The Best Actor in the Vase of Meiyu

Chapter 1919 Looking forward to it
Every January, the film world is abuzz with the excitement of awards season. Although the Oscars ceremony is still a month away, the extensive preparations and hype have already begun, and the buzz surrounding the Oscars is almost universal.

This is why the Berlin Film Festival, which takes place at the end of January, always faces enormous pressure, battling the harsh winter of the Northern Hemisphere while also vying for attention with the Oscars.

This year is no exception.

The academy has announced another wave of guest list attendees.

As is customary, Oscar nominees automatically earn a seat. In addition, there are seats for presenters, performers, and sponsors, etc. The Academy deliberately announces the guest list in four or five batches to gradually build up public expectations and generate buzz.

As always, the guest list is full of topics and highlights. Among the superstars who did not win a nomination, who will attend the Oscars?
However, this time it was slightly different.

In this list of guests, the academy only released one name, a unique name—

Anson Wood. Award presenter; performer.

A bombshell announcement that has set North America ablaze.

Finally! The suspense that has been running throughout the awards season and has sparked countless discussions over the past three years has finally been revealed: Anson will attend the Oscars ceremony for the first time.

And that's not all.

Anson will attend the event as an Oscar nominee, and will also appear on stage at the Kodak Theatre as a presenter and performer.

In an instant, everyone went mad.

Of course, as a nominee for Best Original Song, performing on stage every year is a tradition of the Oscars, and it is also the only performance segment at the Oscars; but the key point is that this is Anson, and whether Anson is prepared to perform on stage this year is undoubtedly a question mark.

Now, the answer is revealed—

Cheers. Screams. Anticipation. Exclamations. The sounds were endless.

The Academy displayed an unprecedented level of special treatment, from the separate announcement of Anson's attendance as a guest to his role as both a presenter and performer on his first appearance at the Oscars. This was an unprecedented gesture at the Oscars, and all the previous noise and controversy vanished.

The media reaction clearly indicates that this is a major event.

"Official announcement: Anson Wood attends the Oscars for the first time."

"A reconciliation of the century! Anson Wood is about to take the stage at the Kodak Theatre."

"Nominated. Award presented. Performing. Wearing three hats, Anson Wood may be the killer weapon for the 77th Academy Awards ratings."

"A high-profile debut! The Academy has made an exception for Anson Wood, announcing a separate attendance list for the first time ever."

"The questions can stop now; Anson Wood is attending the Oscars for the first time. But a new question arises: can Anson Wood continue the ratings frenzy?"

"Anson Wood joins hands with the Oscars - the biggest highlight of the awards ceremony has been born."

From The New York Times to the Los Angeles Times, from The Hollywood Reporter to Variety, from Entertainment Weekly to Us Weekly, from The Wall Street Journal to The Washington Post, the focus is everywhere, and the annual entertainment event has already been born even though 2005 has only just begun.

Even the media is reacting this way, let alone the vast majority of netizens? With a grand and spectacular display, and comprehensive coverage, everyone is bursting with excitement. This year's Oscars ceremony finally has a highlight worth looking forward to.

Berlin Film Festival: ...

In fact, Berlin is already used to it. Every January, the clamor of the Oscars fills the air and steals all the spotlight from Berlin.

However, Berlin didn't care and continued to work diligently and focus on its own work, holding its annual film festival in an orderly manner. In the eyes of others, they were outliers, but in the eyes of film lovers, they were like plum blossoms in the cold winter.

That said, Berlin also needs to face reality: in the information age where exposure is increasingly important, Cannes and Venice are taking away their advantage.

Of course, the three major European film festivals are not competing head-on in the boxing ring, but rather vying for projects, films, and outstanding works. They hope to improve the quality of their entries, thereby enhancing the prestige of their awards, and ultimately creating a virtuous cycle for continued development.

In this battle for exposure, Berlin has no advantage.

Now, Berlin watched in disbelief as Oscar managed to bring the entire internet down with just Anson alone.

Looking back at Thierry Frémaux's previous actions, Berlin seemed to understand something in an instant; indeed, the French were cunning.

On one side, commotion broke out on both sides of the Atlantic. Even the Academy itself did not expect that a single move could trigger a chain reaction in the film industry. Berlin and Cannes both took action, and reality once again proved Anson's influence with overwhelming force.

Meanwhile, the gaze of the entire North American continent focused on Anson continued to intensify—

The Oscars, arguably the grandest and most prestigious stage since last year's Grammys, will Anson be able to continue his surprises? How will Anson perform "Sunflower" this time?

We can't blame the public for their high expectations. Anson has always been able to surprise and constantly refresh our understanding, so much so that expectations remain at an unbelievable level. He's always thinking about more, better, and more exciting things, just like the premiere of "Spider-Man 2" last year.

Even a veteran journalist like Nicholas couldn't resist the urge to see Anson continue to deliver miracles, let alone ordinary viewers.
So now, people are raising their expectations even higher, and a great deal of anticipation is igniting.

A small minority of voices suggested that the Oscars are a cinematic extravaganza, and ultimately, they are different. Even if Anson had ideas, the Academy might not agree. They wouldn't allow Anson to steal the spotlight from the films, so it's best to put aside those wild thoughts, adjust one's mindset, and simply enjoy the stage performances.

Unfortunately, these voices were too weak to withstand the tide of the mainstream voice.

This further demonstrates Anson's current appeal; it is precisely because he is worth looking forward to that the pressure is constantly increasing.

Moreover, no one has forgotten that before stepping onto the Oscars stage, Anson had another crucial stage—

Grammys.

So here are the questions: How will Anson differentiate between two performances prepared within a month? Is it possible for the two performances to become stylistically similar? And can Anson continue to raise expectations at the Oscars after his Grammy surprise? Can his professional performance at the Grammys surpass last year's "Don't Be So Serious"?
Crazy, completely crazy.

The New Yorker made no attempt to downplay the situation, sarcastically remarking, "They won't stop until they drive Anson to his death."

"They are now elevating Anson to a pedestal, worshipping him as a god, and once Anson fails to meet their unreasonable, outrageous, and insane expectations, they will pull him down from that pedestal; but the key question is, even if Anson meets their expectations, are they really willing to kneel down and completely submit?"

Everything is going off track.

(End of this chapter)