The Best Actor in the Vase of Meiyu

Chapter 2057 One Serious, One Humorous

Overall, the previous "No Holiday" series was too gloomy and heavy, with a faint sadness always permeating the screen.

Of course, this is also the underlying theme of "hitmen have no holidays"—

Truly great comedies are often tragedies, as seen in Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. Anson is neither prepared nor capable of creating a completely new genre, so maintaining this foundation is crucial; however, Anson needs to solidify this foundation and change the atmosphere it presents.

In particular, eliminating Martin McDonagh's hidden inner unease is crucial; only when the director is in complete control can the camera perfectly present the comedic effect.

"No Holiday" is not "The Hangover," nor should it be an American spoof comedy like "The Hangover."

Anson believes the first step can be to start with the performance, as this is indeed the first impression that "emerges on the surface" and the first window through which the audience enters the film.

They brainstormed back and forth, but clearly, Anson couldn't find the right language to communicate.

After a moment of contemplation, Anson sorted out his thoughts.

"Right now, I only have some scattered ideas. I'll throw them out and see if they can spark anything."

“I’m thinking about Raymond, who is twenty-two or twenty-three now. He didn’t receive much education because he lost both his parents and was homeless at a young age. He has a lot of questions about life. He doesn’t know what he wants, but he’s trying to keep up with the street trends.”

"He insists that people call him 'Ray' because the name Raymond is too old-fashioned. He likes parties, girls, and alcohol. He's so active that he can't stop moving around, and he might even have ADD. He can't concentrate at all, which is why he failed his first mission. He missed the target when it was so close, which triggered a chain reaction."

“He loves islands and sunshine, and Bruges obviously didn’t meet his expectations. But even in Bruges, he was still trying to find some adventure.”

"He doesn't think, not because he's stupid, but because he's lazy."

"A wise fool, like 'Rain Man,' yes, yes, like 'Rain Man,' the movie with Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise."

"So he needed to act restless, active, and unable to stay still. He tried to control himself in front of Ken, but obviously failed."

"He has always lived in his own world, and has his own set of theories about right and wrong and moral concepts."

blah blah blah.

As Anson said, there was no set pattern or structure; he just said whatever came to mind, constantly throwing things out in an attempt to spark inspiration.

Those fragments miraculously constructed a vague image in Brendan's mind, which surprised him slightly.

This is because it may be a role that Anson has never played before in his career. The character's color and tone are completely different and have never appeared in any of his previous works, including "Friends".

Brendan now understands a bit: comedy often requires coordination, with one serious and one humorous, one straight man and one funny man. If Anson is not worried about his image and is prepared to play the straight man, it means that he needs to play the role of the anchor, pulling the frivolous atmosphere back and thus creating a comedic effect.

Brendan has a background in literature and has also received professional training in drama. He is very versatile and is a veteran actor with excellent acting skills.

Brendan thought for a moment, "How about this?"

“We were both intruders, we didn’t fit in at all in Bruges, and we were obviously tourists.”

"The difference is that I'm adapting, I'm trying to pretend I'm a local, while you're not, and you just stand out awkwardly on the streets of Bruges." "Using this contrast breaks the city's serious and gloomy atmosphere, while also creating a contrast between the characters, sparking a lively interaction."

“You’ll be in charge of controlling the pacing, and I’ll be in charge of maintaining the balance. In this way, just like ‘four weddings and a funeral,’ we can ensure that the audience is in a light and happy mood while avoiding ruining the film’s tone and atmosphere. Even if it’s a sad story, they can still laugh.”

Snapped!
Anson snapped his fingers. "To be precise, this isn't a sad story. Before we reveal the answer, it's a slightly bizarre, slightly awkward, and slightly out-of-place comedy, a classic example of dark humor. Finally, let's return to the story's theme."

"But overall, you are right."

“Perhaps we can start with the character’s clothing. You arrive in a suit and trench coat, but quickly realize that’s typical London attire, nobody in Bruges would dress like that, and you try to change it; as for me, well, I need to brainstorm, I’m thinking of Hawaiian shirts…”

Anson looked up at Brendan. "Isn't this a bit much? After all, it's a sad story."

"Besides, they're assassins; isn't dressing so flamboyantly inappropriate for their roles?"

A hint of appreciation flickered in Brendan's eyes, not only for Anson's performance, but also for the character in his mind gradually becoming clearer during the conversation.

“No.” Brendan’s tone also lightened slightly. “It’s an interesting idea.”

"In the story, Ken and Ray are told to go on vacation, and neither of them knows why Harry is letting them go on vacation, and they just embark on the journey."

"For Ray, a vacation naturally means an island, so he prepared Hawaiian shirts. In fact, his suitcase was full of short-sleeved shirts, so he had to stack them up in Bruges and was always cold, which is a detail that fits the character very well."

“You’re right. Maybe we can add a scene where we go shopping for clothes together. The difference is that you’re doing it to avoid freezing to death, while I’m doing it to avoid revealing my identity.”

In this way, not only can the characters become more vivid, but the chemistry between the characters can also naturally produce comedic effects.

In particular, the contrast with the cityscape of Bruges can create even more comedic effect.

Inspiration is like this: once the first spark ignites, it can quickly spread like wildfire, and all sorts of divergent thoughts unfold in the mind.

So when Anson invited Brendan to go shopping together, Rhys's eyes almost popped out of his head. For a mercenary with a military background, he had never known that artistic creation could be done like this. His wild imagination was completely out of control.

"...Do you need any? I mean, Bruges is indeed colder than I expected, so perhaps you'll need to buy some new clothes?" Anson turned around and said with a smile.

Rhys: "No, thank you. Weapons are more practical than clothes."

Anson: ...

Only then did Rhys realize that he might have said something wrong. He was wondering whether he should apologize when, unexpectedly, Anson's smile widened.

"Sorry, I forgot. Obviously, our focuses are different. I probably can't handle weapons, so how about a big meal to reward your stomachs? You've worked hard today. I'll cover all the food and drinks. Don't worry about eating me out of house and home. Eat as much as you want."

Rhys looked at Anson with a strange expression. "Are you sure?"

(End of this chapter)