
Since the 1940s, filmmakers from all over the world have gathered here every May, and this originally quiet and peaceful town has become bustling with people due to the film festival.
As a small city, Cannes itself does not have an airport. The nearest airport is the Côte d'Azur Airport in Nice.
However, there is no direct flight from Xiangjiang to Nice. Lin Chaoyang and others need to land in Lyon first, then take a flight to Nice, and then take a bus to Cannes.
Drive onto the southern motorway via the Saint-Font ramp, pass the Fezzan refinery and the Rhône hills sloping to the right, pass through a field of fruit trees and drive down the Rhône Valley, where you will see the boundless beauty of the lavender fields.
Cannes is located in the south of France, nestled at the foot of the green mountains and on the edge of the Mediterranean Sea.
With more than five thousand meters of beach and year-round sunshine, it has a charming natural style.
The bus drove all the way to the city. Tomorrow is the opening day of the film festival. Huge movie posters, advertisements and photos of movie stars can be seen everywhere, covering the streets of this small town, filling this small town with a festive atmosphere.
Croisette is the largest main road in Cannes, with swaying shadows of palm trees on both sides. As the film festival opens, luxury cars from various European countries drive under the trees.
On the other side of the avenue, you can see the endless beach, and the sparkling sea is dotted with white private yachts.
It was already afternoon, and those yachts, accompanied by the pink sunset, shuttled through the blue ocean, which was breathtakingly beautiful.
Zhong Chuhong and Maggie Cheung are women. Seeing this kind of scenery, they can't resist at all. The two of them are lying on the car window with greedy eyes.
The bus finally arrived at the Carlton Hotel, which is one of the most central hotels in Cannes.
Every year during the film festival, Cannes is always overcrowded, hotel rooms become extremely tight, and prices soar.
Lin Chaoyang and others don't need to worry about finding a hotel. They are the crew who were invited to attend. The hotel has been arranged by the organizing committee, but they still need to pay for the room fee themselves.
After checking in, several people rested in the hotel room for a while. Zhong Chuhong and Maggie Cheung beautifully changed their clothes, put on makeup, and took Xu Anhua to go out.
When they came to the Cannes Film Festival, the two naturally wanted to take some beautiful photos, and Xu Anhua had to be their photographer today.
After these photos are returned to Hong Kong, they will be used as propaganda materials and will inevitably make the headlines of major media in Hong Kong.
Lin Chaoyang and Xu Guanwen were a little hungry, so they ran to the open-air restaurant on the roof of the hotel and tasted a serious French meal, which soothed their stomachs after being hungry for most of the day.
After finishing the meal, Xu Guanwen looked around. Tomorrow is the opening ceremony of the film festival. The place is very popular, mostly foreigners with blond hair and blue eyes.
He suddenly pointed to a table near the edge of the terrace, "Hey, Chaoyang, look! Is that Robert De Niro?"
Lin Chaoyang glanced at it. Although he was not sure about seeing a real person for the first time, when they passed by Croisette on the bus just now, they saw a poster of Robert De Niro.
At this year's film festival, Roland Joffe's "The War" was also shortlisted for the main competition, and Robert De Niro is the leading actor in the film.
At this time, when I saw someone who looked similar to me at the Carlton Hotel, it was almost certainly me.
"Probably so."
Seeing Xu Guanwen's eager expression, Lin Chaoyang asked, "What are you doing? You don't want to go up and ask for an autograph, do you?"
Lin Chaoyang exposed his thoughts, and Xu Guanwen lowered his buttocks to the seat.
"You are really good at joking. He is an actor and I am also an actor. What do you want!"
As Xu Guanwen spoke, he glanced at Robert De Niro reluctantly.
Chapter completed!