During my years at China Entertainment

Chapter 868 The Obsessive Li An Successfully Defends His Title; "Joker" Arrives

After a heated awards season, the Oscars are finally reaching their climax tonight, with all the major awards to be announced.

The awards ceremony was held at the Dolby Theatre again. This was Wei Jin's third time here, but it was his first time with Da Meiyuan.

When "Gone Girl" arrived at the venue, the red carpet was about to begin, and Wei Jin saw many familiar faces in the waiting area.

Compared to last year's Berlin Film Festival, where the Chinese-language contingent was much larger, very few Chinese people are participating in the Oscars this year.

The group consisted of Li Bingbing, Liu Tianwang, Chen Shiren, Chen Hong, and others from the "The Great Wall" crew, as well as Gong Li, Zhang Ziyi, and Li An, who attended as judges.

Oh, and there's also Michelle Yeoh, the female lead in "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 2"—a Chinese actress in her fifties.

However, in this context, a single cup of golden palm wine from the poet Chen is not enough.

Whether it's Wei Jin or Li An, from commercial achievements to awards and honors, and even global status, they completely overwhelmed him.

This can be seen from the Hollywood stars who frequently come over to greet them.

The saying goes, "There is no harm without comparison," and the embarrassment on Poet Chen's face was clearly visible.

Of course, Wei Jin didn't have time to pay attention to him. After exchanging a few pleasantries with Liu Tianwang, he started chatting with Li An.

Li An had no works nominated this year, but she was one of the award presenters tonight; Wei Jin was no exception, in addition to competing for awards, he also had to present awards to others.

This is actually a common practice at the Oscars, but he refused the first two times.

Unexpectedly, the conversation took a turn for the worse, with Li An wanting to hold a large-scale directors' forum in China and inviting Wei Jin to participate.

At first, Wei Jin didn't think much of it, thinking it was a good thing, and was ready to agree, but then he heard Li An continue to elaborate.

"With the rapid advancements in technology, film technology should also keep pace. I hope that this forum will bring together domestic directors to discuss the application of 120fps 4K technology in film."
Director Wei, I have a feeling that once this new technology is implemented, it might create a new era for cinema after the 3D movie era.”

Wei Jin's eyes widened as he watched Li An excitedly describe what the new era would look like.

Good heavens, is Li An possessed? Or has he lost his way amidst all the flattery?

Admittedly, 120fps 4K technology does have its advantages, but it is genuinely not user-friendly for viewers. It is not on the same level as the visually immersive experience brought by 3D movies.

Li An's ambition to become the next Cameron, to guide the development of a new era, and even to establish herself as a master filmmaker, is clearly wishful thinking.

Moreover, once a great director becomes obsessed with technology, he is completely putting the cart before the horse.

You know, even Cameron's Avatar wasn't just about technology!
Judging from Li An's words, this forum will likely be held during the promotional period for "Proportion: Lynn's Long Halftime Walk," probably towards the end of the year.

Given this, Wei Jin did not refuse on the spot, but said that it was still early and the itinerary could not be determined at the moment, but he would consider it carefully.

Regardless of whether Wei Jin participates or not, it is foreseeable that this forum will become a grand event in the domestic film industry, and few people will be able to refuse it!
After all, in terms of film achievements, Li An is second only to Wei Jin in China and is no less than Zhang Yimou. Being invited by her represents her status and recognition.

For those directors with a lot of vanity, this is definitely a feast for fame and fortune, and enough capital to brag about – a "master" forum!

During the conversation, the red carpet event officially began.

The nominated film crews will appear in turn, mixed in with the actors and celebrity guests.

Compared to male actors, female celebrities always take these occasions more seriously, dressing up in their finest attire and vying for attention.

Julianne Moore, who won the Best Actress award at Cannes two years ago for "Maps to the Stars" and defended her title last year for "Still Alice," was undoubtedly the most dazzling presence on the red carpet today, exuding elegance in a black deep-V gown!
However, Kate Winslet, who was also wearing a black dress with gold patterns, looked noticeably more haggard than she had a few years ago.

It can only be said that this is how it is with Western female stars; they can't withstand the passage of time, and if they don't cultivate an elegant image when they're young, their charm diminishes significantly as they get older.

Cate Blanchett, who shared the Oscar for Best Actress with Frances McDormand two years ago, looked much younger in a light green daffodil dress.

Jennifer Lawrence seemed unaffected by Harvey's presence, appearing quite relaxed on the red carpet and showing off her sexy figure in a see-through halter dress!

Nearly half an hour later, it was finally the turn of the "Gone Girl" crew.

