Chinese Entertainment: Academic Director

Chapter 369 Pretentious
The opening ceremony red carpet of the 64th Venice International Film Festival on August 29th was not particularly star-studded. Even though eight Hollywood films were selected for the main competition, very few big stars attended.

However, unexpectedly, on the closing ceremony red carpet on September 8th, almost all the leading actors from the Hollywood films nominated for the main competition were present, contrary to the norm.

The film stars James McAvoy as Professor X in "Atonement" and the beautiful and sexy Keira Knightley.

Adrien Brody, the youngest Oscar winner and the lead actor in "The Darjeeling Limited".

The male lead of "The Assassination of Jesse James Bond" is Hollywood superstar Brad Pitt, along with Casey Affleck.

George Clooney, the male lead in "Michael Clayton".

Tommy Lee Jones and Oscar-winning actress Charlize Theron starred in "The Battle of Elah Valley".

The male and female leads of "I Wasn't There"—well, maybe only the male lead—are Christian Bale and Cate Blanchett, the "big boss" who has won countless awards.

Why emphasize the male lead? Because "I'm Not Here" is a biopic about Bob Dylan, with Christian Bale playing Bob Dylan and Cate Blanchett also playing Bob Dylan in drag.

It's just Bob Dylan at different times.

Furthermore, another interesting point about this movie is that Christian Bale is one of the male leads, while Heath Ledger plays an important role.

In "The Batman 2," a collaboration between Cao Yang and Christopher Nolan, Christian Bale plays Batman, while Heath Ledger plays the Joker.

The closing ceremony red carpet of this year's Venice Film Festival was absolutely dazzling with stars.

It features not only Hollywood superstars, but also Oscar-winning actors and actresses, and even an Oscar-winning supporting actress (who is also called an Oscar-winning actress).

From the moment the closing ceremony's red carpet began, Old Ma couldn't stop smiling; his smile was absolutely radiant.

He really wanted to shout to everyone, "Didn't you all say the Venice Film Festival's influence has declined? Didn't you all say that the Venice Film Festival has been 'hijacked' by that damn Toronto Film Festival?"
So tell me, look me in the eye and tell me, who is that walking on the red carpet?

That's Hollywood superstar Brad Pitt, those're Hollywood actresses Cate Blanchett and Charlize Theron, and that's George Clooney, a superstar who still has a huge influence around the world!
When has the Venice Film Festival ever attracted so many superstars?

answer me!
As for whether the presence of so many Hollywood stars will lead to criticism that the Venice Film Festival has "fallen from grace."

So what if you "fall into depravity"?

Hasn't Cannes compromised with Hollywood too? Isn't Berlin also leaning towards Hollywood?
Why can't Venice?

"I'll take the blame for the Venice Film Festival's attention and influence."

Old Ma, with a touch of melancholy, mocked himself inwardly.

Of course, if it weren't for that beaming smile, if it weren't for the biggest competitor within the film festival being eliminated, and if it weren't for the foreseeable smoother commercial development next year...

His self-deprecation might resonate with people more.

Cao Yang walked the red carpet with the cast and crew of "Saintly Tragedy," and arrived quite early, not as the finale.

Including Cao Yang, there were four people in the "Saintly" crew: Lao Tian, ​​the male lead Fu Dalong, and the female lead Kara Hui.

However, in terms of fame and influence, especially in Venice, the three of them combined... well, that comparison is a bit insulting to them, because they don't deserve it.

On the red carpet, everyone, from the media to the fans, was calling out Cao Yang's name, while Lao Tian and his two companions were just passersby.

Fortunately, there were still media outlets from mainland China and Hong Kong.

At least Lao Tian and his two companions weren't completely ignored. At this moment, they were especially grateful to the media from the mainland and Hong Kong; otherwise, they would have truly become background figures and passersby.

"Director Cao has a really big influence."

Fuda Long remarked sincerely.

The three quickly walked the red carpet, but Cao Yang was left alone on the red carpet. There was no way around it, too many media outlets wanted to interview Cao Yang.

Old Ma's intention was also to let Cao Yang stay on the red carpet as long as possible.

