A widower's entertainment

Chen Jianbin also watched Lin Zhaomei's "Our Millionaire" and was completely shocked.

Because his cameo appearance with Tao Hong was just a post-credits scene in the movie, it could even be said that it had no direct connection to the story of "Our Millionaire," but was merely a supplement to the story. Even without this post-credits scene, it would not have affected the excellence and moving nature of the movie.

"I really didn't expect that!"

Chen Jianbin said with envy, "I really envy Duan Long. He actually got to star in the movie 'Our Millionaire' in his very first film."

Tao Hong and Duan Long are classmates. Upon hearing Chen Jianbin's words, she smiled and said, "Then people are envious of your previous role in 'Crossing the Guandong'."

Chen Jianbin smiled. He knew he was very lucky to be able to star in "Crossing the Guandong", but it was completely different from the movie "Our Millionaire".

"This movie is absolutely amazing!"

"Yes!"

Tao Hong couldn't help but nod when she heard Chen Jianbin's words, saying, "It's really amazing. I never expected it to be such a story. Director Lin Zhaomei is so amazing, and of course, the script written by Teacher Lin Youcheng is also amazing."

"That's right, the script is absolutely amazing!"

"I think characters like Bai Xuemei in the movie, the mine, and what happened afterward could all be made into a movie."

"I think so too, but it's really wonderful that Teacher Lin strung these stories together with Xu Qingshan's life memories. Of course, it's also quite touching that he and Xiaoyu were able to get together in the end."

"No wonder this movie won the Palme d'Or. It's both realistic and romantic, it's just perfect."

Chen Jianbin thought the same thing as Tao Hong, but he still felt that the darkness ahead could be explored further and filmed more thoroughly.

However, it is clear that if things were to go according to Chen Jianbin's plan, this film would likely have a very difficult time being shown in theaters.

Moreover, the story might not be like the current "Our Millionaire," which is both artistic and commercial, making it an absolutely legendary film. The balance between the two is quite good, and the warm colors and hope at the end are not completely swallowed up by the dark reality.

Chen Jianbin added, "I always felt that the final surprise wasn't so simple. I really want to know what kind of story there is between Ma Jiaqi and Hu Guangsheng."

"That depends on whether Teacher Lin can write this story."

It's clearly not the time for "The Unknown" to be released; now is the time for "Our Millionaire" to be released.

"Our Millionaire" has officially hit theaters. As the winner of the Palme d'Or, the highest award at the Cannes Film Festival, it is obvious that everyone will go to see this movie, regardless of whether they know the director, Lim Siu-mei.

Whether you're an artsy type or a casual viewer, you'll want to see this movie. After all, the screenwriter is Lin Youcheng, and the cast includes actors like Jiang Wen, Zhang Guoli, Li Xuejian, and Leslie Cheung. All of this is the best promotion for the film itself.

This is why Lin Youcheng invited these people to star in "Our Millionaire" in the first place; a strong cast naturally means greater attention.

Of course, winning the Palme d'Or at Cannes is already the best publicity for this film.

In Shanghai, a large crowd had already gathered in front of a cinema to watch a movie.

Countless curious passersby bought tickets and entered the cinema. The lights dimmed, the screen lit up, and the story of Xu Qingshan, a low-level restaurant waiter, slowly unfolded before the audience's eyes, accompanied by the scenes of a quiz show. This is a story about an ordinary person pursuing the dream of becoming a "millionaire," and also a story about darkness and kindness.

Every audience member in the theater was deeply moved by the story and its poignant tales of joy and sorrow. The impact that struck them so profoundly was indescribable.

As they left the theater, many viewers were still immersed in the film's impact, reflecting on every detail and exclaiming with lingering satisfaction, "This movie is absolutely amazing! Every scene is so moving, I never expected it, it's so daring!"

"Yes, that was really daring, but also absolutely amazing."

The film's impact was so profound that it resonated with the audience, leaving them in awe.

Every memory and story of Xu Qingshan in the movie seems independent, yet they are all incredibly real, as if they were real events happening around the audience. Every plot point hides a profound meaning that no one knows.

All viewers of "Our Millionaire" shared the same feeling: their first thought upon leaving the theater was one of genuine amazement.

Holy crap, this movie is absolutely amazing!

The shock that strikes straight to the heart makes you feel like you're there, and you get goosebumps all over after watching it.

After the initial shock, everyone's sentiments were surprisingly unanimous: they wanted to watch it again, to truly appreciate this story that resonated with them. As a result, some viewers bought tickets again and went to the cinema... As the film's reputation continued to grow, industry insiders also gave it high praise. However, these were not significant factors, as the authorities intentionally restricted special promotion of the film. Nevertheless, this did not affect the film's reputation, as audiences began discussing it.

"I was completely blown away by this movie. Lin Zhaomei is so courageous, inspiring and touching."

"It's fantastic. Every detail in the film is perfectly crafted. The plot is intricately linked, with both darkness and light, sadness and warmth. There are no thrilling scenes, but it delivers a profound and moving experience from beginning to end. This is what makes a truly excellent film."

"In short, this movie is absolutely amazing! It's incredible!"

……

These may just be propaganda from the general public.

It's worth noting that the impact of "Titanic" hasn't even faded from the film market yet, and now "Our Millionaire" is here.

We were all absolutely blown away; it was even more shocking than the blockbuster "Titanic".

Even without special publicity, many local newspapers and magazines have praised the movie "Our Millionaire".

