Literary Master 1978.

Chapter 456 Cannes Film Festival (Double Monthly Ticket Request)

The next morning, Lin Chaoyang appeared at the Tung Ying Building in Tsim Sha Tsui. He came today to see the finished film of "The Truman Show".

The post-production of "The Truman Show" was completed some time ago, and Ann Hui informed him about it before that.

Knowing that Lin Chaoyang was coming to watch a movie today, Ann Hui and Xu Guanwen both came over.

Lin Chaoyang is the original author and also the screenwriter, and they both really want to hear Lin Chaoyang's opinion on the finished film.

The two of them put so much effort into this movie, so their eagerness is understandable.

In the dim projection room, only the projector beam hits the screen.

After the logos of several production companies flashed by, the first shot of the movie was a close-up of the director played by Bao Fang being interviewed in front of the camera.

"We are tired of the hypocritical performances and fancy stunts when watching movies. You can say that The Truman Show is fake, but Truman himself is real.

This show has no script, no cue cards, and while it may not be a masterpiece, it is genuine..."

Close-up shots are the shots with the closest viewing distance in a movie. Every subtle expression and emotional change of the character will be recorded by the camera.

Bao Fang's lines are clearly enunciated and have his own unique rhythm. His voice is also very charming, and this advantage is infinitely magnified in close-up shots.

He was not wearing any makeup when filming this scene. His face, which was over 50 years old, was covered with fine wrinkles. Every time he opened his mouth, these wrinkles seemed to become a part of his acting.

Especially his deep eye sockets and sharp eyes make him look both scheming and sober while everyone else is drunk, which immediately reveals the director's contradictory temperament of paranoia and sophistication.

Lin Chaoyang was attracted by the first shot, not because the shot was so stunning, but because Bao Fang's performance was better than he expected.

The face, weathered by time, is captured in the camera and is full of stories.

The camera switched and the person who appeared was Truman, played by Xu Guanwen.

He looks a lot younger in the movie than in real life, that's the effect of makeup.

Xu Guanwen has always been known as a deadpan comedian in Hong Kong, but in "The Truman Show", his performance was neither "deadpan" nor "comedian", but very relaxed.

And in this relaxation, there is also brightness and warmth.

This is of course the background of the character "Truman" in the early stage of the movie. The fact that the audience can feel the background is enough to prove that Xu Guanwen's performance is successful.

This movie is a one-man show of "Truman". As the plot progresses, the image of Truman's character becomes more and more full. Lin Chaoyang couldn't help comparing Xu Guanwen with Jim Carrey.

Compared to Jim Carrey's performance, Xu Guanwen's acting is more restrained, lacking the confidence and sunshine that Americans deliberately pursue in their lives.

But this restraint is not entirely a disadvantage, especially when the film moves into the second half.

The more restrained Truman was in the beginning, the more inspiring his resistance was in the later period.

Not only the fake "audience" in the movie are concerned about him, but also the audience outside the screen.

When Truman finally stood in front of the long door leading to freedom, he finally laughed out loud and uttered that classic line.

"If I never see you again, I wish you good morning, good afternoon and good night!"

After saying that, he turned and left, as high-spirited as a young man!

The movie ended and the cast list scrolled on the screen. Xu Guanwen stood up to turn on the lights, his eyes fell on Lin Chaoyang.

"Chaoyang, how is it? How is it?"

A movie star, but he behaved like a primary school student waiting for praise from his teacher after the test results came out.

At this time, Ann Hui looked at Lin Chaoyang, with a bit of expectation in her eyes.

Lin Chaoyang smiled and said: "The degree of completion is very high, very good!"

Ann Hui is a very stable director. It is difficult for her to give the audience an amazing viewing experience, but she rarely fails. Her performance in "The Truman Show" is as stable as ever.

This is not to say that Ann Hui’s performance was not excellent, it’s just that the story setting of "The Truman Show" itself is amazing enough.