Kara Hui, standing next to her, nodded and, looking at the media reporters who were frantically taking pictures, exclaimed, "I thought Director Cao had more influence in Hollywood, but I didn't expect him to have so much influence in Venice as well."

Old Tian glanced at Hui Yinghong, inwardly scoffing. If she weren't a woman, Old Tian, ​​who was chivalrous, would have already spoken up against her.

What an ignorant woman! Do you think Cao Yang's two Golden Lions and one Palme d'Or are just for show? Do you think just anyone can produce a Berlin Best Actress, a Venice Best Actress, and a Cannes Best Actress?
Cao Yang is still young. If he were fifty years old, Cannes, Venice and Berlin would have been vying to give him a lifetime achievement award long ago.

Don't underestimate Cao Yang just because he's young. It's only because your Hong Kong media doesn't cover art films and the three major European art films that the art world belongs to that.

If the Hong Kong media had reported even slightly normally, you would know that Cao Yang, that brat, is practically a god in the European arts and culture scene, okay?

He's probably just one Berlin Golden Bear away from achieving legendary status.

Old Tian looked at Kara Hui again, thinking, "She's all talk and no action."

Xiangjiang?

Haha, it's just a cultural desert. The media and entertainment industry are mostly made up of people who can't even recognize their own limitations.

Old Tian was too lazy to explain much to Hui Yinghong and walked straight inside, saying, "Let's go in first. Cao Yang has something to do later, so we don't need to wait for him."

Cao Yang did indeed have other matters to attend to later.

Taiwanese director Chen Yili's "Blood Brothers" was included in the midnight screening section and was also selected as the closing film.

The closing film of the Venice Film Festival is very special, so special that its premiere is held on the same day as the festival's awards ceremony, and even after the red carpet has begun (that's the reality).

So, is it better to skip this closing film altogether?

At this point in the premiere, the level of attention from the media and movie fans is something everyone can imagine.

Of course, for films that are not nominated for the main competition, even if they don't get much attention, being the closing film is much better than nothing—at least they can boast to the outside world that they are the closing film of the Venice Film Festival.

Don't underestimate this title; it's worth quite a bit of money if you want to sell the European rights to it.

Without the "label" of the three major European film studios, it would be very difficult for Chinese-language films, including those from Hong Kong and Taiwan, to sell their rights in Europe.

After walking the red carpet, Cao Yang got into a pre-arranged car to attend the premiere of "Blood Brothers".

Unfortunately, when several domestic directors had a dinner party, Cao Yang arrived in Venice late, leaving only Jiang Wen's "The Sun Also Rises" and Chen Yili's "Blood Brothers" without premieres.

Jiang Wenxian invited Cao Yang to the premiere and, to express his gratitude, downed a glass of baijiu, displaying his generosity and magnanimity.

Director Chen Yili paused thoughtfully for a moment, then downed a glass of baijiu and personally refilled Cao Yang's glass, offering him a toast.

Only then did he invite Cao Yang to the premiere of "Paradise Lost".

Cao Yang had just agreed to Jiang Wen's request, but now Chen Yili was being even more polite. What could he do?
Moreover, the day before this gathering, Liu Ye, one of the lead actors in "Paradise Lost" and a big fan of Cao Yang, heard that Cao Yang had come to Venice and came to meet up with him.

Before leaving, he also invited Cao Yang, asking if Director Cao could attend the premiere of "Blood Brothers" if he had time.

Under these circumstances, Cao Yang had no choice but to agree.

Even if we don't give face to Chen Yili from Taiwan, we should at least give face to Liu Ye.

The film "Blood Brothers" took this Venice screening very seriously. The three male leads, Liu Ye, Zhang Zhen, and Wu Yanzu, all came, as did the two female leads, Shu Qi and Li Xiaolu.

When Cao Yang arrived, he saw the five main actors and the director all on the red carpet, doing nothing.

There were very few media reporters present, and not many movie fans either.

Sigh, the timing is just too ridiculous. The film festival closing ceremony and red carpet are happening over there right now, and there are so many Hollywood stars on the red carpet this time. Who would be so bored as to come here looking for "news"?

