China Entertainment started in 2004

"Anyway, if there are any projects in the future, I hope Director Wang will consider me~"

Although Gong Li said this in a half-joking manner, it was what she really thought.

The two of them are old acquaintances, and she doesn't play tricks with Wang Shu. If she has any ideas, she will just say them to his face.

The reason that prompted her to do this was that she was worried that if Wang Shu had a project in the future, he would find other domestic actresses instead of her.

Wang Shu smiled when he heard that and said, "That's right. If there is a role that suits you, I will definitely look for you. Do I need you to tell me?"

"La La Land cast Fan Binbin this time only because it is the third female role."

"Before Fan Binbin, I was looking for Yang Mi, but because she didn't have time, I looked for Fan Binbin."

Although Wang Shu did not say it explicitly, Gong Li understood that this meant that she was an international film queen and the role of the third female lead was not suitable for her status.

Not to mention, even if she is the heroine, her age and image are not suitable for her.

Gong Li has run into obstacles in Hollywood in recent years, but she knows very well that Hollywood is ultimately a European and American stage, and it is difficult for her face to get opportunities here.

This is not Wang Shu’s fault.

In fact, if Gong Li is to be crowned an Oscar winner, there are films that can do it.

For example, Michelle Yeoh won an Oscar for "Breaking the Universe".

This movie was the biggest winner at the 95th Academy Awards ceremony, winning Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Editing, and Best Original Screenplay.

However, by the time of the 95th Oscars, the global art circles were all on the decline. There were no eye-catching art films at all, and it was just a fight between nobodies.

Therefore, if "Blink" was filmed in this era, it might win some acting awards, but it would be more difficult to win awards such as Best Picture and Best Director.

Having said that, Wang Shu has always been active in Hollywood, and perhaps the film he makes will be just as successful.

Gong Li smiled and continued: "What I meant by saying this is that if you have a project, please consider me and don't forget about me."

While speaking, he stretched out his foot and rubbed Wang Shu's leg under the table.

His face, however, looked serious.

Wang Shu also asked seriously: "How could I forget you?"

Gong Li bit her lip and rubbed Wang Shu's leg with her foot again.

Then he asked, “Really?”

Wang Shu did not answer this question, but said: "You are not afraid of me..."

While speaking, use your eyes to indicate that you understand.

Gong Li smiled and asked knowingly: "What am I not afraid of you?"

Wang Shu did not answer the question, but asked: "Have you finished eating?"

"What's wrong?" Gong Li continued to ask knowingly.

"Just leave after you finish eating. Why are you still staying here?" Wang Shu said righteously.

Gong Li heard this and asked back with an ambiguous look in her eyes: "What if you are not full?"

…………

On January 1, "La La Land" grossed 3 million US dollars.

November 1, 4 million US dollars.

It started with tens of millions on the first day, and the box office grew thereafter, which clearly showed that word of mouth had fermented.

There are already many reviews about "La La Land" on the Internet.

For example, a well-known film critic wrote on Rotten Tomatoes: "I love La La Land, probably because it is a movie full of soul, character, vitality, and love."

“It turned Los Angeles, which I had not liked for many years, into a dreamlike paradise. Whether it was turning the criticized traffic jams into colorful color bombs, turning the lifeless mountain paths into a tap dance floor where the hero and heroine flirted with each other, or changing the rational landmark building such as the Griffith Observatory into a purple-hued dating spot, it gave me an indescribable romantic feeling.”

"It is this romantic feeling that allows us, as the audience, to understand why the dream chasers in the opening scene were seduced by this city."

"I love La La Land because of its nostalgia and tribute to the bygone Hollywood, and its attempt to take care of those classic plots in a modern way."

"When Mia, played by Emma Stone, walks into the retro-style apartment dejectedly and collapses on the bed after failing the interview, a huge portrait of Ingrid Bergman hangs beside her bed, which of course makes fans who love old Hollywood movies very happy."

"Casablanca is repeatedly quoted in the film, which not only allows more audiences to understand director Wang Shu's love for old Hollywood, but also seems to have a deeper meaning."

“Of course, as a musical, it’s essential to pay homage to the classics – whether it’s the colorful costumes paying homage to Chazelle’s beloved The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, or the charming tap dance of the two protagonists in the evening to imitate Singin’ in the Rain, which makes nostalgic fans feel particularly comfortable.”

"I love La La Land because of its score that is worth listening to again and again. While expressing nostalgia, Wang Shu did not choose to force the lines to be sung in front of the audience, but let the singing appear where it should be. This is also the reason why the number of actual music in this musical is not huge."

"But even if the quantity doesn't go up, the quality won't go down."

“When we realize that music is not only the signature of La La Land, but also a tool to tell the joys and sorrows of the protagonists, we can more or less understand why most of the songs appear at the beginning of the movie - because Mia and Sebastian are still in the sweet period of mutual affection, because they are still in a fantasy that does not match reality.”

"But when their relationship took a sharp turn for the worse and they returned to the harsh reality, those sweet songs quietly disappeared. Only at the end, when they tried to escape reality and fantasize about 'what if' and 'what could have been', the music composed of those moving melodies played again, making the audience feel sweet and sad for them."

"Even Ryan Gosling, who plays the male lead, said about these characteristic soundtracks: 'I shouldn't listen to these soundtracks again, but these melodies still move me.'"

"Of course, what I love about La La Land is that it has this pair of dazzling diamond-like male and female protagonists."

