"Goldfinger" I have finished watching.
first refuted the rumors about the movie. Who said Andy Lau was just a guest star?
Andy Lau is the protagonist, and he leads a story line alone. "Goldfinger" is a typical Hong Kong-style two-hero movie.
After reading it, I couldn't hide my excitement and couldn't calm down for a long time.
So far, in retrospect, it is still very graphic. The
movie started at 9 o'clock today and was released for 4 hours. The box office has exceeded 25.78 million, ranking second in the single-day box office.
It's not as good as the pre-sold "Twinkle Twinkle Shining Star", but it's far better than what many box office analysts swear by.
Tony Leung Chiu Wai + Andy Lau, the collaboration again after 21 years of "Infernal Affairs",
even if it cannot reproduce the legend of killing everyone at the Hong Kong Film Awards and becoming the Hong Kong film that saved the market, it will never be a hit.
But what I am really curious about is: Why did the screenwriter of "Infernal Affairs" Zhuang Wenqiang have a golden lineup of Tony Leung, Andy Lau, Charlene Choi, Simon Yam, Alex Fong, Baike, and Taibo, but made a movie that lacked the traditional police and gangster elements of Hong Kong movies? A movie adapted from the true story of Qi Qing.
Even the movie has a financial background. How can a movie like
once again spark a revival of Hong Kong films?
After watching the movie, I seemed to have found the answer. The Jianing case adapted from the
film was a major financial case that involved tens of billions of funds, multiple lives, and many mysteries to this day. What
hides is a shocking scam conspired by the public in that era of profit-seeking.
As for Hong Kong films, whether Tony Leung and Andy Lau, or director and screenwriter Chong Man-keung, may just want to be capricious in "Goldfinger", what they want to do from the beginning is not to copy "Infernal Affairs".
After watching the film, I want to say: The era of Hong Kong film superstars may have come to a perfect end, but Hong Kong films will never die.
1: How do you feel?
After watching "Goldfinger", if you ask me what my most direct impression is, I will use two words to describe it, surprise! Why is
unexpected?
I was surprised, not because the movie truly revealed the powerlessness of justice in the face of interest groups, which was so heart-breaking.
I was surprised, not because the movie vividly showed the lavish spending, indulgence, and sensuality of that era.
I was surprised, not because this Ace vs. Ace showdown that spanned fifteen years in the movie was so touching after 21 years of waiting.
I was surprised that the images, scenes and soundtrack are not all full of retro Hong Kong flavor.
I was surprised. It’s not even that the film has almost no fighting and killing and justice in traditional Hong Kong movies, but it is full of tense games in which the little guy climbs up the ladder step by step.
What surprised me was that the less Hong Kong flavor of "Goldfinger" actually brought out the greatest Hong Kong flavor.
The prototype of the movie story is even more bizarre.
The madness of capital, the treachery of business, the hands and eyes of the world, and the ultimate play of the rules of the game. The golden fingers can change the rain and the clouds, and the white gloves are intoxicated.
What moved me most about the movie was actually the sense of contrast brought by time. In the movie
, Tony Leung plays Goldfinger, who plays with power and wealth at the palm of his hand, and Andy Lau plays an investigator who works tirelessly to search and collect evidence. The story spans fifteen years, and both of them have gone from their prime to the vicissitudes of life.
Apart from movies, two superstars from the golden age of Hong Kong films cannot escape the transition from youth to old age.
Inside and outside the movie, the audience seems to have witnessed the changes in Andy Lau and Tony Leung's face, eyes and hair over the past ten years.
It turns out that when it comes to time, no one has a golden finger.
2: About the adaptation
"Goldfinger" is a movie that is not afraid of spoilers, because reality has already given the finale. The
movie is based on real events, cleverly integrating business, crime, and human nature, and presents the audience with a duel between two heroes that spans fifteen years.
director Chong Man-keung has gone against the style of previous Hong Kong crime films. The film is neither like "Infernal Affairs" nor "Warriors". He just used the dramatic scenes and techniques of Hong Kong films to create this Hong Kong version of "The Wolf of Wall Street". 》.
Simply put, this is another story of the rise and fall of a "hero".
In this sense, the film does draw lessons from Hong Kong hero movies, but the protagonist is not the arrogant and domineering Lai Hao, Lei Luo, nor another version of Gao Qiqiang.
