The Best Actor in the Vase of Meiyu

Chapter 2081 Internal Jokes
joke--

Niles-Sharp swears that what he just said was a joke, and it's an inside joke that's common knowledge in Cannes.

Two years ago, Anson arrived in Cannes for the first time and won the hearts of Cannes film enthusiasts with his approachable fan persona. He not only did not act like a rising superstar, but his professional demeanor, which allowed him to talk about the films in great detail, also easily won the support of his fellow fans.

However, with fame comes trouble.

Slowly, slowly, this evolved into a meme, a compliment yet also a form of criticism, with Anson pretending to be an ordinary person and integrating into the lives of these corporate slaves.

So, every now and then, they'd say things like, "I saw Anson again today," "Did you go to Anson today?" or "I really need to see Anson." "Anson" has become a verb, specifically used to tease those who, despite their busy schedules, take time to watch a movie or condescend to mingle with the masses—

The "nobility" here is obviously not true nobility, but rather a form of teasing and criticism.

For example, with a packed film festival schedule and countless must-see, desired, and anticipated films, one might still sacrifice sleep or mealtimes to attend the main competition. Such behavior is what is meant by "Anson".

Especially at Cannes last year, it became a popular topic among media reporters and film enthusiasts, who liked to make jokes about it while queuing at the Palais des Festivals.

This year, it has not only not become outdated, but has become even more intense.

After all, Anson is now a superstar, even more so than two years ago. With both "Walk the Line" and "Sin City" being nominated for the main competition, Anson is in the spotlight. It's foreseeable that he won't even have time to drink water during his time in Cannes.

So, will Anson, whose "status has doubled" and whose "value has changed" continue to maintain the "movie fan" persona he had two years ago?

Amidst the bustling discussion, some gloating and sarcastic remarks were inevitable.

Niles was no exception. He meant no harm. He neither disliked nor hated Anson. There was no mockery or contempt. It was just a joke.

Today, the Cannes Film Festival opens, and all eyes are on the opening film—

"Match Point," directed by Woody Allen, stars Scarlett Johansson and Jonathan Rhys Meyers, and features a host of other star actors.

As a non-competitive entry, it easily garnered attention thanks to the star power of Woody Allen and Scarlett Johansson, making it a well-deserved focus of discussion.

Naturally, the films in the main competition section, which premiere after the opening ceremony, are likely to be met with a cold reception. How can they compete with the "final point" in terms of red carpet scale or media attention? Many believe that the films scheduled for screening on the first day are destined for failure.

They were just cannon fodder.

It's easy to imagine that the first film in the main competition would be in a difficult situation, and precisely because of this, Cannes took a bold step to avoid controversy.

"Hidden Camera," a work by Austrian film master Michael Haneke, is a film that focuses on reality and human nature. This director always uses his cold lens to structure the ugliest and dirtiest parts of society, and his first work, "The Seventh Continent," has been impactful since it entered the public eye.

"Funny Games" won the Best Screenplay Award at Cannes in 1997, and "The Piano Teacher" won the Jury Prize at Cannes in 2001.

This is a director whose works are few in number but every one of them is a masterpiece. His return to Cannes with "Hidden Camera" is undoubtedly the focus.

The Cannes itinerary was completely unexpected, yet it sparked complaints and controversy among media reporters.

The premieres of "Match Point" and "Hidden Camera" were held one after the other, with the organizing committee allowing ample time to ensure that no one would miss either event. This included not only giving the jury members enough time to attend both events, but also allowing the media and guests to attend both if they wished.

The problem is that a premiere is one thing, but watching a film in the Lumière Theatre is another.

That's Michael Haneke!
If you want to be among the first to see the "hidden camera," you have to queue up at the Palais des Festivals in advance to ensure you get in smoothly. This means you might have to leave the "Match Point" premiere early, or even miss the entire premiere altogether. It's no exaggeration to say that this is a contest of discretion; neither the film festival officials nor the film crews' publicity teams have made any strict requirements, so it's up to the media reporters to choose.

Is it possible that after attending the premiere of "Match Point," one could still successfully queue up to enter the Lumière Theatre to watch the "hidden camera" scene?

of course!

It's a matter of probability: are you willing to take the risk?

Otherwise... it's a choice between "match point" and "hidden camera"—that's how cruel reality is.

Niles' presence here at this moment signifies that he has completely abandoned the "Match Point" premiere and is focusing all his energy on the "hidden camera" project.

In other words, Niles chose Michael Haneke over Woody Allen.

As for Anson?

Almost everyone in Cannes agreed that Anson would attend the premiere of "Match Point," just like his iconic appearance in Dior two years ago. This year, Anson should wear the Dior x Adidas collaboration to continue promoting the film.

Furthermore, Anson and Scarlett have just finished working together on a project, and now that Scarlett is in Cannes with "Match Point," Anson has no reason to be absent.

A combination of factors, including the film festival schedule and inside jokes circulating in Cannes over the past two years, led to Niles's sarcastic remarks.

however……

Niles wanted to swallow his tongue whole, staring dumbfounded at the figure before him, his mind completely blank—

What should I do? Should he explain the whole story? But if he doesn't, there's no way to clear up the misunderstanding. What should I do?
Ansen smiled broadly and looked at the two people beside him. "See, I told you, you don't need to worry. Not everyone knows me; and not everyone will be surprised to see me."

Rhys: ... silently glanced at Niles, whose jaw was dislocated, but ultimately did not speak.

Niles waved his hands repeatedly, shaking his head and jumping up and down. "That's not what I meant. I just wanted to say... uh, why are you here?"

Niles had never been so tongue-tied.

Anson, however, didn't mind at all. "Haneke. Of course, it's for Haneke. No one should miss Haneke. You came for him too, right?"

Niles nodded vigorously. "Yes. It is. 'Fun Games' is a masterpiece." His brain stopped thinking and he could only instinctively say the first thing that came to mind.

Anson's eyes lit up. "Right? I like it too." He raised his right hand and gave a high five.

Niles obediently clapped his hands, but his mind was full of questions: Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?
Anson's cheerful voice continued to chatter on.

“I know this work is half and half, half like and half hate. But, you know what? Haneke actually made it this way on purpose.”

"His original intention in making this film was to provoke the audience. He hoped that the audience would leave in anger, cursing and swearing. In this way, he would achieve his goal."

(End of this chapter)