"This is probably the most beautiful yet unquestionable couple on the screen today, right?" "Whether it's Ryan Gosling's sense of humor under his handsome appearance, or Emma Stone's charming smile under her unbelievably large eyes; whether it's Gosling's effortless piano skills after months of hard practice, or Stone's perfect interpretation of the touching song at the end; whether it's their coordinated dance steps under the neon sunset, or their last regretful eye contact."

"All of these make the audience feel the brilliance of these two actors as movie stars, and make people fall in love with the characters they play."

“In a sense, we watch movies to be transported to a fantasy world that is detached from reality.”

“Without this dazzling light of correspondence, it would be hard for us to convince ourselves to break away from reality, and La La Land would probably be less impressive because of it, right?”

"It should be said that Wang Shu is really good at casting, because he was able to use these two actors with personal charm to interpret the characters he wrote."

"But what I love most about La La Land is probably that, in addition to being a tribute to Los Angeles and dream chasers, it is also a true love letter to movie fans."

“When the words Cinemascope (an old lens style from the 1950s and 1960s) appeared clearly in front of my eyes as the picture widened, and when the black and white screen icons were gradually replaced by the yellowish color of Technicolor (a color processing method used by Hollywood from the 1920s to the 1950s), I, as a pure movie fan, felt unprecedentedly moved.”

"Wang Shu should be a nostalgic person, so naturally, the characters he writes are also nostalgic people."

…………

“It’s probably impossible not to like this movie, right?”

“From the long shot of the group dance on the viaduct in the first scene, which will become a classic, it should not be difficult for the audience to feel Wang Shu’s ambition and the ability to match this ambition.”

“The energetic camera language throughout the film is like another important character in the film, full of its own personality.”

"It is sometimes lively and agile, such as the opening clip mentioned above; it is sometimes anxious, such as the constant shaking of the handheld camera after the male and female protagonists quarrel at the dinner table; it sometimes methodically unfolds exciting fantasies for the audience, such as the montage at the end. Another important role is the use of light and shadow in the film."

“The light that changes with the characters’ emotions not only creates beautiful images, but also makes the film even more dreamy. It seems to constantly tell the audience, welcome to this place that is different from the hateful reality.”

"Most people think that the ending of La La Land is sweet and bitter - the two people who are in love cannot be together in the end, and can only fantasize about how they live happily in another time and space within the limited time of a song."

"But in my opinion, feeling pain and happiness seems to be a better way to interpret it."

"Of course, they have to endure a lifetime of pain because they selfishly pursue their dreams and cannot live together, but it is also this selfishness that makes these two characters more lifelike and touching. Perhaps this is a more reasonable ending?"

"Mia and Sebastian are so charming when they dance, but they lose that brilliance at other times in the movie, and even criticize each other's dreams with words, which is a sin."

“Even the montage at the end couldn’t give them the perfect ending – while Mia became famous, Sebastian had to give up his dream by her side.”

“This world is not perfect. Even La La Land rendered in Technicolor is not perfect. So the ending where they sacrificed something for their dreams is the most reasonable and profound one.”

…………

As La La Land gained popularity, not only were there many videos about the movie on the Internet, but Time magazine also published an interview with Wang Shu in a timely manner.

For a time, Wang Shu's name was a hot topic, and the box office of "La La Land" also increased.

In the original timeline, "La La Land" was able to revive American musicals for a year or two, which is enough to prove the value of this film.

It is undeniable that some people will not feel anything when watching this movie, but some people will feel the same when watching this movie.

The reason for this situation is nothing more than that different people belong to different classes, and their joys and sorrows are different.

Therefore, some viewers were deeply moved after watching it, while others could not continue watching it.

In any case, "La La Land" became a hit and the box office rose against the trend.

Perhaps it is not impossible to break 3 million US dollars in the United States.

In China, although "La La Land" has not yet been released, the news that Wang Shu was featured in "Time" magazine has still caused heated discussion.

After all, without an explanation, you can’t get published in Time magazine.

"Wang Shu is on the cover of Time magazine." Chen Hong looked at Director Chen and told him the news.

"It's on the list, so what?" Director Chen said dismissively. "When his movie is released in the U.S., as long as he spends money on publicity, Time magazine will praise and comment on it."

"When the movie I directed, 'Together With You' was released in the United States, Time magazine wrote a review of it."

“I still remember the title of the film review was ‘A True Film and Sharp Reality’.”

"The content is... There is an unspoken golden rule in the film criticism circle: optimistic works are always considered sensational, while pessimistic works represent depth. When critics themselves are comfortably immersed in the intellectual gorgeousness and over-evaluate certain films that treat life as a cesspool, we swallow their views like gluttons. Today, any serious film that contains bright colors faces a risk of being expelled from the hall of serious films because the film is not dark enough and violates the conventional precepts..."

Chen Hong was dumbfounded when she heard Director Chen's detailed account of the incident.

She really didn't expect... Director Chen could actually recite this film review...

Impressed!

He opened his mouth and said, "The Wang Shu I'm talking about was on Time magazine. It was not only about the film La La Land, but also the cover and the interview."

Director Chen didn't care much at first, but when he heard this, his expression suddenly froze.

Wang Shu is on the cover of Time magazine?

How could this guy be on the cover of Time magazine?!
"Is Time magazine so watery now?" Director Chen asked.

As a Palme d'Or director, Director Chen was also featured in Time magazine when he won the award.

Being able to be featured in Time magazine is a testament to one's reputation.

And now, Wang Shu has also appeared on Time Magazine, catching up with him, which immediately makes him feel very uncomfortable. (End of this chapter)