Wei Jin, holding Da Meiyuan's hand, strode onto the red carpet, followed closely by Lei Datou, Reyizha, and others.

At this moment, Da Meiyuan wore a proper smile, appearing poised and elegant, in no way inferior to Hollywood stars.

"Go, Director Wei!"

"Go Yuanyuan!"

"."

In the vast sea of ​​people, hearing Chinese felt quite heartwarming. Wei Jin and Gao Yuanyuan waved and smiled in the direction of the domestic media.

The red carpet host wasn't too difficult; after two simple questions, they let the group off the hook.

To be honest, this year's Oscars were the most mediocre in recent years, with basically no clear favorites.

Among the three major indicators, the Golden Globe Awards, the Producers Guild Awards, and the Independent Spirit Awards were awarded to the films "The Revenant," "The Big Short," and "Spotlight," respectively.

But precisely because none of the nominated films stand out from the others, it's hard to predict the outcome, so a chaotic battle is inevitable, which adds to the hype.

However, perhaps because of the recent surge in black-and-white and LGBT issues outside of film, the Oscars have become the target of criticism, and the industry is calling for change.

In this situation, the organizing committee broke with tradition and, for the first time, appointed an African American as the host.

And this black guy named Chris Rock really knows how to have fun. He started by playing a black interview that satirized white films, making it both funny and biting.

Next came a song and dance performance, and the scale was incredibly extravagant. You could only see this kind of spectacle in North America. Vice President Trump and Lady Gaga performed "Till It Happens to You" together on stage.

After the song ended, dozens of teenagers who had been victims of sexual assault came on stage, holding hands with Lady Gaga, and called for an end to sexual assault on the Oscar stage.

Although Deng announced he would not run for re-election this year, the heat and public support will likely fall on that woman from his own party.

No wonder the president is anxious; he's been giving speeches in Hollywood these past few days, trying to win over these influential celebrities.

After a somewhat somber opening, the awards ceremony officially began.

To be honest, Wei Jin has basically no expectations for this year's Oscars; he'd be fine with either winning or not.

But sometimes surprises come so quickly; the second award presented tonight was actually the Best Adapted Screenplay award.

Gone Girl beat out competitors like The Big Short and Carol to win the Oscar.

The award presenter was also a familiar face – Charlize Theron, who had a few flings with Wei Jin in the past. It just goes to show that the organizing committee really knows how to have fun.

Congratulations, Wei!

Charlize Theron's tone was full of emotion. Now in her forties, she had lost her former glory, but the man in front of her was in his prime and was world-renowned.

In the quiet of the night, she would occasionally think of this man and reminisce about the beautiful times they shared, but unfortunately...
"Thank you." After exchanging a cheek kiss with Theron, Wei Jin began his acceptance speech for the evening.

"I am very grateful for the recognition from the judges. This is my 12th Oscar, and my first Best Adapted Screenplay award."

My dream from back then is gradually coming true, and I hope that more Chinese-language filmmakers will join me in the future.”

After a standard speech, Wei Jin quickly returned to his seat and handed the trophy to the somewhat excited Da Meiyuan and the rest of the crew.

It's clear that the crew is in a relatively stable mood and doesn't have high hopes for the remaining two nominations; they're simply focused on participating.

The next seven or eight technical awards had nothing to do with "Gone Girl" or with any of the other film crews present.

Because the film "Mad Max: Fury Road," starring Charlize Theron, swept all five awards, including Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, and Best Sound Editing!
The film was released last May. Although its box office performance was not very good and Warner Bros. lost a lot of money, it received eight nominations at this year's Oscars.

It's a pity it didn't make the cut for the main awards; otherwise, it would definitely be the biggest winner tonight, just like Avatar back then.

The subsequent animation and music awards had nothing to do with "Gone Girl," and Wei Jin continued to play with Da Meiyuan's slender, jade-like fingers.

Wei Jin perked up a little when the Best Foreign Language Film award was presented.

Unfortunately, no miracle occurred. The political infighting at the Oscars became increasingly severe, with most of the nominated foreign language films being war-themed.

Ultimately, the award went to "Son of Saul" from Hungary—a film about concentration camps during World War II.

At this moment, Wei Jin was also invited backstage by the staff, which actually meant that there was no hope for her to win the Best Actress award.

Sure enough, after waiting backstage for a few minutes, Wei Jin heard a sound coming from the front.

"The winner of the Best Actress award at the 88th Academy Awards is Cate Blanchett for 'Carol.' Congratulations!"

