Global Film Emperor

Chapter 309 Film Review of "Finding You" (Part 2)

"According to incomplete statistics, from January 2020 to January 2021, the number of missing children nationwide was 1,383. Among them, 871 ran away from home, 232 got lost, 95 drowned, 114 went out to play with classmates, and 33 were trafficked. The real number is two out of ten million children nationwide. Parents do not need to panic too much."

"Children often go missing in crowded places such as shopping malls, train stations, and hospitals. The children are mostly between three and seven years old, and there are more boys than girls. Please be extra careful when passing through these areas."

"This film is dedicated to the children who are still far from home and their parents who are constantly searching. May the children return home soon."

"Director: He Ruikuan, Assistant Directors: Liu Ying, Wang Yizhuo"

Screenwriter: Qin Fei.

Starring: Lu Ze, Ge Yunzheng, Zheng Yubing, Tang Renxuan, Song Guiyuan

Art Director:

Accompanied by the instrumental piece "Lonely Lamp," the cast and crew list scrolled across the screen, marking the end of the film. The wall lights in the venue came on, and amidst the audience's wistful expressions, the cast and crew returned to the stage.

Interestingly, the applause Lu Ze received after each screening was different. From the bewildered expressions of the audience who didn't understand "Mr. Tree" to the complete silence of "To Live," the applause was different in both volume and duration.

This time, however, Lu Ze was met with inattentiveness from the audience. There was applause, but it wasn't enthusiastic. Everyone seemed to be preoccupied with their own thoughts, their faces filled with entanglement, and they just bowed their heads to appease the audience. Lu Ze didn't have any opinion on this. After letting the seniors sit down, he sat down himself.

After watching the movie, everyone may understand it differently. Unlike Lu Ze's previous movies, I didn't burst into tears. Instead, I was left with contemplation and pity for abducted children.

During the subsequent director's evaluation, the host noticed that the audience's emotions were not very high, so he turned to Ho Jui-Kuan and asked if they should wait for the audience to calm down before the director spoke.

He Ruikuan waved his hand, stood up, picked up the microphone, and tapped the microphone with his left hand, making a "thump-thump" sound, drawing everyone's attention to himself. The message was clear: listen up, it's Director He's turn to speak.

"The movie is over, and seeing everyone's expressions now, I don't think I have anything more to say. What I wanted to express is all in the movie. In future reviews, I hope everyone can understand the details and contradictions hidden deep within the film. There are still many things to interpret."

"The filming period for this movie was very short because the cast consisted of a group of veteran actors. Apart from Tang Renxuan, Lu Ze was the youngest in the industry. But I can guarantee that the overall level of the movie far exceeds the standard of domestic films."

"So I want to thank this group of actors for their hard work. They endured illness, cold, acclimatization problems, and even accidents. Except for four-year-old Tang Renxuan, the entire cast, whose average age is forty-two, persevered. I am deeply grateful for that."

"To be honest, the style of this film is not what I am familiar with. Without the full cooperation of Director Liu and Director Wang, the film we see today might be completely different from what you are seeing now. So, in the end, I would like to thank the two directors for their support. That's all for today's press conference. Have a safe journey home."

The premiere came to an end, and the audience began to leave. Those who bought tickets were the first to leave, after all, they were the ones who provided the money and the money, so it was only right. Lu Nan hesitated, wondering whether to leave with his three classmates like the others. He looked at Lu Ze and saw him beckoning to him, so he sat back down in his chair.

"It's finally over~ I've always felt that a movie is only a complete cycle from its inception to its release. Even though the actors have nothing to do after filming is over, as a part of it, I can only relax now and finally get a good night's sleep."

As Song Guiyuan watched the second wave of reporters leave, he leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh, his eyes filled with a sense of melancholy that was different from that of the audience.

Lu Ze understood his emotions. As actors, everyone wants to act in movies, but Song Guiyuan is already confined to the framework of television dramas. He has been categorized as a second-tier actor in the industry, and even film directors are reluctant to choose television actors when casting. After this drama ends, he doesn't know when he will receive an invitation to the next movie.