To the extent that when watching the film, people will subconsciously ignore the director's audio-visual language scheduling and be completely immersed in the story.

In fact, in a sense, this is also a reflection of the director's skill.

After listening to Lin Chaoyang's comments, Ann Hui and Xu Guanwen's faces relaxed.

"I feel relieved when you say this," said Xu Guanwen.

As veteran filmmakers, both he and Ann Hui have their own judgment, but that's how people are, the more they value something, the more they worry about gains and losses.

"The Truman Show" carried too many expectations for Xu Guanwen from the very beginning. It was difficult for him to look at the finished film from a completely rational perspective. He could only constantly correct his feelings through feedback from others.

After watching the finished film, several people talked about participating in the film festival.

Last month, Giles Jacob came to Hong Kong to review the film at the joint invitation of Li Hanxiang and King Hu.

As the film festival's selection director, Gilles Jacob has a lot of say in which films are selected for the main competition unit.

But this was not a decision he could make alone. Before leaving Hong Kong, Giles Jacob did not make any promises to Golden Harvest, which hosted him.

With just over a month left until the opening of this year's Cannes Film Festival, the day for the announcement of the list of films shortlisted for the main competition unit is getting closer.

The two Xu are like prisoners awaiting trial, and one can feel their anxiety as soon as this matter is mentioned.

"The shortlist will be out in the next two days, right?" Lin Chaoyang asked.

Ann Hui said, "In previous years, it was a month before the opening, which is just these two days."

Lin Chaoyang comforted the two with a relaxed look, "With the quality of The Truman Show, it will definitely be no problem for it to be nominated. You should have confidence."

"Of course I have confidence. But no one can predict the future of a film festival. I'm afraid something unexpected might happen."

Ann Hui is a director of art films and knows a lot about the inside stories of film festivals in various countries. Often, there are too many factors that go into film festival awards, and it is not just the quality of the film that is the only reference dimension.

"Aren't you just worrying too much and adding pressure to yourself? Don't think too much. The shortlist will be announced in the next two days anyway.

Being shortlisted for the main competition unit means you are qualified, and the rest is up to fate."

Ann Hui nodded, but she didn't look relaxed. Seeing this, Lin Chaoyang could only smile.

The next day, Lin Chaoyang suddenly received a call from Dillon.

"Chaoyang, Cinema City is going to have a new movie and they want me to be the male lead. They said you recommended me."

Ti Lung sounded a little excited on the phone. Shaw Brothers closed down last year and he hasn't worked for more than a year.

During this period, Ti Lung also contacted many film companies that had extended olive branches to him when he was at the peak of his popularity, but these companies were very realistic.

In the past two years, the traditional Shaw Brothers martial arts films have gradually declined, and Ti Lung, a star who has been trapped in the image of a "hero", is no longer as popular as he used to be.

After experiencing a year of lows and cold reception, someone suddenly contacted him and said that he was wanted to be the leading actor in a new movie, which was a modern gunfight film. Naturally, Ti Lung was ecstatic.

One of the main reasons why he wanted to leave Shaw Brothers was that he felt his acting career was restricted by costume martial arts films.

What made Ti Lung even happier was that the movie he filmed was actually invested by Cinema City.

Cinema City is a new upstart in the Hong Kong film industry. It has become extremely popular in recent years and almost all the movies they produce are big sellers.

Even though they showed a slight decline in the competition with Golden Harvest last year, it did not hinder their strong position in the film industry.

Considering Ti Lung's current depressed condition, it would be a great thing for him to be able to connect with Cinema City.

The person who contacted Ti Lung was Nansun Shi. She also mentioned to Ti Lung on the phone that the reason they invited Ti Lung to star in the new film was mainly because of Lin Chaoyang's recommendation.

Upon hearing this news, Dillon was filled with emotion.