This is a movie about homosexuality, which is quite in line with the current political climate in North America.

However, Cate Blanchett's return to the top is indeed something to celebrate, and Wei Jin applauded silently backstage.

With this, the Oscar journey of the "Gone Girl" crew has come to an end!

A few minutes later, when Wei Jin walked back onto the awards ceremony stage with his cue cards, the audience became noticeably agitated.

Wei Jin saw Da Meiyuan waving at him from below the stage, a smile on her face, indicating that she was not affected by the defeat just now.

Meanwhile, Leonardo DiCaprio, sitting in the audience, was visibly excited. For him, it seemed like he had taken a step closer to defending his title, because it was Wei Jin who presented the award!

Wei Jin adjusted the microphone upwards before turning on the handheld device, and sure enough!
"Congratulations to Leonardo DiCaprio, winner of the 88th Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in *The Revenant*!"

Leonardo DiCaprio's impeccable London accent caused a sensation at the scene, and after being nominated for Best Actor for over 20 years, he finally won the award.

Leonardo DiCaprio, in his early forties, was moved to tears, but his longtime lover, Kate Winslet, was even more excited.

The latter, who was clearly not part of the Revenant crew, somehow found himself there, hugged Leonardo DiCaprio, and started crying.

No one at the scene urged them on; they simply offered their applause and blessings in silence.

Wei Jin noticed that his good friend Matt Damon even stood up, clearly happy for his old friend.

Amidst deafening applause, Leonardo composed himself and strode onto the stage, where Wei Jin immediately presented him with the certificate and trophy.

Before Leon could even hug him, Wei Jin's face was filled with regret.

"Leon, to be honest, I should congratulate you on successfully defending your title, but it's a real shame that the Oscars will lose a hot topic from now on."

As soon as he finished speaking, the whole room burst into laughter.

Because it must be admitted that Leonardo DiCaprio's years of being a runner-up have indeed brought a lot of buzz to the Oscars; whenever he's involved, it's guaranteed to be headline news!
"Screw you!"

Li Ziyi was also exasperated by Wei Jin's antics, and punched his mischievous friend with the hand holding the trophy.

He then leaned close to the microphone, looked at Gao Yuanyuan in the audience, and teased, "Gao, can I kiss him?"

"NONONO, I refuse, I refuse."

Wei Jin shouted loudly, and Gao Yuanyuan in the audience shook her head with a smile.

"I was just kidding, Wei. You know I only like young girls, hahaha."

It was clear that Leonardo DiCaprio was very excited that his long-cherished wish had come true, and Wei Jin stopped joking and gave him the stage.

No one expected that Leonardo, who had just successfully defended his title, would bluntly state that he was satisfied and would now tank.
This made Matt impatient, and at the reception after the awards ceremony, he pulled Wei Jin and Leon aside to chat.

"Are you serious? Even 'Joker' isn't involved?"

Meeting Matt's expectant gaze, Leon relaxed his shoulders and looked at Wei Jin.

"That depends on Wei's arrangements. If he really needs me, I certainly won't refuse."

Wei Jin could tell that Leonardo DiCaprio was indeed no longer very interested in "Joker".

This is not hard to understand. Once a phase goal is achieved, the initial enthusiasm wanes and it's hard to get back up.

Just like Wei Jin himself, after achieving the Grand Slam, he had no further expectations for the three major European tournaments and lost interest.

"Wei? What do you say?" Matt's gaze was intense; Leonardo's successful title defense had given him a huge boost!

"What else can I say? Leon looks like he's going on vacation, so he probably won't be in the mood to film. I don't want to turn into a tyrant on set."

To be fair, with a fresh-faced Oscar winner joining the cast, Joker's box office performance will definitely be even higher, but it's not like it has to be Leonardo DiCaprio.

Besides, Matt has been waiting for this for so long. As a friend, how could he let him down?

As for acting skills, Matt has been in the industry for many years and has acted in many art films, so it's not a problem for him at all!
"Screw you, I'm the newly crowned Oscar winner. I only need 30% of my effort to make 'Joker'!"

Wei Jin ignored Leonardo DiCaprio's boasting and raised his wine glass to look at Matt.

"Brother, I've already arranged the pre-production for 'Joker,' and it should start filming in two or three months. Is the schedule okay?"

"Of course, I will pay the penalty myself if there are any problems, and it will definitely not affect your plans. I look forward to cooperating with you again!"

Matt was in a very good mood. After speaking, he raised his glass and suggested, "Thank you both. Come on, let's have a drink?"

"cheers!"

"cheers!"

(End of this chapter)