It was Cheng Yiyan who was pushed to the stage by capital.
uses flashback techniques to trace the story through the interrogation of several key figures. The viewing process is like a precise jigsaw puzzle. At the end of the story, you find that you have finally completed the puzzle, but this puzzle is just that. Just a small piece of a much larger puzzle.
As mentioned at the beginning, the story brings out two story lines from different perspectives through two absolute protagonists. Cheng Yiyan, played by Tony Leung, takes everyone through a story line of watching him build a tall building and watching his building collapse.
The story opens with Cheng Yiyan sneaking into Hong Kong. From doing odd jobs for 100 yuan, he cooperates with Brother Qiao, played by Simon Yam, to set up a speculator. He buys low and sells high, and he cheats the "chicken thief" Song Ge (Pacific Insurance) with 4 million. , started from this.
Even if you don’t understand finance, you can tell that Cheng Qikai just borrowed the trend of the times:
Issuing stocks, mortgaging, speculation, false transactions, issuing stocks again, and then mortgaging.
Taking advantage of the economic boom in Hong Kong, Jiawen Group is booming, making big deals worth billions at every turn.
resells land, speculates in stocks, holds companies, operates industries, and enters commercial real estate...
is a powerful influencer in the Hong Kong stock market and has also become a guest of major commercial banks.
is like Tony Leung’s line in the film: The whole world wants to lend me money and do business with me.
In just a few years, Sanwu Hong Kong drifters have amassed a net worth of tens of billions, surpassing Li Ka-shing in the limelight.
But in the final analysis, it is just a game of beating the drum and passing flowers.
Everyone knows that the pig that blows up will fall to the ground one day, but no one thinks that he will be the one to catch the flower in the end.
Like the heroes in all film and television works such as "Hurry Up" and "The Crips", Boss Cheng's rise to fame was as strong as a rock, and his downfall was even more devastating.
The Hong Kong stock market cannot keep rising. The stock market plummeted, and the game could not continue. Jiawen went bankrupt and delisted, the stock became waste paper, and the hard-earned money of countless investors was wiped out.
The story ushered in the second line.
Both the police and the Independent Commission Against Corruption are involved in the investigation. Liu Qiyuan, the icac Sir played by Andy Lau, has been working tirelessly to investigate and collect evidence on this case for more than ten years.
even refused to be promoted because he was afraid that he would not be able to investigate the case after he was promoted.
In this part of the video, people can see the shadow of Hong Kong-style police and gangster movies.
Relevant witnesses should die or escape.
And Cheng Yiyan defrauded money, killed people and silenced them, and finally escaped unscathed and escaped calmly.
Liu Qiyuan led his troops and arrested him eight times and released him seven times.
Until the last time, every time he mobilized people and failed.
So frustrated?
Looking at the Jianing case, I feel even more aggrieved. The prototype of the
movie is Chen Songqing, the chairman of Jianing Group, who smuggled himself to Hong Kong from Malaysia in the 1960s and later established Jianing Group. The
group quickly accumulated more than 10 billion in assets. However, this bubble only lasted for a few years. In 1983, Jiani Group was forced to suspend trading and liquidate due to heavy debts.
The verdict of Cheng Yiyan at the end of the movie is shocking, but it is derived from reality, three years.
After reading this introduction, I know what everyone wants to say?
Financial story, isn’t it boring? Will it be less exciting than a police movie?
Yes, from the perspective of stimulation of traditional Hong Kong movies, it is indeed incomparable.
However, a new story has a new flavor.
When I first watched the movie, I just felt that the plot was exciting but somewhat convoluted, and the feeling was not as straightforward as traditional police and gangster movies.
However, the further you look back, the more complete the story of the movie becomes, and the further you look back, the more memorable it becomes. In the finale of
, all the physical evidence, witness, and even the court opening time and confession time were all carefully designed performances. The guilty plea and sentencing happened to be stuck in 1996. This was the smallest price in exchange for the best result.
Offscreen, Chen Songqing still enjoys a mansion and drives a luxury car after serving his sentence. The rise and fall of
’s capital tycoons are full of ups and downs and meaningful. Justice is powerless in the face of capital. Cheng’s last sentence, “Do you think I really have a golden finger? At best, I’m just a white glove that I throw away after use.” "
is a line that is horrifying to think about both inside and outside the movie.
In the money game of drumming and passing tricks, the banker is the golden finger.