Well, the few "idle" media reporters actually managed to catch a big story; I never expected to run into Cao Yang in such a setting.

Instantly, the few reporters, as if injected with adrenaline, rushed towards Cao Yang with a shout.

"Director Cao, are you here for the premiere of 'Blood Brothers'?" "Director Cao, do you have high hopes for 'Blood Brothers'?"

"Director Cao, what made you decide to attend the premiere of 'Blood Brothers'?"

……

Cao Yang grabbed Liu Ye from among the approaching group and said with a smile:

"This is Liu Ye. Some of you may know him. He was the male lead in the film 'Empty Room,' which won me my first Golden Lion Award. He is also my friend."

So now you know why I came to the premiere of "Blood Brothers", right?

As for how the movie is, I'm sorry, I haven't seen it yet, so I can't comment. But as you can see, this movie has so many beautiful women and handsome men, that alone makes it worth the ticket price, doesn't it? Haha..."

"Ha ha……"

The reporters also laughed. Although some people didn't understand why they were laughing, they figured they had to laugh along with Director Cao Yang.

For a moment, the red carpet was filled with a joyful atmosphere.

"Hello Director Cao, thank you so much for taking the time to attend the premiere of 'Blood Brothers'. I am truly grateful."

Director Chen Yili was clearly pleased that Cao Yang was coming.

"Hello Director Cao, thank you." Zhang Zhen usually seemed serious, but he still managed a smile at this moment.

"Hello Director Cao, thank you so much for coming, thank you," Shu Qi said in a sweet, coquettish tone unique to Taiwanese people.

Cao Yang shook hands with her and couldn't help but think of Shu Qi's representative work, "The Jade Maiden Heart Sutra," in which her performance was still very classic.

Overall, Shu Qi is probably the most successful among all those Category III actresses who have successfully transitioned to mainstream adult films.

"Hello Director Cao, thank you." Wu Yanzu is still quite handsome, and he is in the prime of his youth.

"Hello Director Cao, I am Li Xiaolu. You are my favorite and most admired director."

Xiaolu, who likes to get her hair done, shook hands with Cao Yang, and when she let go, whether intentionally or not, she scratched the back of Cao Yang's hand with her ring finger.

For Cao Yang, who had been "harassed" countless times by actresses using various excuses and tricks, Li Xiaolu's methods were still a bit naive; this was just child's play.

To be honest, Li Xiaolu is currently twenty-five or twenty-six years old, which is the most beautiful time of her life. Her figure is also far superior to that of the "ordinary" Shu Qi, and she looks quite pleasing to the eye.

As for their attire, both Shu Qi and Li Xiaolu were quite conservative compared to Chen Chong and Kong Wei's completely backless outfits at the Jiang Wen film premiere that Cao Yang attended last time.

For some reason, Shu Qi, who should have been more "bold," was actually more conservative, wearing a pink strapless dress with only her arms above her shoulders exposed, while the rest of her body was covered up.

Li Xiaolu showed more skin than Shu Qi.

She wore a strapless long dress, revealing a bit of her breasts and making her cleavage quite obvious, but this outfit was considered conservative for the Venice Film Festival.

Cao Yang arrived just in time; it was exactly the start time for the movie, and the group chatted and laughed as they walked toward the screening room.

"Director Cao, before you arrived, I attended the premiere of 'Pieta,' and oh my god, I was really shocked. Director Tian really dares to make movies, especially the part between Fu Dalong and Kara Hui, wow..."

That male lead is a fucking pervert. You know, he probably thought Kara Hui was his mother back then, and he abandoned her early on to get revenge on her, and he actually... tsk tsk, so shocking, so morally reprehensible, haha..."

Liu Ye is known for his big mouth, especially after he became famous. He is quite outspoken and doesn't care about the occasion when he gets into a conversation.

Cao Yang glanced at him, then said with a smile as he walked, "Shocking, isn't it? It's mind-blowing, isn't it? I wrote the script."

"Uh……"

Liu Ye felt like he was being choked. Well, although he was a big mouth and quite outspoken, he wasn't stupid and could still distinguish between the big and small kings.

"Pfft..."

