Nobody knows movies better than me

Chapter 143 Another Runner-up

The 44th Golden Horse Awards were not a good time for "Bad Genius" because the competition was quite strong, especially Ang Lee's "Lust, Caution".

"Bad Genius" was nominated for four major awards: Best Feature Film, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best New Performer (Yang Mi).

In addition, he was nominated for two technical awards: Best Editing and Best Cinematography.

As Zhang Jun's long-term collaborator in cinematography, Li Dahui had previously been nominated for the Golden Horse Award for Best Cinematography, and this time he finally won the award.

Li Dahui excitedly delivered his acceptance speech: "When I met Director Zhang Jun, he was still a student at Tsinghua University."

He told me at the time that if I worked with him, I could become one of the best directors of photography.

Today I finally received this award, and my long-held dream has come true. I want to thank Director Zhang Jun; without him, I wouldn't be where I am today.

The camera focused on Zhang Jun, who was clapping. Unlike before, Zhang Jun is now famous not only in mainland China, but also in Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Many people in Taiwan and Hong Kong know that there is a frighteningly young director in mainland China who graduated from a prestigious university and whose films are all box office hits.

Zhang Jun's legendary story has turned many people who know him into his fans.

Putting aside other things, "Bad Genius" grossed HK$2240 million in Hong Kong, ranking third among Chinese-language films after "Protégé".

Today, the overall landscape of Hong Kong Island shows a trend of Western influence over Eastern influence. Apart from "Lust, Caution" squeezing into the top five of Hong Kong Island's annual box office, the rest are all Hollywood movies.

However, there's nothing that can be done about it; Hollywood is very powerful globally.

The film also grossed NT$6330 million in Taiwan, surpassing Jay Chou's self-directed and self-acted "Secret" and ranking second among Chinese-language films after "Lust, Caution".

These are all evidence of the growing number of fans who like his movies in both regions.

Of course, it's also because "Bad Genius" is of excellent and unique quality. Local Hong Kong media praised "Bad Genius," saying it's a rare genre film in Chinese-language cinema.

Taiwanese media also said that "Bad Genius" is a film with a very international perspective.

As the screenwriter, producer, and director of the film, Zhang Jun naturally attracted the attention of media and general audiences in both regions.

Now, not only Hong Kong and Taiwan, but also neighboring Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asia are starting to pay attention to Zhang Jun, who is only 25 years old but has already successfully directed a number of films.

Japan's Asahi Shimbun even published a special report introducing Zhang Jun's resume.

What intrigues Japanese film fans the most is Zhang Jun's academic background. His resume, which includes a degree in astronomy from Tsinghua University, seems to have nothing to do with filmmaking.

When I learned that Zhang Jun was also a bestselling novelist who had published "The Martian," a book that was very popular in Japan, I was surprised.

After that, Japanese moviegoers and fans became even more curious about Zhang Jun.

Upon seeing Zhang Jun's clean-cut and handsome appearance, which differed from that of Japanese directors, a wave of fans immediately emerged in Japan, a country with a strong idol-worshiping culture.

Many Japanese fans are looking forward to when Zhang Jun will come to Japan for a promotional tour, or collaborate with Japanese celebrities or composers.

These days, Japanese stars and composers collaborate with Chinese-language films quite frequently.

Therefore, "Bad Genius" achieved quite good results in Japan, grossing 14.38 billion yen, which is equivalent to RMB 9300 million.

Don't doubt this data. You should know that compared to the performance of the original cast in the previous film, Zhang Jun's version of "Bad Genius" has already performed poorly at the overseas box office.

However, the box office revenue in the Japanese market had nothing to do with Zhang Jun and his team; the Japanese film company bought the relevant broadcasting rights for 1200 million yen.

China Film Group, as the distributor, does not have the ability to distribute in the Japanese market. This time, "Bad Genius" was not participated in by Hong Kong film companies, nor did it receive any help from Hong Kong distribution companies.

However, the film has already made a fortune in the mainland market, so the remaining profit is pure profit from selling the copyrights.

In South Korea, "Bad Genius" also garnered 95 viewers, second only to Jay Chou's "The Conqueror's Box Office" among Chinese-language films this year.

The Secret That Cannot Be Told.

Koreans really like "Secret," and many Koreans think of Jay Chou as an outstanding actor rather than a singer.

However, "Secret" has received a lot of criticism in the Chinese film industry, but overall, the film is actually quite successful.

Zhang Jun also spoke highly of "Secret," saying that the film is the best interpretation of the youth campus theme and is very beautiful.