There was no way to comfort him about this, because the two were in different social strata, and it sounded condescending and hurtful to their brotherly relationship. Lu Ze could only pretend he didn't hear it, unscrew the water bottle, and take a sip of water.

"You and Xiaonan can come to my house for dinner later. I'll call my wife and tell her to come home early."

"What would I do at your house? Cook for you two? And then go swimming five kilometers with you afterward? Let me tell you, don't even think about it. I already said last time that if I ever go to your house again, I'll become sworn brothers with Xiao Liang. Besides, Xiao Nan brought her classmate, which isn't appropriate."

"What are you saying? It's because you cook so well that I enjoy eating your stewed fish. I'm just craving it."

"If you're craving something, slap yourself twice. I'm not your hired cook, get out of here."

After rebuking Song Guiyuan for his inappropriate remark, Lu Ze got up and exchanged pleasantries with Director He and the others. Originally, a celebration banquet was to be held tonight, but Lu Ze declined it using Lu Nan as an excuse. No one could say anything, so they could only agree to reschedule for another time. That's right, Lu Ze had Lu Nan stay behind to act as a shield for him.

"Wait for me to change my clothes."

After informing Lu Nan, he returned to the dressing room to change into looser clothes, leaving his suit for Wang Zixuan to fix. He then led Lu Nan and three classmates to a nearby restaurant. Although the female classmates intended to refuse, they couldn't help but be tempted. Unable to resist Lu Ze's enthusiastic invitation, they eventually had no choice but to shyly follow him into the car.

His fingers flew across the keyboard until he put a period to the last sentence. Lu Bo reached for his coffee cup and took a sip. Yes, it was him again, a third-rate amateur film critic.

How long has it been since he last wrote a film review for Lu Ze's work? Thinking about it, it's been over a year. This period of intense focus on work and love has brought him double success in both areas. He got married at the end of last year and became a member of the "grave army" (a group of people who work together to create films). More importantly, he is pregnant with the fruit of his love, which is now over three months old.

Even after getting married, the cost of baby formula and mortgage payments meant his life wasn't as carefree as it was before marriage. However, he could still afford movie tickets for the couple. He just regretted taking his pregnant wife to see "Find You."

Another family that almost fell apart
This movie might not be that impactful for people who haven't started a family yet, but for someone who has become a father, it resonated deeply with him, and he couldn't resist sharing his insights into the details online.

The film review was finished, but it hadn't been checked yet. Lu Bo flipped to the top of the page and started reading from the first paragraph.

"As a soon-to-be father, I took my wife to see 'Find You' today. I won't go into details, or reveal whether I got beaten up or not. I'll just talk about the movie's content. If you say 'Find You' is a story about finding relatives, that's fine. But in my opinion, it's not just about finding relatives. It also reflects on aspects such as children's education, family conflicts, and the need to establish typical characters."

"But there is a lot of stuff in it, and it would be too complicated to describe it all. Besides, it's just one person's opinion and doesn't represent the director's true intentions. Just treat it as entertainment."

"The most perplexing question for me in the whole film is whether Shuangxi should live with Wang Jian or with his third family. Thinking about it makes me feel guilty, but I really can't give an answer. It raises the idea that those who lose children are not necessarily poor, and those who buy children are not necessarily poor. This is related to mindset, not to wealth."

"What pleases me most about this film is that it breaks away from the strange phenomenon in anti-trafficking films that children are always bought by the poor. This makes it all the more worthy of reflection."

"But returning to the question, some might say that it's of course better for the child to stay with their biological parents. However, this is a film about combating child trafficking. So let's look at it from another angle. If we put Wang Jian out of the picture, is it better for the child to stay with their biological parents or with their third family?"

"Leaving aside the parents' thoughts, if we only talk about the child, we can see at the end of the film that Shuangxi's biological parents' family conditions were not good, far less wealthy than the third family. So for Shuangxi, living in the third family, he received far more resources than he did with his biological parents and Wang Jian."