Li Xiaolu, who was standing next to her, couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh.

As for the rest of the people, they all acted as if they hadn't heard anything.

Liu Ye glared at Li Xiaolu, then forced a couple of laughs to ease the awkwardness, before saying in a serious tone:

"Only such a shocking storyline can reveal the essence of art, can explore the good and evil of human nature in a more profound yet accessible way, and can..."

"Okay, okay."

Cao Yang waved his hand to interrupt Liu Ye's boasting, and then gave him a slightly more serious warning:

"It's only because I know your personality that I won't stoop to your level. You brat, remember this: watch your mouth and think things through before you speak, or your career will be ruined by your mouth sooner or later."

Liu Ye nodded solemnly and assured him, "Director Cao, I know you mean well, and I've remembered your words."

Alright, although Cao Yang didn't really believe he could remember it, he hoped he could.

Next, let's watch the movie.

"Blood Brothers" has already been released in China. Lao Tian mentioned it to Cao Yang, saying that the movie was a bit awkward and the director didn't control the plot well, which led to it getting a bit out of control.

He also joked with Cao Yang that after the movie was released, many people online who had watched it began to think that Chen Kaige's "The Promise" was well made.

After reading it now, Cao Yang felt that what Lao Tian said... made some sense.

The plot is actually very simple. The story takes place in old Shanghai. Shu Qi plays a dancer who is the woman of Sun Honglei, a gangster. However, she has an affair with Zhang Zhen, Sun Honglei's top henchman and assassin, and also makes Wu Yanzu infatuated with her.

After the truth came out, the boss wanted to assassinate those who had betrayed him. This led to Wu Yanzu's desperate protection, Wu Yanzu's good brother shooting his own brother Liu Ye, and finally Liu Ye sending someone to kill Shu Qi...

Despite the seemingly "twisty" plot, it's hard to be moved by Shu Qi's love for any of the men.

How she was made famous by gangster boss Sun Honglei is unknown; the details of her years-long silent love with Zhang Zhen are unclear; and her ambiguous relationship with Wu Yanzu is also inexplicable...

So much so that when she finally collapsed in a pool of blood, Cao Yang felt no empathy, no sorrow whatsoever, but rather wanted to laugh.

In short, it's utter nonsense.

Especially when Zhang Zhen, playing the assassin, kills Liu Ye, Liu Ye actually puts his hand to his forehead, strikes a pose as if deep in thought, and then mutters to himself, "This, that's what an assassin should be like."

Damn it!
Uh, for some reason, a movie clip of a second-generation member of the Heung family from Hong Kong suddenly popped into Cao Yang's mind. Could it be that the guy was so shocked by "Blood Brothers" that he started imitating it?
So much so that as soon as the credits rolled, Cao Yang whispered to the director Chen Yili next to him, "I have to rush back to present the Best Actress award tonight, I can't stay any longer."

Cao Yang's original plan was to participate in the subsequent Q&A session before leaving.

But he was afraid.

If a reporter were to ask him what he thought of "Blood Brothers"?
How did he answer?

Remove the birds, remove the birds.

When Cao Yang rushed back to the awards ceremony, he found that other miscellaneous awards were still being presented and the main competition films had not yet been awarded. He finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Sometimes, attending someone else's premiere isn't so easy.

Just like Jiang Wen's "The Sun Also Rises," when a reporter asked him what he thought of the film?
Okay, even if Jiang Wen's films are too self-expressive, they still have some merits and praiseworthy aspects, such as their directness and exploration of human fragility.

But how do you praise "Paradise Gate"?
Is it "praising" the director for making the film too pretentious, or is it "praising" this as an auteur-driven, affected film that uses the guise of art to indulge in pointless whining?

Sigh, Wu Baige, as a film produced by your studio, as the film's producer, as a remake based on your "Bloody Street," is this all?

At this moment, Cao Yang complained to Lao Ma again. "Really, it's not wrong to support Chinese films, but the quality should at least be guaranteed, right?"
Your kind of support isn't helping Chinese-language films; it's tarnishing their reputation!

It seems I need to have a serious talk with Lao Ma.

(End of this chapter)