He never imagined that his career prospects would be dim as he reached middle age, and in the end it was Lin Chaoyang, a friend he had only known for over a year, who helped him out.

He said a lot of words of thanks on the phone, but it was not enough, he also said: "I will host a meal for you and everyone tomorrow."

Less than half a day after the two talked on the phone, Yue Hua also called Lin Chaoyang.

Lin Chaoyang couldn't help but sigh that Shi Nansheng was really efficient!

Although both of them called to express their gratitude, Yue Hua was much more stable compared to Ti Lung's excitement.

The reason for this is that Ti Lung still has great expectations for his acting career, otherwise he would not have been seeking transformation.

What is different about Yue Hua is that he became famous too early and was out of fashion by the mid-to-late 1970s.

Now he doesn’t care whether he gets the leading role or supporting role, or whether it’s a movie or a TV series.

With this mindset, when faced with a supporting role in a movie, he naturally felt nothing inside, and calling to express his gratitude was just a courtesy.

The next night, Wan Chai, Fook Lam Moon Restaurant.

Dillon hosted a dinner and invited all the friends that he and Lin Chaoyang knew.

Dillon received a call from Nanshen Shi yesterday. He met with her today and negotiated the contract.

For Ti Lung, who had been eager to transform himself in the past two years, receiving a role as the male lead in a modern gunfight drama at this time was definitely a timely help, and his gratitude to Lin Chaoyang was beyond words.

Before arriving, no one knew the reason why Ti Lung was treating them, and after hearing what Ti Lung had to say, everyone was surprised.

These people have been in the film industry for many years and are considered veterans of the Hong Kong film industry, but they cannot guarantee that they can help their friends arrange a suitable and important role.

It is really surprising that Lin Chaoyang has such energy after only being in Hong Kong for a year.

But what makes everyone appreciate Lin Chaoyang even more is his loyalty and that he really thinks of his friends when good things happen.

Who wouldn't want to be friends with such a person?

With the help of Ti Lung and Yue Hua, Lin Chaoyang became the absolute protagonist of tonight.

While everyone was talking and laughing, Cai Lan's mobile phone on the table rang. He stood up to answer it. No one paid attention and everyone continued chatting among themselves.

When Cai Lan came back from the phone, his face looked relaxed and a little happy.

Li Hanxiang asked: "You look so happy, what's the good news?"

Cai Lan smiled and said, "It's not me who has good news, it's Chaoyang who has good news."

Everyone was confused by what he said, so Dillon asked, "What's the good news?"

Cai Lan shook the mobile phone in his hand and said, "I just received a tip that The Truman Show has been shortlisted for the main competition unit of the Cannes Film Festival!"

The atmosphere at the table suddenly exploded.

The largest investor in "The Truman Show" is Golden Harvest. Cai Lan is a senior producer of Golden Harvest and a capable assistant to Boss Zou.

The film also stars Lin Chaoyang, Xu Guanwen and Li Hanxiang, so everyone present was very familiar with the film.

Although the film was intended to win awards from the beginning, who can guarantee success? Moreover, Hong Kong films have done well in commercialization in recent years, but they are not very good in terms of artistry and awards.

Why does Li Hanxiang have such a high status in the Hong Kong film industry, and even in the Chinese film industry?

Isn’t it because he won several international awards in the early sixties?
This includes being shortlisted for the main competition unit of the Cannes Film Festival twice in 60 and 63. Although it did not win any major awards, it was a rare honor for the Chinese-language film industry in that era.

Now that "The Truman Show" has been released, it is Li Hanxiang's peak. How could this not shock everyone present?

As everyone was discussing the matter, Xu Guanwen's mobile phone rang, also informing him that the Cannes Film Festival had announced the list of films shortlisted for the main competition.

"The Truman Show" is on the list!
Dillon raised his glass and said loudly: "Today is really a double happiness, let's have a drink!"