"What's even more terrifying is that, on this issue, I suddenly feel that Shuangxi growing up in a wealthy family isn't so bad, and I'm even considering letting Shuangxi stay with his third family, even though I'm about to become a father."

"Putting aside this question that is difficult to talk about even if you have the answer in your heart, let's talk about some details. One of the biggest feelings this movie gave me is that I should listen to children's thoughts."

"This is somewhat like an educational film shown to parents, telling the story of the inner needs of a poor child. Shuangxi once asked Wang Jian, 'Is the garbage truck just for carrying garbage?' But Wang Jian did not give the answer he wanted. This is a typical negative example, and it is also what Wang Jian has always regretted."

"This expresses the idea that children also need their parents to listen. I believe that many families do not have many answers to their children's questions. At this age, what children need most is for their parents to answer the questions they cannot understand, so as to establish a correct outlook on life."

"Otherwise, if the child's confusion is only resolved by the child's own incomplete emotional development, then the child's worldview is prone to some deviations, large or small. Otherwise, just like Wang Jian's guilt over Shuangxi's problems, we will also regret the child's distorted thinking for the rest of our lives." "I won't talk too much about human traffickers and begging organizations, as they are mentioned in many anti-trafficking movies. Just hate them and that's it. Then let's talk about the most important and most complex character, the protagonist Wang Jian."

"I used to think Wang Jian was a good father, but after Shuangxi was found, the image I had built up in my mind completely collapsed. However, the character suddenly became more complex, a cycle of perpetrator and victim, a father who simply gave fatherly love and a criminal who used tricks and denied buying the child. This is a wonderful character portrayal, which also elevates the overall connotation."

"It's a mixture of tragedy and despicable behavior, and that's the only answer I can give. This should also serve as a reminder to the buyers of abducted children: all you can offer is temporary affection. Things will eventually come to light, and you will lose more than you gave, and the pain will be unbearable."

"I think the best thing about this film is that it doesn't just passively advise biological parents to protect their children and keep a close eye on them."

"This is like advising a girl to protect herself, rather than telling a boy that rape is absolutely unacceptable. It warns the buyer that the harm of buying a child is much greater than you imagine, thereby dissuading the buyer from making the purchase and fundamentally preventing the transaction from taking place. Without buyers, naturally no one will traffic children."

"Some might say that as long as the bought children don't get lost again, everything will be fine, right? That's the key point of this kindergarten scene! It's not just about arranging a place for the child to be abducted, but about showing the buyers what they can offer their child living with them. It's likely that living with them would only result in their child living in an environment of inferiority, like Wang Jian did. This would make those buyers who would give abducted children affection think carefully: are you willing to let your 'son' live such a life of inferiority?"

"As for those buyers who just want a child to carry on the family line and don't care whether they live well or poorly, no matter how much you advise them, they won't listen, and you can't do anything about it."

"The contrarians will continue to ask, what if rich people buy children, just like in the movies? But sorry, basically all the buyers are poor families, living in places with outdated ideas and low levels of education. And these places are all poor and remote, with very few exceptions."

"This is also the clever part of the film, because it knows it can't persuade all buyers not to buy children, so it also screens some buyers. Simply put, this film is for buyers with a conscience."

"The nitpicker continued, 'Can they even watch movies in those remote, impoverished areas? Come on, why don't you open a movie theater there and let them watch for free, and do some cultural education for them? That way you'd be a great philanthropist.'"

"Finally, regarding Du Xuemei's issue, the film about child abduction also includes an example of human trafficking, and it still manages to connect with the main story. I have to admit I'm impressed. The scene of Du Xuemei being abducted only appears in the trailer, and the main film shows Du Xuemei after she escapes from there. So she can only be considered a minor episode and a turning point connecting to the following content, not the main theme."

"But her life was also extremely tragic. She became pregnant with the child of the buyer or the trafficker. After escaping, her family rejected her, so she ran away again, only to end up in prostitution. Such a pitiful girl deserves our sympathy."