Privately, he told Fan Bingbing and Yang Mi, "If this movie had been released seven or eight years later, it would have easily grossed 700 or 800 million yuan."

The craze for youth films hasn't really taken off yet, but Zhang Jun is well aware of the future popularity of youth films, which will also be the main battleground for traffic stars.

Returning to the awards ceremony, the Best Cinematography award was clearly not the end for "Bad Genius".

Yang Mi quickly won the Best New Actress award with her outstanding performance in "Bad Genius" and beat out a host of competitors, including Tang Wei from "Lust, Caution".

When Yang Mi heard the presenter call out her name, she could hardly believe her ears and repeatedly checked to make sure it wasn't real.

Zhang Jun held her head and said to her, "It's true, you won an award."

All eyes were on the two of them. Yang Mi didn't care whether it was an awards ceremony or not, and directly left a hot kiss on Zhang Jun's cheek.

The host joked, "It seems our young director is very popular!"

No one thought that way, since it wasn't a kiss. At most, people assumed that Yang Mi was excited about winning the award and acted impulsively.

Yang Mi strode forward excitedly, accepted her first award as an actress, and then delivered an emotional acceptance speech.

"I'm so excited right now, my mind is completely blank, and I don't know what to say."

Everyone expressed their understanding, saying that this situation is common and most new actors who win awards are in the same state as Yang Mi.

After calming herself down, Yang Mi continued, "Here I want to thank all the staff of the crew, the actors I worked with, Fan Wei, Wen Zhang, Jiang Yan, Wang Kai, and others."

I also want to thank director Zhang Jun, who gave me a lot of guidance and advice on set, allowing me to perform better.

Finally, I want to thank my family; it is their support that has brought me to where I am today. I will continue to work hard and bring you more and better roles in the future.

After Yang Mi finished speaking, she left the stage amidst applause to go backstage for an interview with reporters.

While clapping, Zhang Jun said to Wen Zhang, "Oh no, my Best Director award is gone."

Wen Zhang asked in disbelief, "Really? It's confirmed so quickly?"

Zhang Jun explained, "Didn't you see? They gave the Best New Actor award to Yang Mi instead of Tang Wei, which means they won't give me the Best Director award. That's called being fair."

Zhang Jun was right. In the subsequent Best Original Screenplay award, "Bad Genius" once again defeated a host of competitors to win the award.

This is Zhang Jun's second time winning the Best Original Screenplay award; the first time was for "About Time".

This is both an affirmation of Zhang Jun's screenwriting ability and a consolation prize for him, foreshadowing the outcome of tonight's awards ceremony.

As expected, Tony Leung won Best Actor for "Lust, Caution," Ang Lee won Best Director, and "Lust, Caution" won Best Feature Film.

"Lust, Caution" swept the awards at this year's Golden Horse Awards, but "Bad Genius" did not fare badly either, taking home three awards.

In the days following the awards ceremony, discussions about the Golden Horse Awards did not subside, with the focus of the controversy centering on one particular award.

That would be the Best New Actor award.

The winner that night was Yang Mi, who defeated a host of competitors, including Tang Wei from "Lust, Caution," with her outstanding performance as Lin Wei in "Bad Genius."

The excitement and tears at the award ceremony are still vivid in my mind, but starting the next day, different voices emerged in the public sphere.

Some media outlets have expressed their strong disagreement.

The entertainment section of Next Magazine wrote: "Tang Wei's performance in 'Lust, Caution' is stunning, perfectly capturing the inner struggles of a complex woman."

Such a performance, which should have won numerous awards, failed to win any at the Golden Horse Awards, which is puzzling.

The article suggests that giving the Best New Actor award to Yang Mi was a kind of "distribution" of resources.

The commentary in the mainland's Southern Metropolis Daily was relatively mild: "Tang Wei's performance was indeed excellent, but Yang Mi's performance in 'Bad Genius' was equally impressive."

The character Lin Wei is present throughout the entire film, and her tension, struggle, and final choice are clearly layered.

As a newcomer actor, it's no easy feat to carry the absolute core of such a commercial blockbuster.

The online discussion was quite heated.

One netizen commented, "Tang Wei's role was so difficult to play; no one else could have handled it. Why didn't she get an award?"

Others countered, "Yang Mi's portrayal of Lin Wei is so down-to-earth; her depiction of a poor child's determination to change her fate through education is heartbreaking. Why shouldn't she get it?"

Some people said, "Both acted well, but there can only be one award. It makes sense to give it to either of them, and there's also a sense of regret."

Despite the arguments, the award results cannot be changed.