Everyone raised their glasses together and finished their drinks. They were still somewhat excitedly discussing the fact that "The Truman Show" was shortlisted for the Cannes Film Festival.

For Hong Kong films, which rarely have the opportunity to appear at international film festivals, being shortlisted for the Cannes Film Festival is definitely an honor. The film's two main creators, Lin Chaoyang and Xu Guanwen, have also become the focus of everyone's discussion.

Li Hanxiang looked at the two of them feeling a little jealous. If he had been asked to direct this movie, he would have been the one shortlisted for the Cannes Film Festival.

Ann Hui is so lucky!

"You'll be on the headlines again in tomorrow's news!"

"The gossip newspaper headlines are not important. If the film is shortlisted for the Cannes Film Festival, it will be sold without any worries. Maybe it will make a lot of money!"

Cai Lan's words drew everyone's approval.

Movies are ultimately a business. Being nominated is certainly a good thing, but winning an award is a low-probability event after all.

Let’s not worry about whether “The Truman Show” can win an award or not. After being nominated, it will be a hot topic in the news and public attention will definitely be at its peak. The box office should not be too bad by then. The most important thing is that the copyright can also be sold, which can be said to be a win-win for both fame and fortune!

After listening to Cai Lan's words, Li Hanxiang felt a little better. After all, he was also one of the investors of "The Truman Show".

Although I didn't get any fame, I at least made some profit.

The already lively atmosphere at the party became even more heated because the organizing committee of this year's Cannes Film Festival announced the list of films shortlisted for the main competition unit, and everyone stayed together until late at night before dispersing.

The next morning, the news that "The Truman Show" was shortlisted for the main competition unit of the Cannes Film Festival" appeared in many Hong Kong newspapers. Soon after the news was published, it became the focus of heated discussion among Hong Kong citizens.

The Hong Kong film market has been flourishing in recent years and the public is willing to pay attention to it. Many people feel proud to see this news.

After all, this is one of the three major European film festivals with international influence, and Hong Kong films have not been shortlisted many times in all these years!
If I win another award, it will be a record!

As the news spread, "The Truman Show" became popular before it was released, and Golden Harvest naturally would not miss such a good publicity opportunity.

The main creative staff of the crew all came out to the scene, and interviews and reports about the film appeared in various media including newspapers, magazines, television and radio.

That night, when Lin Chaoyang came out of the study, Tao Yumo was watching TV intently.

"Brother-in-law, do you think Maggie can become a big star in the future?"

"Isn't she a celebrity now?"

"I'm talking about big stars, the very famous ones."

"How popular is 'very popular'? She is very popular now." Lin Chaoyang said while looking at Maggie Cheung on TV.

Tao Yumo said: "She is even more popular than Cherie Chung and Brigitte Lin!"

Lin Chaoyang laughed, "You really dare to think so. Even if you are good sisters, you can't flatter me so unscrupulously, right?"

"What am I praising her for? She said it herself."

Lin Chaoyang glanced at Maggie Cheung on TV. She had a chubby face and a bright smile. She looked heartless, just like Tao Yumo. No wonder you two can become good friends.

Tao Yumo and Maggie Cheung had known each other for more than half a year and had gone shopping together a few times. Perhaps because they had similar trains of thought, they soon became good friends who could talk about anything.

What is being broadcasted on TV is TVB's "Happy Tonight". "The Truman Show" has become a little bit popular in recent days, and Maggie Cheung, as the second female lead in the film, has also appeared in several announcements.

Tao Yumo asked Lin Chaoyang again: "Brother-in-law, then tell me, this time "The Truman Show" is selected for the main competition unit of the film festival, can Maggie win an award?"

Her questions got more and more off topic, so Lin Chaoyang asked, "Did she tell you this too?"

"No, I just imagined that if she won the Best Supporting Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival, she might become a big star."

Tao Yumo was suddenly overjoyed as she spoke, "With her acting skills, I'm afraid she will never win an award in her lifetime."

