A widower's entertainment

With the release of "Our Millionaire," there is no doubt that by the end of the film, almost every audience member in the theater will be deeply moved and have tears in their eyes.

Despite the dark reality, Xu Qingshan's kindness is incredibly touching, especially his love for Xiaoyu. Their final embrace is arguably the most moving part of the film. This legendary, epic movie resonates deeply with audiences, naturally leading to its soaring and unstoppable box office success.

The film is breathtaking, dark yet romantic. Because of its unique charm, after its release, major cinemas across the country extended their screenings to late-night shows, all eager to see the movie.

Because I don't know if it's deliberate promotion by the cinema or the audience's high regard for this film, I recommended it to my friends, saying—

Hurry up and go see it, or you might miss it.

The previous film "Farewell My Concubine" experienced being banned from public screening after its release. This film, "Our Millionaire," also won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Moreover, the film also depicts many dark aspects of society, which is like walking a tightrope.

Although it has been released, no one knows whether it will be banned from public screening later, or whether it will be cut.

Anyway, just go see it as soon as possible, because the movie is really amazing!

Because "Our Millionaire" combines epic scale with romantic love and soul-stirring humanity, the story is quite novel and tightly woven, making it in no way inferior to foreign blockbusters like "Titanic." After all, "Our Millionaire" is a local story, which naturally contributed to its impressive box office performance.

There is a lot of discussion about "Our Millionaire" in many places, and with the promotion, more viewers will naturally go to the cinema to see "Our Millionaire".

The movie "The Millionaire" has unknowingly sparked a frenzy, with long queues forming outside cinemas. The earliest screenings started at 8 a.m., while the latest screenings were delayed until 22:50 p.m., and screenings were often marked as "sold out." Many viewers went to the cinema again and again to see the movie.

Behind all this, there are no other superfluous reasons, simply because "Our Millionaire" is a film that tells the story of "us". Before we knew it, major news newspapers were also vying to report on the popularity of "Our Millionaire", and every word was full of praise for the film.

According to the Domestic Film News, "Our Millionaire's box office continues to climb, having successfully broken the 50 million yuan mark, and the upward trend shows no signs of slowing down. It is expected to be another film that sets a new box office record in the domestic film market."

Film Art magazine also published an article reporting: "Our Millionaire, directed by Lin Zhaomei and written by Lin Youcheng, and starring Duan Long, Zhou Xun, Jiang Wen and Zhang Guoli, is being released nationwide, with audiences queuing up to buy tickets outside cinemas."

……

These news newspapers all report on the popularity of the movie "Our Millionaire," for no other reason than that the movie is exciting and entertaining.

Lin Youcheng didn't pay attention to the film's popularity, because Lin Zhaomei, Duan Long, and Zhou Xun were responsible for promoting the film. As the screenwriter, he was a behind-the-scenes worker and didn't need to show his face.

However, because the movie "Our Millionaire" was so good, a publishing house approached him, wanting to collaborate with Lin Youcheng.

There's nothing else to it but wanting to publish this book, "Our Millionaire".

Lin Youcheng would naturally not refuse this, after all, it would mean a considerable amount of royalties. Even if there were pirate booksellers, there would still be a substantial income.

Of course, the most important reason why Lin Youcheng agreed is that the movie has already been released, and publishing the novel version of "Our Millionaire" later will also be a form of publicity for the movie.

"Youcheng, Zhaomei's movie is really well made!"

Wang Xiaobo looked at Lin Youcheng with excitement. He had recently rewatched the movie and was still moved by it. Of course, he also admired Lin Youcheng, since the story was written by Lin Youcheng.

"The story you wrote is absolutely brilliant."

As a fellow screenwriter, Wang Xiaobo felt that he still had a lot to learn from Lin Youcheng. Of course, he also knew that he was no match for Lin Youcheng, who was an internationally renowned screenwriter who had won three Academy Awards for screenwriting and the Best Screenplay Award at the Cannes Film Festival. These were things that Wang Xiaobo could not compare to.

In fact, it's not just Wang Xiaobo who believes that the script is the most important foundation for the film's success. Anyone who has seen the film knows very well that the most exciting part is the quiz show format, where a single question leads to the protagonist's life and destiny, making his life's journey extremely legendary.

Lin Youcheng smiled upon hearing Wang Xiaobo's words and said, "Zhao Mei's filming was still the best."

Wang Xiaobo understood what Lin Youcheng meant, and he nodded, saying, "Yes, I heard that this movie is also very popular in Taiwan and Hong Kong."

This is inevitable, after all, "Our Millionaire" is not an obscure art film. It won the Palme d'Or and has certain blockbuster attributes. Such a movie can be said to be very popular both domestically and overseas.

Even before winning the Palme d'Or, "Our Millionaire" attracted the attention of many overseas production companies at the Cannes Film Festival. Many institutions immediately expressed their willingness to fully invest in the next work of the young female director, Lin Zhaomei, and even finalized the funding injection as long as they had read the complete script without any additional review.

Of course, this became even more incredible after Lim Siu Mei set a record by winning the Palme d'Or at the age of 21.

Especially after learning that Lin Zhaomei was Lin Youcheng's daughter, several American film and television companies were the most proactive. They not only offered her opportunities but also directly invited her to film in the United States. The conditions they offered were incredibly generous, with a single film fee of up to one million US dollars. What's even more remarkable is that these conditions were still negotiable, which shows their deep sincerity.

In addition to American capital companies, several French film companies also came to Lin Zhaomei to discuss investment opportunities and invited her to make films with local themes.