Yang Mi's Golden Horse Award is a real prize; for her, this award means more than just a trophy.

It means that the label of "TV personality" can be gradually shed, and that she has obtained the most solid stepping stone in her transition to the film industry.

When the news reached the mainland, the number of phone calls offering scripts increased instantly.

Tangren Media originally offered her the same treatment for "Chinese Paladin 3", but now, Tangren's boss, Cai Yinong, feels that she got a great deal.

With the Golden Horse Award-winning Best New Performer playing Xuejian, the cast is instantly different.

Yang Mi, however, didn't get cocky. She told Zhang Jun, "I'm too scared to answer the phone anymore. So many scripts are being sent to me, and I don't know which one to choose."

Zhang Jun laughed and said, "If you don't know how to choose, then don't choose yet. Come back and film, and we'll talk about it after filming is over."

In contrast, Zhang Jun himself became the object of media sympathy.

Some media outlets have reviewed his journey to the Golden Horse Awards over the past few years.

The year he made "About Time" he encountered "Kung Fu Hustle" and "Election," and the Best Director award went to Stephen Chow for "Kung Fu Hustle."

Back then, some people said that he was still young and would have opportunities in the future.

The year he made "Reign of Assassins," he encountered "After This Our Exile" and "Perhaps Love," with the Best Director award going to Peter Chan's "Perhaps Love."

At that time, everyone thought he might be a little unlucky.

This year it was "Bad Genius," but it ran into Ang Lee's "Lust, Caution."

Who is Ang Lee? An Oscar-winning director, a Venice Golden Lion winner, an internationally renowned director. Losing to him is not shameful.

But to be a runner-up year after year is truly frustrating for him.

One media outlet wrote an article saying, "Zhang Jun is probably the unluckiest director in the history of the Golden Horse Awards. Every time he brings a good film, he is bound to encounter an even stronger competitor."

He's like a martial arts master from a wuxia novel; every time he emerges from seclusion, he encounters the leader of the martial arts alliance.

Some media outlets also spoke out in his defense: "Zhang Jun's directing skills are obvious to all. Since his debut, all five of his works have been successful, covering genres such as comedy, romance, martial arts, and youth crime, and each one has brought new breakthroughs."

A director like this deserves an award long ago.

But most people still say the same thing: he'll get it sooner or later, it's just a matter of time.

Zhang Jun himself didn't have that many feelings.

After the awards ceremony, a reporter cornered him and asked, "Director Zhang, you missed out on Best Director again this year. Do you feel regretful?"

Zhang Jun smiled and said, "There will definitely be a little bit of regret, but making movies isn't about winning awards. I'm satisfied if the audience likes my movies."

As for the prize, we'll talk about it another time.

The media interpreted these words as "good mindset" and "broad perspective".

Zhang Jun already has a Golden Rooster Award for Best Director, which, although not as prestigious as the Golden Horse Award, is still a Best Director award.

Moreover, he genuinely didn't feel wronged.

With Ang Lee's "Lust, Caution" as a benchmark, the media has described the film as top-notch in terms of both directing style and artistic achievement.

Therefore, Zhang Jun's opinion is unimportant; he cannot change the opinions of the judges and the media. Everyone praises him, and he follows suit.

Shout a few words.

We can't just criticize Ang Lee and his "Lust, Caution" as a bad film because it didn't win an award, can we?

This isn't offering insightful opinions; on the contrary, it will only earn me the label of a sore loser. Zhang Jun isn't really a young man in his twenties; after all, he's lived a previous life.

Moreover, this isn't a fantasy world. If it were, who cares about Ang Lee? We'd beat that old bastard Deng first.

Unfortunately, the real world doesn't allow him to act swiftly and decisively, saying whatever he wants without paying the price.

Just like praising "The Promise," many hands make light work—that's the survival rule of the entertainment industry. As long as it doesn't involve crossing any lines, Zhang Jun has no problem with just a few words of praise.

On the plane back to the mainland, Wen Zhang sat next to Zhang Jun and asked him, "Director Zhang, are you really not feeling any discomfort at all?"

Zhang Jun leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and said, "What's there to be upset about? I've already got the chicken, what's one more horse?"

Wen Zhang paused for a moment, then realized he was referring to the Golden Rooster Awards, and laughed: "That's true."

Zhang Jun opened his eyes, glanced at him, and then closed them again: "When it comes to making movies, winning awards is icing on the cake, not a lifeline."

Being able to keep shooting, shooting what I want to shoot, is more important than winning awards.

Moreover, there was a consolation prize of Best Original Screenplay.