In the Shanghai Literature magazine, literary critic Zhang Er wrote a review article, saying: "Nowadays, the television industry is developing rapidly. When 'Our Millionaire' unfolds in the form of a quiz show, and you watch the protagonist overcome the challenges step by step and get closer to victory, what is truly surprising is that the film uses this quiz show as a starting point to unfold a cruel and realistic social picture. The suffering and darkness are so tragic that they are heartbreaking."

"The film cleverly uses a quiz show to gradually reveal the hardships and struggles of Xu Qingshan, a low-level restaurant waiter, during his growth, making every viewer sigh for this young man who has endured so much suffering. The police are puzzled as to why Xu Qingshan can answer all the questions correctly; the host suspects he must have cheated. But only the audience, through the lens of the film and through those unforgettable stories, can understand, like the policeman listening to Xu Qingshan's experiences in the film, why he can give all the answers—those answers are not obtained through rote memorization, but through those hardships and kindness, bit by bit."

"Xu Qingshan answered all the questions correctly and won a huge prize thanks to his unforgettable experiences. However, this young man from a poor background who had not received a formal education was accused of cheating by the host, arrested by the police, and interrogated. Deeply moved by Xu Qingshan's kindness, no matter what kind of desperate situation he was in or what kind of injustice he encountered, he always maintained his kindness and determination. In the end, he finally gained his own wealth and won back his love."

"Director Lin Zhaomei taught me a lesson through this film: even after enduring hardship and suffering, kind people will ultimately find the right answer through their perseverance."

……

Not only did the Shanghai Literature Journal publish reviews of the film, but the Yangcheng Daily also reported on its popularity.

"Recently, long lines formed at cinemas, but not because of 'Titanic,' but because of the domestic film 'Our Millionaire,' which is generating a lot of discussion."

"The most novel aspect of the film is its opening and ending: Xu Qingshan is just one question away from winning the million-dollar prize, and the options given are 'A. He cheated B. He was lucky C. He's a genius D. It was destiny.' Surprisingly, Xu Qingshan doesn't actually know the answer. Faced with the huge prize, he laughs and frankly admits he doesn't know, ultimately guessing the answer correctly. Here, 'destiny' not only refers to the preordained arrangement of his meeting and reunion with Xiaoyu, but also implies the sense of fate that allows him to answer the question correctly and achieve a happy ending. People always yearn for a happy ending, and the responsibility of a film is to convey hope and warmth. 'Our Millionaire' achieves this, and so does the kind and resilient Xu Qingshan. Only by watching the entire film can one truly understand Lin Zhaomei's original intention: no matter how difficult life is, never lose your inner kindness and innocence, because fate may be temporarily absent, but one day it will favor everyone with a kind heart."

"Whether the dark story in the film is fictional or real is worth pondering. The related news reports are actually true, so shouldn't we pay attention to such situations to prevent the tragedy from happening again? Perhaps there are such unknown corners around our cities, and we must pay attention to those people and those events. Their suffering should be seen and they should be helped..."

……

In addition, the film review magazine also praised Lin Zhaomei's film.

"Artistically, this film deserves the Palme d'Or, especially for its cinematography and editing. The film unfolds along three parallel storylines, employing a multi-technique editing approach combined with a non-linear, fragmented, three-dimensional narrative structure. For example, the familiar montage technique is cleverly utilized—when Xu Qingshan is interrogated by the police, the story unfolds gradually through his memories; the editing of this segment is a typical example of flashback montage. In addition, the film skillfully employs splicing montage, inverted montage, parallel montage, cross-cutting montage, and audiovisual montage. Even more astonishing is that the protagonist Xu Qingshan's life itself is like a 'montage' of life: seemingly isolated and unrelated trivial events occurring at different times and places ultimately intertwine, presenting the audience with an unexpected ending."

"Lin Zhaomei's film has a calm power, yet it also has endless explosive power. It dares to show the cruelty of reality, but does not lose its compassion for humanity. The cinematography is also top-notch."

"Our Millionaire" is neither a romance film nor a traditional biographical film. Instead, it is more like a social drama with depth and scope. Director Lin Zhaomei's exquisite control of the film's structure and precise grasp of the narrative rhythm make this work shine with a unique brilliance. What moves the audience the most is that even though the film is wrapped in a dark tone throughout, showing the hardships of life and the struggles of ordinary people to survive, it still retains the romance and warmth in its bones. This is the key to the film's ability to touch people's hearts and make it so vivid and full of life.

"Films should shoulder the responsibility of conveying hope, especially after the protagonist Xu Qingshan has gone through countless hardships, this hope is even more precious."

……

For most ordinary viewers, they may not be able to accurately interpret these professional techniques, but they can intuitively feel the brilliance and thrill of the film, and also see the kindness of the protagonist, Xu Qingshan.

Behind the thrilling viewing experience of this film, public discussion has never stopped. Among the most discussed topics is whether the dark scenes depicted in the film are fictional artistic creations or real events.

Naturally, some news newspapers began to follow up on those cases, and after checking relevant information, they found that there were indeed similar cases in reality regarding the mine scenes in the film, which naturally attracted more public attention.

The harsh reality revealed in the film is not an artistic exaggeration or elevation, but rather real scenes that actually happen around us. This, arguably, makes "Our Millionaire" even more anticipated, because the film has a happy ending—

So, what about outside the movie theater?

Shouldn't we also pay attention to the issues outside the film? This movie, "Our Millionaire," is like a social drama, and every question it raises is worth pondering.

The film may not provide answers, but its significance lies in raising questions, and the answers to these questions should be left to society as a whole. (End of Chapter)