The root of all this lies in the fact that after Lin Zhaomei won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival with "Our Millionaire," her directing skills have been recognized by the global industry. Her ability to create such a high-quality and moving work naturally makes overseas capital excited.

After all, this film, besides its artistic merit, also has a high commercial appeal. It's similar to director Li An; after making "Pushing Hands," he was noticed by other film companies, who then approached him to direct other films. For example, "Pride and Prejudice" was made because Li An's directing skills were recognized.

The same applies to Lin Zhaomei now.

Because "Our Millionaire" successfully broke down the barriers between commercial and art films, winning the Palme d'Or for its artistic merit and possessing strong market appeal, such a work naturally attracted a lot of capital. Various investors rushed to the door with their funds, wanting to collaborate with the talented female director, Lin Zhaomei.

It's safe to say that this female director's next work is destined to receive a great deal of attention.

Of course, the most eye-catching thing right now is the box office performance of the movie "Our Millionaire". In fact, the movie's popularity is not limited to the mainland, nor is it limited to Hong Kong and Taiwan as Wang Xiaobo mentioned. The box office performance in North America and other parts of Asia is also outstanding.

After all, this is a masterpiece that won the Palme d'Or, and it is also a film co-directed by the 21-year-old genius female director Lin Zhaomei and international screenwriter Lin Youcheng. With such a double label, how can it not arouse the curiosity of overseas audiences and encourage them to go to the cinema?
They were curious about the directorial talent this 21-year-old possessed, and what kind of stories screenwriter Lin Youcheng would write.

They say curiosity killed the cat, and this curiosity also made overseas audiences willingly pay for this film.

After all, "Our Millionaire" has also garnered considerable acclaim overseas. The fact that it sparked a frenzy of queuing to watch the film at the Cannes Film Festival, one of the three major European film festivals, is enough to prove that good stories have no borders, and those resonances about suffering, kindness, and hope can touch everyone.

Lin Youcheng had actually anticipated this outcome, since in another timeline, the original "Slumdog Millionaire" had achieved a global box office miracle of $1500 million in 2009 with a budget of only $3 million.

Although it's only 1998, this legendary and unique film, having won the Palme d'Or, is poised for even greater success at the box office.

The continuous stream of impressive box office figures has greatly inspired domestic filmmakers and countless Chinese film fans, who are excited and spreading the news. Winning major international awards and achieving excellent results in overseas markets is an achievement that makes every Chinese film enthusiast feel extremely proud.

This also showed those in power the potential of Chinese-language films. It's worth noting that "Our Millionaire" is quite different from the previous "Human Wonders".

This film was invested and produced by Lin Youcheng's Huayi Film Company, unlike "Human Wonders" which was mainly invested by Columbia Pictures.

This is another reason why "Our Millionaire" was approved for release; after all, the film is quite commercially successful.

Lin Youcheng looked at Wang Xiaobo and said with a smile, "Yes, this is also a very rare thing."

Wang Xiaobo nodded, agreeing, and said, "That's right. I think the reason why 'Our Millionaire' became a phenomenon is not only because of its impressive box office and word-of-mouth, but also because it sparked widespread discussion and deep reflection across society. In real life, there are people like Bai Xuemei who are in such dire straits, and there are also stories about dark mines. When these hidden problems are filmed and exposed to the public, they deserve to be faced and taken seriously by everyone."

This is also why Wang Xiaobo admires Lin Youcheng and Lin Zhaomei; this movie is truly meaningful.

It could even be said that it is of great significance.

It's not just about the box office performance of the film; more importantly, some issues have been brought to the forefront and need to be considered and resolved.

More and more viewers are spontaneously promoting the film, precisely because they are gradually realizing that the real name of this movie should perhaps be "Our Life at the Bottom".

The strange market and dark mine in the movie are also real. The protagonist, Xu Qingshan, comes from a remote mountain village and works in coal mines and restaurants, struggling at the bottom of society and witnessing too many unknown hardships and difficulties along the way.

The film does not shy away from these dark and cruel aspects, but bravely presents them on the big screen. At the same time, through Xu Qingshan's inherent kindness and purity, it illuminates a glimmer of hope in the bleak reality, conveys warmth and emotion amidst the biting suffering, and ultimately gives this kind-hearted, ordinary person from the bottom of society a happy ending with wealth and love.

Even if viewers have never experienced the darkness of a mine or seen women being sold into slavery, they can choose not to be indifferent bystanders, not to be indifferent passersby on a bus, and not to be silent spectators in the face of suffering. They should learn to stand up bravely like Xu Qingshan, to expose, to report, and to try to give a voice to those in distress...

Even just writing a letter or standing up to say something is a form of power.

Some people commit crimes, but others have kind hearts. Perhaps only one person who has read Lin Zhaomei's "Our Millionaire" might have a little kindness in their heart that could save a life.

In fact, no matter when, fate may just be a turning point.

Just like the short film "Destiny" that Lin Zhaomei made back then, it was just a matter of whether or not someone was replaced, and then there would be two different fates for one person. Now, will there be someone who sees the darkness and tries to make a sound, wanting to provide some help to the person in the darkness, just like Xu Qingshan sent that letter to Bai Xuemei when he was a child?

Some seeds of kindness, once planted, may blossom into even more beautiful flowers.

After all, in "Our Millionaire," kind people are rewarded. Even if there is only one seed of kindness, it will bring a different kind of light, and then spread little by little, creating a brighter world.

This is like a butterfly flapping its wings, or perhaps like when Lin Youcheng discovered that Zhao Gensheng's college entrance exam had been stolen. Sometimes, you never know when something can change a person's fate.

This butterfly storm has only just begun—

Perhaps, someone was saved in the silence. (End of Chapter)