Lin Chaoyang looked at his sister-in-law with a smile and said, "You are still too young!"

As the saying goes, life is unpredictable and the big intestine is surrounded by the small intestine.

Who would have thought that Maggie Cheung, whose acting skills were mocked by the entire film industry in the first few years after her debut, would transform so amazingly a few years later?
Your good friend has indeed never won the Best Supporting Actress Award at the Cannes Film Festival, she won the Best Actress Award.

Lin Chaoyang really wanted to record his sister-in-law's unbridled laughter and then use it to boomerang back at her years later.

The news heat lasted for more than a week, and the fact that "The Truman Show" was shortlisted for the Cannes Film Festival finally gradually disappeared from the media pages.

Before the popularity died down, Golden Harvest announced that "The Truman Show" would be released on May 5, which aroused the vigilance of many Hong Kong film companies.

"The Truman Show" stars Xu Guanwen and Cherie Chung. After its release, it will inevitably become a popular film in that period, squeezing out the living space of other films.

If it were just that, it wouldn't be a big deal. After all, "The Truman Show" is an art film, and its audience is not as large as that of commercial films.

But everyone was afraid that if it really won an award, let alone a big award, even if it was just a technical award, with the precedents of Li Hanxiang and King Hu, it would probably be enough to create a huge stir in the Hong Kong film industry and among moviegoers.

When that time really comes, the audience's curiosity and sense of honor will be aroused, and they will just watch the film, no matter whether it is an art film or not. I'm afraid everyone will have a hard time.

So what many people are hoping for now is that "The Truman Show" will not win any prize at this film festival.

Time flies and it is early May. An accident occurred at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Pripyat, Kiev Oblast, Soviet Union. In just a few days, it became front-page news in countries and regions around the world.

The international news has been a mess these days because the accident first occurred on April 4, but the Soviet Union did not inform the international community and did not attract enough attention.

After the situation was discovered by Europe, these countries were furious, and the Soviet envoys all rushed to the Soviet Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ask for an explanation.

The official news media of various countries even criticized the Soviet government, forming a huge wave of public opinion against the Soviet Union in the international community.

Recently, many elite newspapers in Hong Kong have been reporting on this incident in a series of articles, attracting the attention of many citizens.

But this matter is ultimately too far away from Hong Kong. Citizens can only talk about it in the newspapers, and then go on with their lives, songs and dances.

One week before the opening of the 39th Cannes International Film Festival, the invitation letter from the organizing committee to Golden Harvest was sent to Hong Kong.

Lin Chaoyang had not originally planned to go to the film festival, but Golden Harvest attached great importance to this exhibition. They communicated with Lin Chaoyang before the invitation letter was sent and asked him to attend the film festival as well. Lin Chaoyang went back to the mainland to apply for a visa to France.

As a screenwriter, he could have gone or not. The reason why Golden Harvest tried so hard to invite him was mainly because, according to Giles Jacob, the jury had a high opinion of "The Truman Show".

With high evaluations, the chances of winning the award will naturally be higher. Although the jury didn't promise anything, Jiahe can't help but use its imagination!

If "The Truman Show" really wins an award, it will definitely create a wave of public opinion in the Hong Kong film industry.

At least this year, Cinema City has definitely been wiped out without any temper left!

Lin Chaoyang, the original author and screenwriter, is one of the souls of the film and naturally cannot be absent.

On May 5, the crew set off for France. There were seven people in the group. The boss Zou Wenhuai brought Cai Lan, and there were five other people in the crew, namely director Ann Hui, screenwriter Lin Zhaoyang, male lead Xu Guanwen, female lead Cherie Chung and second female lead Maggie Cheung.

The air tickets and accommodation for Lin Chaoyang and the other three were provided by Golden Harvest, while Maggie Cheung was arranged by Chen Ziqiang to walk the red carpet in Cannes.

