[Global Times Report Reporter Niu Xiaoman] "I have always felt that movies are for the public, and they must have a sense of social responsibility and mission." Produced by Andy Lau, directed by Guan Zhiyao, a criminal action film starring Andy Lau, Jiadong Lam, Eddie Peng and Liu Yase The movie "Stealth" will be released on December 29. The film tells the story: A batch of drugs weighing 4 tons arrived in Hong Kong secretly. The mastermind behind the scenes was actually the gentle lawyer Lin Zhenan (played by Andy Lau). He used the dark network to sell drugs and kill people while using the law to get away with it. The police were doing their best. Hunt. Recently, in an interview with the Global Times, Andy Lau talked about the title of "model worker" and his motivation for acting. He said frankly that he also has bottlenecks and wants to slow down, "but these new actors, directors and scripts continue to inspire my creations." Desire keeps me passionate and hopeful.”
Andy Lau plays the villain Lin Zhenan in "Stealth".
A work cannot convey positive energy, I can’t film
Global Times: How do you understand the character Lin Zhenan? After 16 years, how do you feel about playing a bad villain again?
Andy Lau: In police movies, I play either a policeman or a gangster, but this time I made another choice and played an "intelligent villain". I want everyone to know that people like Lin Zhenan and the cyber crimes in the film may seem far away, but they are actually around you.
added a relatively human part when describing the villain Lin Zhenan. He is lonely and cold, with only his wife and future children in his life. His dream family is a very warm picture with his lover and a few friends around him. If you watch the movie and experience Lin Zhenan's character for two hours, you will want to read about his past. Why did he become such a villain? We wrote the story behind it. He was an orphan, and he met another orphan; he was a lawyer, and he once hoped to punish those who hurt his wife through legal means... He went astray step by step. Everyone has their own way of living in this world. If you choose a crooked path, you will suffer the consequences.
Global Times: What was the most painful thing for Lin Zhenan in the film? The tragedy of his wife and daughter or the betrayal of his best friend?
Andy Lau: Betrayal will not hurt him much because he is selfish towards his friends. He seems to love his friends, but his friendships have a utilitarian nature: I am good to you, so when you are in danger, you have to do whatever it takes for me. On the surface, it seems that he gives others a chance to choose, but in fact, he does not give them a way out, and no one can cross the line in his heart. In my performance, there are many bifurcation points that show the journey of Lin Zhen's peace of mind. That is the path he chose himself, and everyone must cooperate with him to go on it. And he is selfless to his family. He is a kind of lover. He will face danger and stand in front of his lover. He is both selfish and "loving", and is a terrible person.
Global Times: What does the creative team of "Stealth" want to convey to the audience?
Andy Lau: We want to let everyone see more of Hong Kong in terms of creation, performance, action, and scenes, and at the same time take into account "emotion", whether it is friendship, love or family affection. Police and gangster movies are the mainstay of Hong Kong movies. We want to use this drama to make everyone feel the two sides of the world and understand the truth, but we hope everyone can do it. There is a line in "Stealth": "Is it worth it? No one forces you." I have always felt that movies are for the public, and they must have a sense of social responsibility and mission. I used to be like this, if a work couldn't convey positive energy, I wouldn't choose to make it.
Global Times: What are your expectations for Chinese-language movies?
Andy Lau: movies are a kind of soft culture that can connect people from different regions. On a small road in France, a foreigner kept chasing me. I was scared and ran forward. Later, he caught up with me and took out the VCD of "Infernal Affairs" for me to sign. At that moment, I felt that Chinese movies were particularly special. It is an action film that has attracted the attention of audiences from all over the world and entered the world film market. We can also slowly explore different fields such as art films.I hope that people from all over the world will see Chinese-language movies and feel our culture. I also hope that through movies, I can understand the cultures of different countries and regions.
The younger generation is very "daring" on set
Global Times: As a producer, what considerations do you have when selecting actors? How would you evaluate the performances of the leading actors?
Andy Lau: Every actor fits the role very well, and their performance can meet my requirements. When speaking dialogue, you will feel that there are some stories and other subtexts behind him. It is full of shock and can easily bring the audience in. Stories allow everyone to feel both sides of the world. In this cooperation, I saw the progress of Lin Jiadong. He can cover more and more types of roles. This time he put the roles he has played in the past 12 years on the role of Xiu Hao. Every layer is very eye-catching. .
Peng Yuyan and Liu Yase, the younger generation, have different enthusiasm for acting than we do. Sometimes we think more about it, but they are very brave on set. For example, the character Fang Xing (played by Peng Yuyan) has the arrogance of a young man. In the early stage, he also had a "floating" feeling. This was designed by Peng Yuyan himself. Young and promising people tend to be drifting. He also hopes to do more fighting scenes in terms of action, so that everyone can see his many possibilities. Liu Yase is also a good actress, and she grasps the different rhythms of the performance very well. Her appearance and performance maturity fit the role very well.
Global Times: What do you think of the term "Hong Kong film revival"? How do you plan to develop young talent?
Andy Lau: I think the market will still pay for hard work and sincerity. We will not be discouraged because of any difficulties or lack of recognition. We are still working hard and hope to get better and better.
I am currently planning to train some of the next generation of pillar actors and producers, taking my time in different places. We used to start from small things step by step and accumulate experience from small roles, but now there is no opportunity to gradually accumulate experience, and the space for training newcomers is not large and broad enough. Young people have their own yearnings, dreams and hopes. I want to create more in the next two years so that they can have a new and safe space to develop their strengths. In the process of cultivating talents, I learned to let go and only focus on the general direction, such as budget and timeline, and ignore other things. They can listen to my opinions or not.
Now Andy is "retiring without rest"
Global Times: Everyone says you are a model worker. What is the motivation that keeps you working hard? I mentioned before that I wanted to be a director. Have you ever thought about what kind of work you want to direct?
Andy Lau: I like performing, whether it is in music or in film and television works. But I will also have bottlenecks, I will slow down, and I will try to explore new possibilities. Sometimes my enthusiasm will fade and I will not be so selfless. Fortunately, new actors, directors and scripts continue to stimulate my creative desire and keep me enthusiastic. Now it's more of a "retirement without rest" state. Life is moving forward, and different things happen every day, so my film life becomes my life.
To be honest, there is pressure when being a director. I am afraid that it will not look good and that it will not do well at the box office. I have a strange dream and want to make a work related to "The Legend of the Condor Heroes", because the first movie I invested in and produced was "The Legend of the Condor Heroes".
Global Times: Can you send everyone a blessing for 2024?
Andy Lau: Let’s take a good look at the past year and stop thinking about the bad things. Starting from today, do small things well, and you will become happier and happier. Soon you will be able to hear the song "Gong Xi Fa Cai". First of all, I would like to congratulate you on getting rich. Congratulations.