3: About Tony Leung and Andy Lau's duo
Like everyone else, before the release of "Goldfinger", I was somewhat skeptical about Tony Leung's role as Cheng Yiyan.
I'm not questioning Tony Leung's acting skills, but because Tony Leung has always played restrained roles, having him play the arrogant Cheng Yiyan sounded a bit off at first glance.
However, after watching the movie, Tony Leung still slapped me in the face with his stunning performance.
Let’s put it this way.
This may be the craziest Tony Leung Chiu Wai appearance the audience has ever seen:
He is dressed in a retro suit, and there is an irresistible arrogance in his smile.
But in fact, Tony Leung Chiu-wai performed the role with a layered sense of depth.
was depressed at first, gradually became arrogant, and finally helpless.
Cheng Yiyan in the film makes full use of his financial skills, expanding his business territory time and time again, and escaping from trial again and again.
His ambition is like a snowball, getting bigger and bigger, and his pursuit of wealth is getting more and more out of control. He thinks that if he owes enough money, he will be too big to fail.
The brokers and white gloves who cooperated with him and helped him on the platform all knew that there was a problem with his business, but they were involuntarily dragged into it because everyone wanted to get a piece of the pie.
For such an evil character, the screenwriter Zhuang Wenqiang didn't even arrange a trace of human nature. If it were played by someone else, it would be difficult to achieve such an effect: the audience rationally hopes that this person will collapse quickly, but he is given the role by Tony Leung Chiu-wai. Starry.
For such a crazy person, the role that tripped him up must be substantial enough. Andy Lau, of course, is substantial enough.
As Andy Lau said, it is difficult to play an overly righteous character. Because the characters are too perfect, they tend to lack arcs.
However, Liu Qiyuan's insistence on justice in the film still moved the audience. When even his family was hurt, he rushed to
Cheng Yiyan angrily, but he was powerless.
After more than ten years of tracing the case from youth to gray hair, Cheng Yiyan was finally brought to justice, but the price was heavy and it was difficult to say that he had truly won.
After watching the movie, I think the movie’s big investment in hiring Andy Lau and Tony Leung is worth the money. The two superstars’ wrestling is really full of tension. Every time they are in the same frame and look at each other, it is a drama!
The two are evenly matched in terms of acting skills and stardom. Only such a duo is worth watching.
4: About Charlene Choi
Initially, everyone had some doubts about Charlene Choi playing the only heroine in the film.
After all, the weight of the two Best Actors is too heavy, and Charlene Choi seems to be the leading heroine who has no choice but to be promoted due to the cessation of Hong Kong film actresses.
But judging from the results, Charlene Choi's acting skills not only supported the role of "Sister Sa", but also became a huge surprise in the film.
First, every look is very stunning. I didn’t think so when I was young, but now I feel her beauty more and more.
But the most important thing is the acting. Charlene Choi’s interpretation of the complex character Zhang Jiawen may be more outstanding than the roles nominated for the Academy Awards in the past.
A girl who was born in the rose garden of a juvenile detention center originally just wanted to work part-time. By chance, she was taken advantage of by a big boss and became a big boss in the stock and real estate industry. She owned numerous companies and owned the Jinshan Building.
Asa performed the changes in the character's aura, from immature to graceful and luxurious. She is not brainless, but is willing to be used.
The trader played by Bai Zhi entered the game because of her and did not forget to remind her when pursuing her, but she said that she would know the way.
This woman has her own calculations. She understood her white glove nature early on, enjoyed it, and eventually went with the flow.
It’s easy to get in but hard to get out. Lamentation also has its own glory.
The supporting roles of Zhong Bai Zhi, Fong Zhongxin and Simon Yam are all very stable.
But it was Qian Jiale who surprised me.
Just at the beginning, his character, the policeman Brother Rong, rushed into the Independent Commission Against Corruption, pointed a gun at Sir Liu, played by Andy Lau, and said, "You are a good policeman, and you come here to stab your own people?"
But later, the Liu family was tricked by Cheng Yiyan and saved their lives. Cheng Yiyan and his lawyer came to demonstrate.
Sir Liu's wife slapped Cheng angrily, and the lawyer shouted to call the police. Brother Rong rushed out again, and staged the funniest scene in the film -
Fang Zhongxin: "This woman hit someone?" Qian Jiale: "Who beats women?"
"His wife beats people!" "Who is his wife?"