Zou Wenhuai's personal appearance shows how much importance Golden Harvest attaches to this Cannes Film Festival.

Cannes, known as the Cannes by the people of Hong Kong, is a small city with a population of less than 7.

Since the 1940s, this place has attracted the attention of filmmakers from all over the world every May, and this originally quiet and peaceful town has become bustling because of the film festival.

As a small city, Cannes itself does not have an airport. The nearest airport is the Côte d'Azur Airport in Nice.

However, there is no direct flight from Hong Kong to Nice. Lin Chaoyang and others need to land in Lyon first, then take a plane to Nice, and then take a bus to Cannes.

Take the Saint-Fonts ramp onto the southern highway, pass the Feszan refinery and the sloping Côte de Roti on the right, then drive down the Rhone Valley through a field of fruit trees. The beautiful lavender fields that come into view are endless.

Cannes is located in the south of France, nestled at the foot of green mountains and on the Mediterranean coast.

With over 5,000 meters of beach and sunshine all year round, this place has a charming natural scenery.

The bus drove all the way to the city. Tomorrow is the opening day of the film festival. Huge movie posters, advertisements and photos of movie stars can be seen everywhere, covering the streets of this small town, making this small town full of festive atmosphere.

The Croisette Promenade is the largest main road in Cannes, with swaying shadows of palm trees on both sides. As the film festival approaches, luxury cars from various European countries pass by the trees.

On the other side of the avenue, there is an endless sandy beach and white private yachts dotted on the sparkling sea.

It was already afternoon, and the yachts, accompanied by the pink sunset, were sailing through the azure ocean, creating a breathtaking beauty.

Cherie Chung and Maggie Cheung are women, and they have no resistance to this kind of scenery. The two of them leaned against the car window with greed in their eyes.

The bus finally arrived at the Carlton Hotel, one of the most central hotels in Cannes.

Every year when the film festival comes, Cannes is always crowded, hotel rooms become extremely tight, and prices soar.

Lin Chaoyang and others don't need to worry about not being able to find a hotel. They are an invited crew and the hotel has already been arranged by the organizing committee, but they still need to pay for the room themselves.

After completing the check-in procedures, everyone rested in the hotel room for a while. Then Cherie Chung and Maggie Cheung changed their clothes and put on makeup beautifully, and took Ann Hui to go out.

Now that they are at the Cannes Film Festival, the two naturally want to take some beautiful photos. Ann Hui has to act as their photographer today.

These photos will be used as promotional materials after they are returned to Hong Kong and will inevitably make the headlines of major media outlets in Hong Kong.

Lin Chaoyang and Xu Guanwen were a little hungry, so they ran to the open-air restaurant on the rooftop of the hotel and had a proper French meal to soothe their stomachs that had been starving for most of the day.

After finishing his meal, Xu Guanwen looked around. Tomorrow would be the opening ceremony of the film festival. The place was very popular, and most of them were blond-haired and blue-eyed foreigners.

He suddenly pointed to a table near the edge of the terrace and said, "Hey, Chaoyang, look! Is that Robert De Niro?"

Lin Chaoyang took a quick look. Although he was not sure as it was the first time he saw the real person, he saw a poster of Robert De Niro when they passed the Croisette Promenade on the bus just now.

At this year's film festival, "Life in Fire" directed by Roland Joffe was also shortlisted for the main competition unit, and Robert De Niro is the male lead of the film.

If you see someone who looks similar at the Carlton Hotel at this time, you can almost be sure it is him.

"probably."

Seeing Xu Guanwen's eager expression, Lin Chaoyang asked, "What are you doing? You don't want to go up and ask for an autograph, do you?"

After Lin Chaoyang exposed his thoughts, Xu Guanwen sank down on the seat.

"You are such a joke, he is an actor, I am also an actor, what's the point of asking for it!"

As Xu Guanwen spoke, he glanced towards Robert De Niro with reluctance.

(End of this chapter)