"In real life, there are actually many such examples. In order not to interfere with the theme, the warning that the film gives to girls can only be put in the trailer. The director team is quite thoughtful."

"Actually, I think that trafficking in women is much harder to eradicate than trafficking in children. After all, physiological needs always outweigh psychological needs. People who really can't find a wife might actually buy trafficked women out of desperation. After all, they are driven by their lower instincts, right?"

"So, in this way, you can't advise a lustful wolf. You can only put one of the most common methods of trafficking women in the trailer to warn girls. Girls, please be careful and remember not to talk to strangers or reveal your real name. Please reply if you receive this message."

"To sum it up, this movie isn't that heartbreaking. It's just that Lu Ze and many other excellent actors made some scenes quite tear-jerking. But people with a high threshold for tears can still handle it. However, it will make you extremely conflicted, so conflicted that you won't be able to sleep. You'll question where the line between good and bad is, constantly pondering the rights and wrongs of Wang Jian, and ultimately feeling a mix of hatred and sympathy, two emotions that don't usually coexist."

"If I had to choose, I would put 'Find You' first among anti-trafficking films because of its rich and deeply hidden details, its excellent spiritual core created by the unique insertion point that advises buyers, and other allegorical expressions that coexist without affecting the main plot."

After reading the entire film review and confirming that there were no typos or awkward sentences, Lu Bo chose to send it. He immediately felt the same kind of turmoil that the movie had given him. He took his coffee cup, walked to the window, looked into the distance, and took a sip.

"Hiccup~"

"Husband! Husband!"

"what happened?"

Hearing his wife's call, especially with a little one in her belly, Lu Bo didn't dare to be negligent. He put down his coffee cup and hurried back to the bedroom. His wife was lying on the bed with her eyes swollen to the size of walnuts. After all, she was a pregnant woman, and she was particularly sensitive to this kind of movie.

At that moment, she pouted, patted the edge of the bed, and then pulled the blanket up above her nose, leaving only her eyes, forehead, and her beautiful hair exposed.

He took off his slippers, lay down on the edge of the bed, put his arm around his wife's shoulder, and pressed his nose against her forehead, making her feel a cool yet warm sensation.

"What's wrong? Are you scared? It's okay. I'll weld a metal plate onto our son's stroller and lock it. Don't worry, our son won't get lost."

"I just want to eat snail rice noodles."

"You called me because of this? Not because you're scared?"

"Um"

Lu Bo glanced speechlessly at his wife, who was curled up in bed, then reluctantly got up, put on his slippers, and prepared to leave.

"Okay, I'll go buy it for you."

"no!"

"What's wrong now?"

"Can you tell me a story before you go?"

He glanced at his wife, whose eyes held a hint of smugness and coquettishness. In the end, he could only helplessly put down his coat, take out a fairy tale book from the drawer, lie back down on the bed, hug his wife, and turn a couple of pages.

“It was originally a fairy tale that my colleague gave to our son. My son wasn’t even born yet, and his mother heard half of the story first. You really are a ‘grown-up child’.”

"I don't care! Just tell me already!~~"

"Then I'll tell you the story of The Happy Prince."

"You've already told me that, and I'm in a bad mood right now, and you still want to tell me sad stories!"

"Okay, okay, the name of the next story is... wait, let me turn the page... oh, it's called 'The Selfish Giant'."

This is just an ordinary night in an ordinary family, a tiny beam of light gathered in the luminous body of the city, looking in through window after window: a mother is making dinner, couples are whispering sweet nothings to each other on the sofa, a child is saying "Dad" for the first time, and some people are sleeping alone.

There is warmth, and there is also desolation; there is joy, and there is also sadness. Emotions can be transmitted, though not very far, but they are still embraced by this city. The most important thing is to make yourself happy.

"Global Best Actor", and more
"."

5200 words. A normal chapter is around 2500 words. Reading experience is important, so I won't split it up. Goodnight everyone.

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(End of this chapter)