The Best Actor in the Vase of Meiyu

Chapter 2056 Crossing the Barrier
With a slight pursing of his lips, Brendan remained calm and unhurried, saying, "I am not a noble person."

Anson chuckled. "But at least you chose to face it honestly. Besides, if you offered to help her carry things, she might think you were trying to rob her."

Brendan couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Anson: "That's just how the world is now."

Brendan finally turned his head and glanced at Anson. "But aren't you worried?"

Anson, "What?"

Brendan, “They think you’re up to no good? In fact, while they may not think you’re trying to rob someone, they can always project their darkest and most evil thoughts onto you.”

“If you respond to their calls, they think you’re trying to please the masses; if you don’t respond, they think you’re arrogant; if you respond to them with a smile and friendliness, they may take advantage of you; if you draw a serious line, they think you’re ungrateful.”

"Hehe." Anson chuckled.

Brendan: "This is reality, kid. I'm not kidding."

Anson nodded. "I know."

"To be precise, reality may be even more terrifying. Slander, defamation, betrayal, defamation, and harm—the vortex of human nature can always shatter our imagination."

"Just because I haven't encountered it yet doesn't mean it hasn't happened. Perhaps something terrible is happening right now, as we're talking."

"but."

Anson paused, then turned to look at Brendan.

"We couldn't stop it, could we?"

Brendan looked at Anson with a hint of confusion.

"Just as you said, no matter what I do or say, they always manage to find a twisted way to project the most terrifying thoughts from the depths of our souls, like an abyss, from which there is nowhere to escape."

"I tried everything I could to make everyone like me, but I couldn't, so I gave up."

Brendan blurted out, "What!"

Anson: "I've given up on trying to change other people's minds. I've decided to be myself. Mr. Gleason, I used to hide myself to please others, but now I don't want to do that anymore."

He has too many painful memories from his past life; he will not forget them, but he also does not want to repeat them.

"Besides, I work so hard so that I can do whatever I want, don't I?"

Brendan was stunned.

Anson chuckled. "I'm successful enough now. If anyone displeases me, I can fire them."

Brendan couldn't help but chuckle softly as he uttered the word "F" so lightly. After thinking about it seriously for a moment, he couldn't help but burst into laughter again. "I think the filming of this movie might be very interesting."

"So, are you ready?"

In fact, Michael Caine and Brendan were only casual acquaintances. When he unexpectedly learned that Brendan was about to work with Anson, he didn't say much, only saying, "That's interesting."

Now, Brendan finally knows what's going on.

Moreover, Brendan quickly realized that what he had just experienced was only the beginning.

“To be honest, I still don’t have a clear idea.” Anson was very sincere and spoke the truth. He and Brendan sat on a bench in the small square and actually started discussing the script and the characters.

In Anson's view, Ray can be seen as a projection of Martin McDonagh himself.

Naive. Romantic. Innocent. Pure. Simple. Slightly restless. Slightly foolish. Despite doing dirty work, they never lost any hope for the world.

In this sense, Martin's analogy of equating assassins with screenwriters is indeed a brilliant one.

Moreover, "In Bruges" was Martin Scorsese's first film project, and in the movie, Ray makes a fatal mistake during his first mission.

Could this be interpreted as Martin lacking confidence in "No Holiday for Hitmen"?
On the surface, Martin appeared confident and self-assured; otherwise, he wouldn't have rejected Anson outright. But deep down, he harbored a sense of uncertainty, a lingering unease. Just as Ray had made a mistake, Martin worried that he might also make a mistake and ruin the project.

That unease remained hidden deep within my heart.

To some extent, Anson believed Martin was right; that unease did indeed become a reality.

It wasn't just because "In Bruges" underperformed at the box office in its previous life; it was also because the final product had a lot of room for improvement. Despite the many accolades from critics that helped the film gain attention in the DVD market, it still couldn't be considered excellent.

Not to mention comparing it to classic independent films with unique styles like "Fight Club," "Trainspotting," and "Seven."

As for the reasons, a film should be viewed as a whole, with its strengths and weaknesses being complex and cannot be summarized in a single comment.

Martin Scorsese, as the director, needs to bear some responsibility; Colin Farrell, as the lead actor, also needs to bear some responsibility.

To be precise, Anson believed it was not Colin's fault, but Martin's.

Martin Scorsese's choice of Colin Firth is a matter of genre casting, applying a template. Firth once again plays a handsome but pitiful and spineless man, which is similar to films like "Phone Booth" and "Alexander the Great," with no essential difference.

In fact, from this perspective, Colin's excellent performance, with his pitiful and innocent demeanor, was a top-notch, soul-stirring performance. Anson doesn't believe he can bring more breakthroughs to similar roles; if he tries to replicate that, he'll at best be an imitator.

No matter how lifelike or vivid the imitator is, they can never surpass the original.

Now, with Anson leading the cast in "In Bruges," Anson naturally hopes to break out of his own style and inject different energy into the character and the film.

However, whether it's surpassing Colin Farrell or breaking free from Colin Farrell to forge his own path, Anson needs Brendan's help in his study of the character.

Don't forget, this is a dual-protagonist film. The interaction and chemistry between Ken and Ray are crucial, and their bond is the film's focal point. The two actors must communicate and interact, which is why Anson hesitated before finally choosing to sit down with Brendan.

“…You mean, let’s lighten the tone?” Brendan concluded, a hint of oddness in his voice. “In case you haven’t noticed, we’re in Bruges now.”

"God, I never knew there was another city outside of London where the sun never shines."

Comedy is often characterized by sunshine and bright colors; however, if the entire scene is gloomy, it can feel oppressive from a visual perspective.

Therefore, while "In Bruges" is considered a comedy, it is also a dark comedy.

However, this is precisely the situation that Anson is trying to change: "depressing comedies" remain a very niche genre even twenty years later.

I can't laugh in the literal sense.

But how should it be expressed?

Anson thought about it seriously, “Like ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral.’ Nobody believes a funeral can be made into a comedy; and in London’s terrible weather, a romantic comedy is just as appealing. I’m not expecting a comedy like ‘Bridget Jones’s Diary,’ but rather a comedy that creates a contrast through the rhythm and state of the performance, producing an absurd, dry humor.”

"The kind that can make the audience laugh."

(End of this chapter)