Among the high-ranking characters in the whole movie, Brother Rong is the most grassroots one. When the atmosphere of the whole movie is full of seriousness and darkness, this The character
is like a little red in the greenery, bringing some laughter to the whole film.
Several times, I wished that Qian Jiale had more funny scenes, so that the film would appear relaxed and relaxed.
5: Is it good or not?
As mentioned earlier, the most surprising thing about "Goldfinger" is that the plot lacks traditional Hong Kong flavor. This is not to say that this movie is not good to watch, but it just means that the action elements account for a very small proportion of the whole movie.
The first scene is the opening scene: in 1977, the conflict between Hong Kong police and integrity.
The ICAC cracked down on corruption. Thousands of police officers and their families stormed the ICAC, and finally forced the Hong Kong Governor to announce that corruption before 1977 would be put to rest.
Another action scene is when Sir Liu was attacked in the parking lot.
But the large-scale production of the film is reflected in another aspect, that is, it vividly shows the history of Cheng Yiyan's rise. The gorgeous production gives the film a refreshing literary quality -
The splendid club, the desk piled with cash, the human voice The bustling stock market, champagne, cigars, yachts, modern dancing girls...
is full of excitement, and even the air is filled with the fragrance of banknotes.
There is also a scene where Andy takes dozens of people to inspect Cheng Yiyan's house. The scene when entering the building is really shocking. Whether it is the scene setting or the grand scene scheduling, it perfectly embodies four words: magnificent.
So is the video good or not? My answer is: the film is not as good-looking as the traditional Hong Kong-style police and gangster movies, but another kind of good-looking.
6: "Goldfinger" will not fail, and the era of Hong Kong film superstars will end with dignity
Of course, the evaluation of the film is not unanimous.
There are not only doubts, but they are not small.
For example, the narrative directed by the director repeatedly relies on the flashbacks of the subjects. You need to watch it attentively, otherwise you will not understand the timeline.
In addition, some viewers entered the show with the expectation of watching "Infernal Affairs", but what they saw instead was a financial-themed blockbuster, which of course was difficult to fully enjoy.
Therefore, before the movie was released, many people predicted the final box office of the movie and were very unfavorable about it. In addition, the nonsense that Andy Lau was just a guest star made people worry that after the movie was released, Chinese fans would not support it and would complain.
But now, these worries are no longer necessary.
It is a fact that it is difficult for a film to be a box office hit.
But the film is likely to earn about 500 million at the box office in the mainland market. If it sells well in the Hong Kong market, it shouldn’t be difficult to make a return, so why rush into the market?
Although, realistically speaking, it may be difficult to get two superstars together in the future.
But at least the Hong Kong movie superstars' joint curtain call maintained their decency.
Actually, when watching movies, I often think of Hong Kong movies.
Every big move and big news released by Cheng Yiyan and Jiawen Group is good news, which constantly gives investors confidence.
When Hong Kong's economy was booming.
The stock price rose, and so did Cheng Yiyan's net worth. He issued shares to the bank as collateral to get capital to continue making big moves, and continued to rise...
It's not that he is so good, he just takes advantage of the trend and rides on it.
Liu Qiyuan spent more than ten years, collected evidence across borders, and spent 200 million public funds in litigation costs to convict Cheng Yiyan of a misdemeanor. Is
worth it?
Think about it from another angle. In the golden age of Hong Kong films, many bad films sold well. To put it bluntly, they benefited from the popularity.
Now Zhuang Wenqiang has worked hard to find two ace actors to cooperate, but the box office is only 500 million.
Is the video really not good enough?
I think everyone knows that the real question is: Do today’s young audiences still like to watch Hong Kong movies?
Do they still know how dazzling the golden age of Hong Kong films really was?
But if young people don’t like it anymore, then don’t we need to fight for Hong Kong movies?
Andy Lau's answer in a recent interview was:
It's normal for young people not to like Hong Kong movies.
"We may be at dusk now, and then we may still pass through the night, but the sun will still come out. I am very confident."
I think this is actually "Goldfinger"'s answer to the fate of Hong Kong films.
The era is the golden finger, and the past will never come back.
But Tony Leung and Andy Lau are still acting, and Hong Kong films are still working hard.
The era of Hong Kong film superstars has passed, but Hong Kong films have not yet finished their work.
There are always people who still remember the story-filled Hong Kong of that era.
There are always people who still remember Hong Kong movies.
